Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-15
OUR INcRs AsING NAVY.
The New Ships for which Appropriations
Have Been Made.


Appropriations are available for three
new vessels for tue navy namely, an Am
men harbor-defence ram, torpedo gun
boat cruiser. and a torpedo boat. bios
for the construction OF these vessels Will
soon be opened at the Navy Department.
The Herreshoifs, it is expected, viii be
the only bidders on the torpedo boat.
The Ammen harbor-defence ram is
worthy the attention of large establish
ments. IL is understood that the I mon
Irou-W0rks, the Risden Iron Works.
the Bath irony Works, Harrison Lorlng
Of Boston. and the Columbian Iron
Works of Baltimore viii bid on this
vessel.
The torpedo gunboat cruiser will be a
vessel OF about seven bunared and nifty
tons, but possessing high speed Her
size places her within the province OF
the smaller ship-bullding establishments.
Firms Ike ReeIer ~ Sons of Baltimore,
Charles Moore K Sons Of Elizsbethport,
or tho Continental Iron-Works OF New
York could readily construct this vessel.
The hull will be comparatively simple.
The machinery will demand greater care,
and unless q ship-bulding establishment
possesses a superintendent of machinery
or consulting engineer OF ability tins
vessel had better be lett severely alone.
Her construction will afford a splendid
opportunity for an establishment de-
sirous Of doing good work to make a
reputation, but she will. on the other
hand, prove an impossibilIty to small
firm not possessing tirst-class facilities.
There il much TO be learned from the
| triple-expansion engine. The Yorktown,
on her recent cruise, furnished valuable
datatoengineers and ship-builders, which
will be supplemented, there is reason
10 believe, when Commander Chadwick
again gets 10 sea. The highest and low
est economical speed of the Yorktown
has been pretty definitely determined,
but the calculations have been wholly
based on the working Of the two en-
gines together. Condensation is the
difficulty encountered with triple-expan-
sion engines, when running mt low speed.
IL would be interesting to know
the results, from an economical
point Of view, arising from working one
Of the Yorktown's engines under high
power, with the speed of the vessel regu-
lated 10 six or eight knots. IL the de-
sired six or eight knot speed could be
maintained more economically by one
engine running under high power than
by two engines running under low
power the fact would be worthy OF
noting. Not infrequently the City of
Paris and City of New York have run
for hours under one engine, the incl
dent being known only to the officers
aud a few experts on board. Under
such circumstances engineers are usually
loath to furnish data.
Criticism is heard from engineering
experts on the propeller designs OF the
big twenty-five. knot cruiser. This yes
sci is being built by the Cramps. The
Pirate, as the vessel is known. will have
three screws, placed one on each quar-
ter and ono in the position where single
screws are ordinarily carried. The
shafts of the twin screws diverRe from the
engine-room. The central shaft inciines
slightly downward. The quarter screws
are three-b .aded and have each dame
ter Of thirteen feet The central screw
is four bladed and has n diameter OF
twelve feet. The criticism is on the
central screw The opinion is advanced
that it should have greater diameter.
The War Department ordnance appro-
priations amount TO over Sl,2OOOOO
This is practically the first appropriation
made since the close of the war. The
annual sums allowed by Congress for
maintenance and repair of forts and
guns is in no wise an Appropriation FOL
new ordnance. The appropriations re-
Gently made provide for machine-guns
as we'll as for guns of the heavy type.
They will contribute to the better de
fence Of forts and positions against as.
saults The bids on the new guns will
be opened in the War Department on
December 18th,