Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-02
BUILDING THE NAVY.
Torpedo Boats Constructed Now Just
as Well at Inland Points
AS AT SEAC0AST NAVAL YARDS.
Interesting Points in a Report to the secre-
tary of the Navy.
WOODEN WAR VESSELS PLAYED OUT

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-Commodore
Theodore Wilson, Chief of the Bureau Of
Construction, in his annual report to the
Secretary of the Navy recommends that the
Galena be sold, as useless to the Govern
ment and source of expense.
OF the single turret monitors now in the
James river, the report saws that they
SHOULD be repaired or sold. For compare
tivelv moderate sum they can be made use
full sdjuncts to whatever other means the
country may possess Of repeiling an enemy,
their shallow draft rendering them especi-
ally adaptable for service in the smaller
harbors of our own coast, which sea-going
armored vessels of modern design can't enter
on account of their great draft, and where,
consequently, they would only be exposed
TO the attacks of unarmored cruisers.
The Wooden Navy's Day Is Over.
Touching the old wooden navy the report
SAYS: ''These vessels are rapidly disappear
ing from active service. Only IL are now
available for cruising purposes, and they
within five or six years will be mustered
OUT
Stress is laid upon the significance of the
contract made for the construction of tor
pedo boat No. 2, with the Iowa Iron Works,
as it indicates the possibility of building
these valuable craft at safe inland points
The report states that contracts have
already been made for II ,210 tons of the
15,945 tons of armor required for the vessels
now building
Attention is called to the fact that with
the advent of modern steel vessels, comes
pressing necessity for a large increase in
the machine departments of the navy yards
to make the unavoidable repairs, if they
are to be expeditiously and economically
made. To this end appropriations are recon-
mended as follows: So, 900 for the Ports
mouth. \. H., Navy Yard: $50, 900 for the
New York Navy Yard; S44, 600 for the
League Island, Pa, Navy Yard S4S, 900 for
Norfolk, Va, Navy Yard, and 100000 for
the Mare Island, Cal, Navy Yard.
Need of sheathng Steel Cruisers.
Selling the opportunity afforded by the
unfortunate experience of our steel cruisers
in Chilean waters, the report treats at
length of the necessity for sheathing the
bottoms of steel vessels. 1t saws:
The importance of the preservation of the
bottoms of steel vessels from corrosion and
fouiing can hardly be over-estimated, and is
continually emphasized by the 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 entirely con-
fined to cruises of snort duration in the
neighborhood Of of our own ports, it would
appear that they are deficient in most
important quality, namely, the ability TO
maintain high speed at sea for long periods
of time.
Reference is made by the valuable data
bearing on this subject collected by Naval
Constructor Philip Hichborn, and an eara-
est recommendation is made that Congress
adopt his conclusions, summarized as
follows:
l. All cruising vessels intended for general
service in foreign waters should be sheathed
If above l,000 tons displacement.
Q Vessels of less than / 900 tons displace-
ment, intended for general service as cruis- |
ing gunboats, etc, should be of composite |
construction, viz: with steel framing, wood |
inside, planking and copper sheating.
Figures are given to show that Great
Britain has adopted these ideas in new con-
struction, that IS per cent of it is to be |
sheathed and that all of the gunboats built |
since 1886 are of composite construction,
enabling them to keep at sea for long
periods without docking.