The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-01
THE AMERICAN NAVY.
Urgent Need of Vessels for Har-
Dor Defense.
FORMATION OF NAVAL MILITIA.
Battle-ships Now Building Are Fit to
Fight ANY thing Observation-Disclosures
Of Guns aud Armor.


Fight Any thing Observation-Disclosures
Of Guns aud Armor.
WASHINGTON CrrY, Nov. 30.-In his annuel
report. which is OF great length. Secretary OF
the Navy Tracy give much interesting INFORMS
ton abort the new navy Among the uncom-
pleted crafts, special mention 10 made OF the ar
ored cruiser New York ss vessel In which has
been at aimed an unusual combination OF great
offensive and defensive power. with extraordf-
nary coal endurance and high speed Her arms
ment Is unequaled BY any ship OF the cruiser
type In the wor d. and II gives her chances not
to be despised. should she be driven to encoun.
ter with battle ship The three battle ships
now building are in San FRANCISCO,
and are declared to bs vessels whose
equals a. fighting ships do not exist today.
There are others Of greater size but none OF
greater power and efficiency. Much space 10
slso devoted to the triple-screw protected
cruiser, which has q formidable armament,
enormous horsepower, speed faster than any
ocean greyhound now in existence, and coal
endurance which, with ordinary cruising time
gives her an endurance OF los days. or radius
OF action OF $3.50 knots. Six ships like her
would exterminets the commerce. OF any co1n-
try under the present conditions OF commerce
protection. Regarding armor, the Bethie-
hem Iron Company Is still disappoint-
ing the department in getting Its
plant completed. The time now Fixed for COM
pletion is July, 1921, nearly two years after the
contra time. Another contract has been made
with Carnegie. binding the firm to begin the de-
livery of armor In June next ard deliver 500
tons a month thereafter. II both firms come up
to expectations 1t will take twotears from July,
1891, to complete the armor for the ships now
author zed.
The report deals at length with the expert
ments with compound nickel and steel plates.
Before entering upon extensive purchases the
department thought 1t was to make farther
tests, and limited quantity of nickel, amount
ing in value to about $4,000, has been pur-
chased. No more will be procured until COM
plete and exhaustive experiments demonstrate
the success Of the plate beyond doubt
In discussing ordinary matters the secretary
particularly calls attention to the reduction in
the cost Of msking guns and Carriages which
the Warrington gun factory has accomplished.
To AXE single instan ce, the government paid
$500 for the manufac ure OF an eight-inch
rife, aside from the cos OF the forgings. The
Washington gun factory manufactured a similar
rifle for s. 1853, and this year for $2,772. Armor
piercing projectiles hitherto received from
private firms in this country having proven
unsatisfactory. Q contract has been made for
quantity OF foreign processes to be manufsc-
tured in this country, while the department
secure q satisfactory American projectile. The
diversity of rapid firing guns has led
the department. to look with favor
upon the plan to limit smaller rapid-fring
pieces to six.pounder and one-pounder caliber
and abandon the throe FOUNDER and Az and 81
millimetres a. soon IS practicable. The
Hotcbkiss company not having been able to yet
produce satisfactorily the Howell torpedoes,
arrangements have been made with the White
head company whereby IN American company
will shortly bs enabled TO supply the navy with
. number OF their torpedoes. When the Hotch.
kiss manufacture 10 perfect there will be given
tests of torpedoes other than automobile. The
Patrick torpedo. electrically directed from the
shore, has undergone q successful test.
Regarding the personnel Of the service.
the secretary repeats the recommends
ton Of Chief Engineer Melville and other heads
of bureaus, for an increase in the number OF
some officers and the equalization OF others
Considerable space 10 given to naval militia,
the want of which Is declared 70 be one OF the
most vital detects Of our system. References is
made to the active interest in the subject in
some Eastern states and on the Pacific coast the
past two years, and the secretary says all that 10
needed Is such action on the part OF congress as
will put the naval militia on the same footing
as the land militia. There is every reason to be-
lieve that with proper encouragement the crea-
ton Of . naval militia will be assured.
General estimates for the support of the navy,
including public works and The marine CORPS,
for the next fiscal year show total of 81 352 594
less than last year, and 1885, 600 less than the
current years appropriation. Estimates for in.
crease of the navy are $lS,471,0 600, against So
$50 900 for last year. The largest part of this IN
crease, however, il for payment on outstanding
contracts.
The secretary draws special attention to the
necessities of the most va nerable points along
our coasts for adequate protection from foreign
fleets. No land force, however resoute or
numerous, could be effective, even when all the
ships now autho lied are completed. We should
not have fighting chance, our coast being so
long, and its ports so divided and remote.
Nothing short of Q force of battle-ships,
numerous enough to distribute in
separate fields OF attack, and able to concen
trate on any threatened point within their own
field will prove q complete protect n. The
type Of ships the department. suggests for har.
Dor defense purposes is an enlarged Puritan of
not more than fourteen 10 sixteen feet draught,
and with heavy armor and ornaments. These
ships are to be exclusively for local purposes,
and to have q station frIm which they shall
never be absent They would stay the en-
trance of an enemy until battle-ships could ar
rive This type is less expensive than
seagoing ships, and answers as no other the re.
quiremens OF American harbors. Furthermore.
the movement toward the creation OF Q naval
militia would receive additional strength aud
arrangement from the creation OF this NATIONAL
force reserved for local purposes The harbor
defense ships would be the ralying point. the
drill hall aud naval school of young men who
have shown earnestness in the organization
of naval militia. It should be their privilege
to become the principal source OF supply for
the complement both of officers and men OF their
local thip, and the result will be the addition of
incaicul able strength to the naval resources of
the country. If sucn plan 10 adopted Il 10 rea.
sonabe to believe that Boston, New YORK, Phil
adelphia. Baltimore, New Orleans, San Fran
cisco and the cities on Puget sound will become
rcaters OF n..-, strength, instead of being, as
they are today. conspicuous examples of mari
time weakness aud inviting attack.
stolen Goods Found at Tacoma.
TACOMA, Nov 3o.-fSpecial This evening
$3.50 worth of goods, supposed to be the same
stolen from freight cars in the Northern Pacific