Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-02
OUR NAVY.
Army and Navy Omeers Talk About the United States FIcet-But one Battle Ship-New York Ctty's Safety From a Naval Attack.

navy officers talked to-day about the &C., tion of the Italian government yesterday. They did not apprehend war but never theless the chance of an unfavorable turn in the negotiations which might lead to the uninvited appearance of the Italian fleet was not lost sight of. Commodore Ramsay, in charge of the navigation bureau of the navy, is the officer by whose order our ships move from port to port and are manned. His bureau would in case of war be the one to outline and direct plans of campaign in the waters. He was asked this morning what was the condi- tion of our naval defences. He said: ''How many battle ships do you suppose we havef' Just one, the double -turretted monitor Miantonomah-now at the New York navy yard and she is not com equipped with the guns. However by pressing forward we might fin ish her in month. The old moni- tors which fought during the late war would be of little value against the power ful battleships of European navies. The guns carried by these vessels could send a projectile through one side and out of the other side of any turret in the monitor fleet which now lies below Richmond on the James river. We are building two battleships, but many months will be re- quired in which to complete them and many more to arm and plate them with armor The armor has not yet been rolled It is idle to talk of building navy in 8 few months. The views set out by Sena- tor Ingalls, in his naval article are certainly not believed by himself. It is ridiculous to naval experts to hear boasts of repeating what we did during the war. Then we were pitted against people without a navy and almost without the possibilities of one. We swelled our naval list rapidly to over 500 vessels. But what did they amount toi Anything that would serve as a gun plat form or carry gun was bought or built. It was not necessary that they should be able to resist attack, because there was no foe afloat to oppose them. We could get many of this kind of craft, of course, but they would be of no service as against for eign naval power. The "tin plstes,n as the vessels protected with boiler iron were called on our western rivers, could also be easily procured, but they would be as worthless as the others. They could bare ly resist the fire of old-fashioned firearms, and were knocked to pieces by small field piece fire. Our new crew cruisers, about 8 uOZsu Ill uuInUeI, WOulu D6 Ol seINlCe ana would be fought for all that they are worth. But they were never intended to stand before armored battle ships or against anything else than such unarmored vessels as their own class. They would, however, be useful to destroy the lines of water communication by which a foreign naval force on our coast must receive their coal and supplies
 In conclusion, Commodore Ramsay said he did not feel that New York was in i'm minent danger even in the event of war. The heavy draft Italian warships could not successfully lombard the city without en- tering the harbor, and they were not like ly to enter the harbor because aside from the perils of navigation certain prepara- tions could and would speedily be made to render the water untenable for them. Sub marine mines could be arranged, although it did not follow that hostile vessel would be obliging enough to pass over them. Torpedoes could be planted, but the histo- ry of naval operations on the James river | showed that they did not render 6 river i'm | passable to fleet. But these devices were | all of use, and supplemented by other..de- | fensive measures that could be adopted | but which could not now be described, | they would probably make New York city tolerably safe from @ naval attack