The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-04
pRoeREss OF OUR new NAVY.

ri PROGRESS OF OUR NEW NAVY.
The Itata incident has PARTICULAR
directed public attention to warship
in general and more especially GU
own new armored cruisers. Ehe arti
r Gle in the North American Review TO
! June, by Secretary Eracy, on "Ou
New Warships," comes by authorit
and just in time to enlighten hi
0 countrymen as well as foreign nation
on the subject.
According to the secretarys show
, ing, backed by foreign expert nava
architects, who certainly would hardl.
give US more than our due, the new
American navy is not to be sneezed at
Gen. Eracy reviews the history OF thu
new navy from its inception in 1883
when the cruisers "Boston," "Chi-
cago," ATLANTA" and Dolphin" were
undertaken-all steel vessels. Ehese
ships, says the secretary, were expert
mental, both as regard the mechanics
who built them, the designs and the
material used Ehey were success.
Ehen followed, in 1887, nine new
ships, the Newark" charleston"
Baltimore" philadelphia" San
Francisco, yorktown" Concord,
bloomington" and the "Petrel." The
"Baltinore" and "Charleston" were
built on plans purchased abroad
and the others of the group on the
same modified to suit the suggestions
of American architects and to include
more modern improvements.
Ehe two battleships, 1000 tons
maine" and Texas" were undertake
en-, the former in 1888, the latter in 1889,
the plan of the Texas" having been
bought in England.
After the Texas" and the capabili-
ties of American mechanics having
been fnlly tested, the government has
cut loose from European dependency
and with the most gratifying and sue
cessful results.
There are now under way the ar
mored monitor ship Monterey, cruis
ers numbers 6, IL and 10, the armored
cruiser New York" and the great
battle ships the Massachusetts" In
diana" and Oregon These are all
on American designs.
The most remarkable OF the new
ships is the cruiser No. -, popularity
known as the Pirate" because
specially adapted to destroying
the commerce of an enemy.
She carries one 8-inch, two 6-inch al d
eight inch guns, with twenty rapid
firing guns. Her essential features are
speed and coal capacity. The latter
gives radius of action of $4,000 miles,
and her speed is based on radius of
10000 horse power. The limit of her
speed is twenty-five knots, and she
can sail around the world without
taking coal. According to competent
European critics the Pirate, it is ad-
mitted, will be faster than any British
cruiser by one and half knots.
AS to the three great battle ships,
defended by steel armor foot aud a
half thick, 5000 horse power and coal
bunkers slowing 1900 tons, Secretary
Tracy, with pardonable pride, quotes
from Mr.. Biles, who's ands at the head
of English naval architecture. After
describing the American battle ships
Indiana, Oregon and "Massachu-
setts," Mr.. Biles admits 1.-THE arma-
ment of these vessels to be more
powerful than that of any European
battle ship"
These big war ships are modelled on
American ideas, and it looks as if the
Europeans will hereafter pattern after
us instead of we after them.
Evidently we are soon to have a
navy that will command respect on
the high seas if it never accomplishes
anything else.