Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-06-25
New American Navy.

In the June number of the North
American Review Secretary Tracy has
given the public some timely informa-
ton regarding our new war ships. In
1883 the United States had no navy
worth the name, for the reason that
with the close of the rebellion the gov
eminent practically ceasel to take an
interest in naval construction, being &
content to patch up the old ships which
had become antiquated. In vain did
the advocates Of a new navy strive 70
induce Congress to vote money to
build few modern ships, until 1882,
when IA body favorable to the idea voted
to build the Chicago, Boston, Atlanta
and Dolphin. 1t was new work, be-
cause naval ship-building had become
lost art in this country, but it was
begun and carried on in a manner cred
liable to all who had hand in the
construction. Nothing more was done
until 1887, when the Newark. Charles
ton, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Yorktown, Concord, Ben
nington and Petrol were begun. The
Baltimore and Charleston were built
from plans procured abroad, the Phila-
delphia and San Francisco were more
or less modified reproductions of the
Baltimore's design, while the Others
were designed by the bureaus of the
Navy Department, in which were in.
PRODUCED the best features of freight
ships. And here 1t is well to note that
the Charleston, which went after the
Itata, aud which has been so sharply
criticised because she cannot carry a
large quantity of coal, was built upon
the most approved designs purchased
abroad. Following these nine came
two more ambitious ships of between
six and seven thousand tons, both ar.
mored-the Maine, begun in 1888, Il
cruiser, and the Texas, in 1889, a battle
ship, the plan of which was purchased
in England. Since the Texas, the de.
partment has purchased no plans
abroad, but has relied upon the invell-
ton and mechanical capacity of the
United States. The number of ships
begun includes five cruisers Of the sec.
ond class, two gun-boats and practice
vessel. An armored vessel of the
Monitor type and a harbor-detense ram
are we'll advanced in construction. in
addition to the above the department
has undertaken the construction OF
vessels of an entirely novel character
during the past two years. These are
wholly individual and unusual, and
represent second departure in Ameri.
can naval construction. They are OF
four types, and there are six of them,
The cruisers are not only built to insure
the speed sufficient to overtake the
fastest ocean steamship, but provision
has been made to carry coal for long
cruise, which is the defect of the
Charleston and previous ships whose
designs were obtained abroad. One OF
these ships can carry coal sufficient fol
Il cruise of 1900 miles, while the
"commerce-destroyers," the pirate and
her consort, No. IL, can carry coal fol
Il 25,OOO-mile cruise; that is, trlr
around the world without stopping al
coaling-station. Thus it appears that
since 1882, the government has built
twenty-four vessels of various kinds
some of them upon the most approved
foreign designs, and several of them
upon plans essentially novel and Am
erican. Ten years ago several papers
in this country ridiculed and denounced
the idea of building and arming wal
ships at home. In less than eight
years after the first series of ships were
begun our naval architects and Ameri
can mechanics have produced ships
which Mr.. J. II. Biles, British nava
expert, has declared to be "quite equal
to the best of the English" in work
manship, and having greater speed and
being much more powerfully armed
and much better protected. Indeed,
he goes so far as to say that ave 1.-THE
British have nothing to cope with the
American Pirate" Yet there are al
legged American newspapers and PEG
pie American-born who still assert that
nearly everything American is inferior
indianapolis Journal.