The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-22

Of Thorn can stsam from eighteen to twenty
knots, and ali have large coal capacity.
They are all built of steel. but carry no
armor, This feet mounts over 200 guns,
mostly ak and eight inches. A very heavy
secondary battery II also 4 prominent fsa-
turs In this class Of ships. and oil Of them
carry powerful search lights aud q largo
nnmber Of torpedoes.
There are ton torpedo rams, all powerful
vessels OF from 800 to 1900 tons, which
can steam from sixteen to eighteen knots
an hou While their principal means OF
oifenss and defense IL torpsdoes and rams:
yet the ten vessels carry five guns each Of
ak or eight inch caliber. besides Il number
Of rapid-fre and machine guns, and all Cur
nv lights and mines for destroying an enc
my'H% torped0os.
or iron and steel vessels England pos
SCISSOR les. carrying 582 guns. varying from
four to ten inches in caliber. Tho ships
were designed for a wide range Of service,
and arc from 300 to 5000 tons. Many of
these vessels arc fitted with powerful en-
gines, and are very fast. Most of the larger
ships in this class carry torpedoes and
search lights. and form q very important
part OF the navy.
No country has paid moro attention to
torpedoes and the various means of using
them. both to protect her man harbors
aud also as a means of ~otfense, than Eng
land, and tho fact that she has n fleet Of
more LuNu ZUU u VUGb0 TeulhIkUDl6 tGB56l0
is not surprising. A large number Of these
arc first-clnss sea-going boats. that not only
can work along the coast, but Cross the
ocean to any part Of the world, and are the
dread Of large vessels, whether armored or
not. Most Of them, both large and small,
are painted a dull lend color, and. ms they
sit very low in the water and slip. along
! without noiae at a high rate of speed, they
are almost sure to get toe close to an enc
my's ship for comfort, and a big ship has to
keep its search light going all the time to
detect their approach.
Seventeen vessels. OF from 2.OOO to 6,UO
tons each. are used rs troop-ships or trans
ports, and are designed to carry a large
number of troops, with the necessary stores
and baggage. They have good coal capac-
ity, and ateam from twelve to eighteen
knots an hour
Besides the above list, which comprises
the navy proper, are a large number of iron
and wooden vessels used as SUPPLY and store
ships, and could also serve rs Transports for
/ OOPS in time of war. In addition Eng
land can also draw On her splendid mer-
chant marine for n class OF vessels that
could, unaided by the regular war-ships.
sweep the of an enemy off the
ocean.
Nino out of ten of the magnificent Btoam-
ers crossing the Atlantic and running to
other palts of the world have been built
with a view of making cruisers of them in
time OF war. The government has fur-
nished part of the money to build them, and
government officers have supervised the
work of construction. Many Of the steam
ers are fitted with magazines and have the
tracks and securing bolts already in them
while in the a~rsenals and various depots are
stored the guns needed to transform them
into armed cruisers, and the government
can at any time either charter or purchase
them outright. 1t would take but a very
short time to turn these vessels into ocean
cruisers that could either catch or escape
from any war vessel afioat.