The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-02
UNCLE SANS SHIPS
Commodore Wilson Makes Some
Recommendations.
BENEFIT OF TORPEDO CRUISERS
Steel Vessels Should Have Their Bottoms
sheathed-CommodOre Ramsey Recon-
mends Important Changes

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-Commodore Will
son, chief of the bureau OF construction, in
his annual report recommends that the
Galena be sold as she is useless TO the gov
ernment and source of expense Touch
ing the old wooden navy, the report says;
"These vessels are rapidly disappearing
from active service; Only twelve are
now available for cruising purposes and
they within i've or six years will be mus
tered out" Concerning new construc-
ton, the report speaks of the usefulness
OF torpedo cruisers such as engaged and
sunk the Blanco Encalada in the Gillian
war, and after recounting the fact that the
department was unable to secure bids for
the construction of such vessel within
the limits of the appropriation of the last
Congress, recommends the appropriation
be limited to s5l2, 900. At this price yes
sci of $50 tons may be obtained capable OF
running twenty-three knots an hour and
keeping at sea. Stress is laid upon the
significance of the contract made for the
| construction Of torpedo boat No. 2 with the
4 Iowa Iron works, as II indicates the posi-
biiity OF building these valuable crafts at
safe inland ports. The report states con-
tracts already have been made for l 2l0
tons of the Is, 945 tons of armor required
for vessels now building.
Attention is called to the fact that with
| the advent OF modern steel vessels comes a
pressing necessity for large increase in
the machine departments of the navy yard
to make unavoidable repairs. To this end
appropriations are recommended for S25,-
coo for Portsmouth navy-yard; SIS, 900 for
New \ ork; S44, 600 for League Island; S4S,
600 for Norfolk, and 100000 for Mare
Island.
Selling the opportunity afforded by the
unfortunate experience of our steel cruis-
ers In Chiian waters, the report treats al
length of the necessity for sheathing the
bottom of steel vessels. 1t says the
Importance of the preservation of the bot
toms of steel vessels from corrosion and
fouling can hardly be overestimated and is
continually emphasized by reports of loss
of speed and increased consumption of
coal received from our new unsheathed
steel vessels now IN commission. "Unless
we are willing to admit that the role OF
our cruisers in time of war shall be en-
tirely confined to cruisers of short dura.
ton in the neighborhood of our own ports
1t would appear they are deficient in 8
most important quality, namely, ability tC
maintain high speed at sea for long periods
of timen
Reference IS made to valuable data bear
ing On Tue SUBJECT colecIeo by Naval Con-
structor Hlchborn and an earnest recon-
mendation is made that Congress adopt
his conclusions, summarized as follows
ALI cruising vessels intended for gen
eral service in foreign waters should be
sheathed if above 1000 tons displacement
Vessels Of less than 1000 tons dis
placement intended for general service as
cruising gunboats, etc, should be of CON-
posite construction, viz: with steel franz
ing, wood inside, planking and copper
shesting.
Figures are given to show Great Britain
has adopted these ideas in the now cen.
struction; that IS per cent. Of it is to b.
sheathed, and that all of the gunboats bull
since 1886 are of composite construction
enabling them to keep at sea for lon,
periods without docking