New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-05
THE DEPARTMENT or THE NAVY
SOME OF THE WORK DONE BY SECRETARY
TRACY IN THE PAST YEAR

been a brilliant and nspirtng one. with TWO somore
pages at the beginning and the other at inc emo
OF the chronicle The distressing calamity winch 30
recently overlook the secretarys family Deed Only
be advered to here: though personal In It's charae
ter, the shock it caused in the Naval service ana IN
Official life at the capital still fresh and poignant
The other tragic incident Of the year was the melan
choly disaster at Apia, almost twelve months ago.
the severest that has befallen the Navy for many
years. The loss in the memorable hurricane OK
March 10. 1859. Of the Trenton and Vandalia, two
Of the stanchest vessels of the old wooden feet with
four officers and fortysix enlisted men, crippled the
Navy temporarily TO a most embarrassing degree, and
with the disabling of the Njpsic practically wiped out
the available force then the Pacific Station. From
that blow the service was not long In ralying how
ever and the loss in effectiveness soon made up
by additions Of vessels TO the active list OF the
Navy The Samoan disaster, depressing as it was,
had this one rcdecming feature. II showed, as moth
ing else In years has shown, the heroic forttudc OF
American scamen in face Of extreme peril, and The
galantry and skill exhibited by the officers and men
of the Trenton. Vandalia and Npsic in the terrible
storm at Apia will justly rank with the best achieve
mcnts Of the Navy since We times OF Decatur ah'
Perry.
CONSTRUCTING THE NEW VESSELS
The work Of building up the new navy has mads
the most gratifying progress during the year. I'm
cheney and good judgment have characterized tho
tanned during the last twelve months have met WIN
general and cordial commentator Under the pres
ont Administration there has been no SHADE" o'
an attempt 10 dscredt the work Of preceding Secre
iarcs. for partisan purposes, or to break oo"h
American shpbuidcrs. 10 further the interests oil a
political machine Every effort. on the contrary
has been made to encourage American slnpyaris
and foundrics and to stimulate tie production In
the country Of all the materials for building, hitting
ard armimg the rev vessels. Liberal terms HaVo
been offered TO builders and every legitimate all
has been given 70 them In the filhlment OF their
contracts. In short. the Department las endeavored
nv all practical means 10 make the WAY easy for the
construction OF a modern ravy during the next.
twenty or thirty years. and has bent its forces con
stantly toward charging and improvin, homo
facilities for this useful and necessary WORK IL mas
not failed 10 give credit To Democratic secretary
Of the Navy when credit seemed deserved. nor VIII
its record be found stained with any shameful bemish
like that which tarrshed the last ADMINISTRATION
through il, unjust and brutal persecution Of John
Roach With the Department AS managed Tho
creation Of navy has been taken entirety our %
politics, and made question CT paramount Ea''o"ai
and non partisan importance.
The principal work Of the Navy Department during
the year has BEEN of course. that of constructing he"
vessels, and glance at the list OF those either COM
n,cted or still under construction will show at onoe
Inc magnitude and variety OF these operations. POUR
armorcd vessels five double turreted MONITORS ohe
steel cruising monitor eleven nnarmored cruisers anu
TWO cun5oats are now in process of building WHO
four unarmorcd vessels torpedoboat and Dynamic
runhoat have been completed and accepted
~ the armorcd vessels, the Texas vessel OF 0.3lf
TONS is now building at the Norfolk Navy Yard her
keel ha, been laid, and she now partly IN the itao
he,ov the protective deck The Maine. Of 6,64o tons
i building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard lhe "oF"
upon thi, vessel has been pushed with great aclNly
and She i now more than threc-tenths completed
Armorcd Cruiser No. -" Of $500 TONS has not yee
reached the stage Of completed design but the plaS
are the subject Of active considerations CONTRACTS
for the machinery Of the Texas have been awarden
TO the Richmond Locomotive and Machine WORKS ana
for the machinery Of tie Maine 10 ~ T. Iai'uei' ''
& Co.. Of New York.
The contract for the armorcd vessel the Monterey
has been awarded, and the vessel Is now about one
tenth completed. The Union Iron Works. OF san
Francisco building this vessel The plans ior ''o
steel cruising monitor. ii $3.50 tons dspacchen1
authorized by act of March =. 1889, have been conf
pieed
Wor, has continued on the FIVE double turrced mon
! ttors The Mlantonomoh is the most advanced of all
and will be completed in five months; the othcr ionr
are more than half completed. Contracts nave Deem
awarded from time 10 time for the materials required
in the construction Of these vessels Atcr caci"i
consideration the Department decided upon d 'h''se
~ the design OF the Puritan with the result that IN;
r,,nent and armorcd protection have been greatly
icro,sea and the quarters for the officers and crew
imnroyed A similar change has been Lade in tho
Amphitrltc.
az Tho unalm.red vessels. four have been completed
and accented during the wear Inc baltlHlorc ana
NorLtown built by Cramp, the Charleston. by tlo
rnion Iron Works, of san Francisco and the Petrcl.
bv the Columbian Iron Works. Baltimore. The tiial'
- these vessels have shown that they are all highly
satisfactory The highest speed developed BY the BAL
tlmorc for one hour was 2o3l. lcr average sped
for four hours col making her the fastest vessel
of her size in the world. The speed OF the Charcstol
and Yorktown, though not so high rs that of tho
Baltimore is still good and 1t Is expected that whet
the Petrol gets IN regular working order she VIII
Also prove a fast vessel for her All these YES
sells are now In commission. The Yorktown Is In "a,
squadron of evolution. the Baltimore and fe'rei arc
at the Norfolk Navy Yard. and the Charleston Is AZ tho
/ Navy Yard at Mare Island
Three more large cruisers rapidly approaching
completion. The Philadelphia, building by '.a"p'
and the san Francisco, by the Union Iron Work. sr'
each nine tcnths completed The Newark, also az
Cramps yard. 10 seven-te nths completed ana icaN
for launching Two smaller cruisers, the Soh'oiu III"
Bennington, building at the Delaware River IRON
Works, at Chester. are more than iour'hitHS con-
pleted and nearly ready for huhcaihs' i"'
dynamite gunboat Vesuvus has been nnished' sao
is waiting the test of dynamite guns
OF the cruisers more recently authorized the largest
No. 8, of $500 tons. il now ready Tor advertise
ment, the plans having been completed. Nos. All"
s. OF 5000 tons each under construction al navy
yards one at New.Yogl the other at Norfolk, ~ al
the bids for these vessels were in EXCESS OF tho
statutory limit The work OH these two vessels Is
progressing satisfactorily. Nos o, 10 and IL, or
. 900 TONS have also been started upon, under con-
tract with private works; the first TWO having oeen
given 10 the Columbian Iron Works. at Baltimore,
and the last to Harrison Lorng. Of boston The
work upon these three vessels is getting on, anu
the vessels have been laid down. Two gunboats.
OF 900 TONS Nos. and 9, authorized year ago.
have recently been awarded to the Bath Iron Works
Tho new torpedo boat, known az torpedo boat No.
l. OF 90 tons displacement built BY Herrcshon OF
Bristol H.. l., has been completed and delivered.