Evening journal., 1889-08-09
OUR NEW WAR VESSELS.
An Interesting Report on the
Navy's Status.
TnmTYsHIPs BUILT OR BUILDING

THIRTY SHIPS BUILT OR BUILDING
The Rejuvenated Navy WIN Re Formid.
able squadron-wbat Is Being Done al
the Present Time-The Thomas Mon
ator Resem bIeh verne's Nautilus.
WASHINGTON, Aug. "A statement has
Been prepared by Commander I. n. Wilson,
fhief OF the bureau Of construction and re
pair, for the use Of Secretary Tracy, showing
Ehe condition Of vessels OF the navy in pro
kress Of construction at the time the new ad
ninistration entered upon its duties March
4 last, and what has been done since.
Under the act of March 8, 1885, q, ,S95,0ot
was appropriated for the construction Of two
cruisers and two gunboats The Newark
cruiser No. !, and the Yorktown, gunboai
No 1, were contracted for with w Cramr
& Sons, Of Philadelphia, at the prices Of 81,
24s, 900 and s455, 600 respectively The for
mer is not TO he completed until October "a
next; the yorktown was accepted and is in
commission
The Charleston, cruiser No. 2, was built by
the Union Iron works, San Francisco, under
contract for sl,Oi75oO She has had one
trial trip The Petrol, gunboat No. 2, wa
built by the Columbian Iron works, Balti.
more, price SPAS, 900, and win soon undergo a
third trial trip.
Where the 81, 500, 600 Goes
BY the act of Aug. 8, 1856, s., 800, 600 was
appropriated, aud the bureau prepared plans
for nine vessels. Contracts for these wert
let as follows:
The Baltimore cruiser No. 3, W. Cramp &
Son, <l.3s5, 900, win be completed about No
Veaber.
The vesuvius, dynamite cruiser, the Dyna
rniie company, Of New York; $3.50, 900, built
by w. Cramp g. Sons has had her steam
trial, which was satisfactory.
Torpedo boat, Herreshoff company, Bristol
r. l., $50, $50, in process Of construction.
The following vessels are being built at the
navy yards named: The Maine, armored
cruiser, New York; the Texns armored bat
tie ship, and the Amphitrite, monitor, Nor
fo.k the Monadnock, monitor, Mare Island,
Cal the Te' ror, monitor New York; the
IIritan, MONITOR Norfolk.
The Additions OF 1887.
The act Of March 8, 1887, authorizes the
hiilding Of two cruisers and two gunboats,
one Of five monitors TO be constructed at a
larbor defense vessel Under this act the
following contracts were made: The Phia
dslphia, cruiser No. 4, w. Cramp & Sons
1850, zoo, 70 be completed in October next;
the San Francisco Union Iron works, 81, 42S-
100, also 70 be completed in October; the
Concord and the Bennington, gunboats Nos
and 4, n. f. Palmer, Jr. & Co, New York,
f550,000 each, TO be completed this month.
The Aiantonomoh monitor is being built
at the New York navy yard. and is nearly
completed. The construction of the coast
and harbor defence vessel has been awarded
to the Union IRON works at San Francisco al
a contract price Of 81, ,62s, $50, and il is 70 be
completed IN three years No name has yet
been selected for this vessel
Outcome Of the Last Appropriation.
The sum Of s., 76o,0 900 was appropriated
Sept z 1855. for one armored cruiser OF
q 500 tons, one projected cruiser Of 81 800 tons,
two protected cruisers Of 5000 each, three
protected cruisers OF 1000 each and a prac
tice ship for the naval school, the latter T.
cost $500, 900 Plans for the 1000 and 5000
ton vessels are complete and bids will bc
spened on the POI inst. for their construc-
bon. The 1000 ton vessels are limited 70 a
post Of S700.OO0 EACH and the 900 ton YES
lels to 81, l000 600 each. The total Of these
9gures more than exhausts the am ount Of
3he Appropriation, So 1000
The limit Of cost fixed by the bureau Of the
$500 ton vessel is 81, SOC, 600 and Of the 1900
tonner, $500, 600. The practice cruiser
authorized by this act win be Of about SOC
tons, unarmored, and carrying battery Of
ten rapid fire guns Plans for this vessel are
well under way, and viii soon be completed
The bureau Of construction aud repair, the
commodore states. is at work on plans for th,
vessels authorized by the act OF March, 1889
which appropriated s4,055, 900 for construc
tion purposes, besides Sl40, 600 Tor four steam
tugs Bids for these tugs have just beer
opened, but the contracts are not let
The submerged Monitor
The principal vessel provided for in thi
last act Is tine armored submerged cruising
monitor, known as the Thomas ship, its gen
erai design having been suggested by ex
Congressman Thomas. of Illinois. Plans TO
It are nearly completed, and il is estimates
to cost 81 COO Two steel cruisers or gur
boats, estimated TO cost $3.50 900 ench, wi
be of 200 tons each, carrying batteries c
rapid fire guns Plans for these are we
snder way
There were also provided for in the act
1ss9 a harbor ram of the plan designed
Admiral Ammen, and a dynamite cruiser
Nne NtolNtus Type, Nplnlnb mas YET pet
done toward the construction Of these We
sells The cruiser is estimated to cost $3.50
300 but no estimate is made upon the ram.
hThe original four ships Of the new nav.
constructed und acts passed prior to Marc
JSS5, and in accordance with the requir
pents of the Naval boards Of 1881, are Il
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Dolphin.
IL WIN BE Formidable Fleet.
When plans now under consideration al
All ready there will be twenty-s new shi
provided for, exclusive Of the Boston, Oh
cago, Atlanta and Dolphin. OF this numb
1ifteen, at least, viii be in active service i
side Of the next eighteen months, and VIII
a formidable feet The five double turret
monitors, Puritan, Monadnock Amphitrli
Terror and Mantonomoh are also TO be add
to the above list. They are being built
the several navy yards IL will be at lei
four years before they are compl ted.
Bouianger Must Fly to America.
PARIS, Aug. 9-The high court Of