San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-01

terry two S-inch and six 6-inch high
power rifles; Baltimore, 4,4l3 tons
protected cruiser, main battery four
S-inch and 6-inch high power rifles
York town, ZOO tons, protected cruz
ser, main battery six 6-inch high
power rifles; Petrol, 500 tons, gun
boat, main battery four 6-inch high
power rifles; Vesuvius, 725 tons, dy.
Mantle cruiser, three dynamite guns.
There are also afioat and nearly ready
to go into commission the
Philadelphia, 1924 tons, protect
ed cruiser, main battery twelve
6-inch high power rifles; San Francis
co, 4,OS3 tons, protected cruiser, main
battery twelve 6-inch high power
rifles; Concord and Bennington, 1,770
tons, gunboats, main batteries six g.
inch high power files.
| "In addition there are under con-
struction in the navy yards at Brook
| Ign and Norfolk, two protected cruis-
| ers of 8, 1873 tons, to carry one 6-inch
high power rifle and ten 4-inch rapid
| fire.
SAT Boston and Baltimore under
| contract two 2,000-ton protected cruis-
ers, to carry each two 6-inch high
power rifles and eight 4-inch rapid
fire.
"At Bath, Me-, two gunboats, 1850
tons each, to carry eight 4-inch rapid
fire guns.
"A practice cruiser of of S35 tons is
also under contract.
Contracts have also been signed
for a 53OO-ton protracted cruiser of
great power, to be built by the Union
of nj
an armored cruiser of 500 tons, to be
built by the Cramps, which will be
the most powerful cruiser of her class
in the world.
"This embraces all the vessels au--
thorized down to the present congress,
when new departure has been made
in providing for the construction of
three first-class armored battle.ships,
the general plans of which are COM
pleted, and the details of which will
be ready for advertising proposals in
a few months.
"These ships are by far the most
powerful ever constructed on this side
of the Atlantic. While they will
only have about 5000 tons displace-
ment, they will carry II inches of
armor and mount the immense bat
terry of four 13-inch, four S-inch and
four 6-inch high power rifles. and
twenty 4-inch rapid fire guns. 1 am
satisfied by the designs that tn ese
are to be magnificent vessels, and be-
lieve they will be able to cope with
anything that can cross the Atlantic
to attack our coast.
Another new departure has been
made in the appropriation this year
by raising the requirement of speed
for the 1900 ton cruiser to TWEEN ty-one
knots minimum, which is one knot
more Than the requirements hitherto.
The designs for this vessel are also
nearly completed, and she will pro-
badly be considered faster than the
requirements If not the fastest cruiser
afoat. She will have three sets of
engines and three screws, and carry q
long l0-inch high power rifle of re-
markable range.
"There are also authorized fast
torpedo cruiser of $50 tons, and one
torpedo boat, which will be some
what similar to the Cushing that has |
made such wonderful speed.
''The foregoing gives a fair idea of
what has been done and is doing
toward providing US with modern |
navy.
"But in addition to the vessels and |
more import ant than the construction
of few ships is the advantage of the
establishment of the great works,
public and private, where we are now
able to build the best ships and
engines and guns that can be pro-
duced in the world.
The great Gun factory at tha Wash-
ington navy yard is not excelled any,
where, and its work is without rival.
1t has just had put in place the most
try, and one of three greatest in the
world, capable of lifting and carrying
$50 tons with ease. This wonderful
machine was built by Morgan at AL
lance, o.
"The steel ship building plants at
Brooklyn and Norfolk navy yards are
in full operation, and are being pro-
vided with tools. On the Pacific coast
the Union Iron works have devel-
oped great plant capable of building
the heaviest ship-of-war. On this
side the Roach yards. at Chester and
New York; the Cramps, Philadelphia:
Columbian Iron Works, at Baltimore,
.Harling & Hollingsworth; the Bath
Iron Works, Atlantic Iron Works,
East Boston, have all engaged in the
construction of modern steel warships
and the great ship building works of
Huntington at Newport News will be
one of the largest in the country.
"Of especial Importance is the es-
tablishment of the mammoth steel
forging plant at Bethlehem. Pa.