The morning call., 1890-12-01
THE NEW NAVY.
Facts From Secretary Traey's
Report.
The Construction Of Line-Of- Ships
and New Cruisers.
Armor and Ordnance Work Of the Wash
lnston Gun-FaGtory : Proposed. Or
sanization Of a Naval Militia.
Special to THE MonS1Se CALL.

Special to THE MORNING CALL.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 3O.-In an annual re-
port Of gleat length, Secretary of the Navy
Tracy gives much interesting information
about the new navy. Among tie unrom-
pleted craft special mention is made OF the
armored cruiser New York as vessel in
which has been attained the unusual COM
bination OF great offensive and defensive
power with extraordinary coal endurance
and high speed. Her armament is un-
equaled by any ship Of the cruiser type in
the world, and it gives her chances not to
be despised should she be driven to an en-
counter with battle-ship. Three battle
ships now building zone in San Francisco)
are declared to be vessels whose equal as
fighting ships does not exist to-day There
are others of larger size, none of greater
power or efficiency. Mich space is also de-
voted to the triple screw protected cruiser,
which has a formidable armament, enor-
nous horsepower, speed faster than any
ocean greyhound now in existence, and coal
endurance which, with the ordinary cruis-
ing time gives her an endurance OF 103
days, or radius of action Of 1920 knots.
Six ships like her would exterminate the
commerce of any country under the present
conditions of commerce protection.
ARMoR AND ORDNANCE.
Regarding amor the Bethlehem Iron
Company is still disappoin ting the depart
ment in getting the plant completed. The
time now fixed Tor It's completion is July,
1891, nearly two years after the contract
tune. Another contract has been made
with Carnegie, binding the firm to begin the
delivery of the armor In June next, and to
deliver 900 tons month thereafter. Ii
both firms come up to expectations it will
take two years from July, 1891, to complete
the armor tor the ships now authorized.
The report deals at length with experiments
with compound nickle and steel plate. Be-
fore entering upon extensive purchases the
department thought it wise to make fur
ther tests, and a limited quantity of nickel,
amounting in value to about $4,000. has
been purchased. No more will be procured
until complete and exhaustive experiments
demonstrate the success of the plate beyond
doubt.
Discussing ordnance matters the Secretary
particularly. calls attention to the reduction
which the Washington Gun Factory has ac-
complished. To take single instance:
The Government under an old contract paid
$500 per gun ier the manufacture Of eight
/; incr rifles, aside from the cUSt of for gings.
The Washington Gun Factory in 1888 manu-
factured them for S5163, and this year for
S2772, armor piercing projectiles hitherto
received from private firms in this country
having proved unsatisfactory, contract
has been made for Qauntity OF foreign
process to be manufactured in this country,
| while the department will still endeavor to
| bring about arrangements 10 secure salts
factory American projectie. The diversity
| of rapid-firipg guns has led the department
| to look with favor upon a plan to limit the
| smaller rapid-fring pieces to six-p0und and
one pound callber, and to abandon the
three-pou pderS and forty-seven and thirty
seven miiimeters as soon as practicable
The Hotchkiss COmpanl, not having been
| able yet TO produce satisfactorily Howell
| torpedoes, arrangements have been made
4 with the Whitehead Company, whereby an
| American company Will shortly be enabled
\ to supply the. navy with d number of their
/ torpedoes. When the Hotchkiss Company
1 perfect theirs they will be given tests or .tor-
| pedoes others than the .aut0m bile, the Pat
/ rick torledo. electfieallg directed from the
1 Shore, has undergone a successful test.
| NAV AZ MILITIA: -: :: -:.:.'-
r. Regarding personal service the Secretary
i repeats the Recommendations of: Chief En-
4 ginter Melville and other heads of bureaus
i Tor an increase in the number OF officers and
i. their equalization. Considerable space, is
given to The question Of a ''nayaIniilitia,H 2
i the " ant OF which Is declared to- be one of
the NEST vital defects OF" our system. Ref
+ erence is made to the active interest In the
4 subjrCt In SOME of the Eastern States and
all ~ <k,, Il
tile Secretary says all tnat is needed is such
action on the part of Congress as will put
the naval militia on. the same footing as the
i land militia. There is3eyety reason to be-
j. lleye. that with proper encouragement, the
i creation Of a naval militia will be assured.
/ $ General estimates for the support of the
:. navy. Including public works and The marine
corps. the nj. Xt fiscal year show a total ,ol
: SE3522, 594 less than last year: and S156,00t
less than tire current year approptIa tlOn
SlS. All, 600, against S9,SS5, 600 for list year.
+ The largest part of lhis increase, however
Is for the: payments ON outstanding con-
i traets. =: >: e: - !. =;
=. :...: ::=' COAST: PROTECTION.
r.: The Secretary drnws especial attention tc
1. the necessities of the niost vulnerable Point:
along OUR: coaslS for adequate protection
4 from foreign fleets. No 1anu iorce, however
/ res0iute or numerous, could be effective
Even when all the ships now authorized
are eompleted We should not have fight
ing chance, our: liue of defense being So
f loug and its parts SO divided and rello te
Nothing shoyt of d force Of !. battle-ships
numerous enough to be distributed m. sep
aTate fields Of ;altac X aud able to concentrat,
on any Threatened point within their: own
field will f,Ioye complete sprotection.> Tht
= type-of q Ship. the department suggests. fol
hartford Tense purposes ;:is AN enlarged
Puritan. OF not more than IA to 16 fee
draught, and with. heavy arnor and. arIila'
nent These ships . to be exclusively fo
local. purposes and: have: a. station from
+ which. they will never be absent. The.
world dStay the entrance of an enemy Until
i: battie-shlps eOhld arrive. = e - "
-: INCREAsED. NAVAL RESOURCES.
This type i, less expensive than that Of
L the sea-going ships anu answer as no otte
| type can the requirements OF American har
bols. Furthermore the movement towart
the creation of a naval militia will receiv
additional strength and encouragement from
| the creation 0f this national force reserved
for local purposes. The harbor defense shil
would be rallying point, drill hall, nava
school. for young men who hpd shown al
ealnestness in the organization of Dava
militia. 1t should be their privilege to be
; come the principal source of supply for TIL
complement 10th of officers and men o
, their local ship, and the result would be il
addition incalcuiabe strength to the nava
resources OF the country. If such plan
, adopted it is reasonable to believe that Bos
ton, New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore
i New Orleans, San Francisco and cities 0l
the Puget Sound would become the center
of naval strength instead of being, as the
arc to-day. conspicuous examples of mar
time weakness and inviting attack.
MORROW AND VANDEvER.
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