Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-08
NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
Secretary Tracy Comes Out Against
Any More Big Cruisers.
SMALL FIGHTING SHIPS WANTED,
In Connection With Battle-ShipS and Com
merce DestrOyers.
ALL FIGHTING SHIPS WANTED,
SUCH AS THESE HE WILL RECOMMEND.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsPArcH.1

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.1
WASHINGTON, Oct. THE statements
made by Secretary Tracy respecting the
future necessity of the navy, and the an
nouncement that his forthcoming report
will recommend that no more large cruisers
like those of the White Squadron be con-
structed, has aroused much interest among
naval officers and people generally, who are
interested in the subject of the United
States Navy. The Secretary is not at all
hesitating in expressing his opinion as to
the class of ships that the navy needs He
saws:
''What we need is three distinct classes of
ships. First, battle ships, such as the
Massachusetts, Indiana and Oregon will be
when completed. Second, feet commerce
destroyers like the New York, and third, a
large number of small 1,000-ton vessels for
police purposes. Our battle ships can fight
ANYTHING that floats There is nothing in
the English, French or Italian navies that
they cannot fight As matter of fact the
number Of vessels in any OF the foregoing
navies that could successfully oppose them
are comparatively few
GOULD STAND OFF BRITAIN.
W lth q dozen Sucn vessels duueu 10 our
monitors for harbor defense, we could in
our waters successfully withstand an attack
from Great Britain herself The New York
is an armored cruiser. She is building at
Cramn'S ward at Philadelphia at a cost to
the Government of S3,000,000. The object
which the department has aimed in the New
York is great offensive and defensive power
with extraordinary swiftness.
Her speed of 20 knots an hour will enable
her to escape from any more powerful ship
afloat to-day and to overtake 90 per cent of
all the ships III the world. Her battery is
not equaled by any ship of the cruiser type
afoat, while it gives her chances that are
not to be despised should she encounter
a battle ship Fighting battle
ships. however, is not her bust
ness Her purpose is to destroy
an enemv's commerce, and not only his
commerce, but any commerce-destroyer he
NAV send out. Four such ships, distributed
in various quarters, would put an effectual
stop to the depreciation of as many fleets of
ordinary cruisers She will have, in many
respects, wider field of usefulness than
any other ship yet designed for the navy"
BIG CRUISERS TOO COSTLY.
In the Secretary's opinion, the navy
will build no more big cruisers, which are
in no sense fighting ships. They are, for
one IDlDC, 100 expensive lntlr crews
number several hundred men each, and
their coal consumption is enormous More
than this, their bunkers are easily exhausted,
and Secretary Tracy estimates that none of
the number could steam from New York to
Liverpool and back again at a speed ex-
ceeding 10 or II knots. In other words, if
pushed TO their fullest capacity, they could
scarcely steam half that distance without re-.
coaling
Secretary Tracy regards it as mistake to
duplicate the ships, when other types more
serviceable and less expensive are needed.
In his forthcoming report Secretary Tracy
will recommend the building of a half dozen
small 1,0O0-ton gunboats. About IS months
ago the Bath Iron Works, at Bath, Me-,
were awarded contracts for the construction
of cruisers Nos. ) and 6, each to have dis |
placement of 1,050 tons. These vessels, like |
the little Petrol. which has a displacement |
of $50 TONS were regarded as largely expert |
mental when the plans were prepared. In |
the light of subsequent events they will |
prove among the most useful crafts of the
navy.
VERY EFFECTIVE VESSELS.
They can be quickly constructed; their
crews are small; they burn little fuel and
their cost, exclusive of armament, is only a
trife in excess of $500, 900 each. "For
ordinary police purposes, said Secretary
Tracy, ''they will be quite as effective as
anv of the heavier cruisers. They carry
eight four-inch rifles and small sub ,idiary
battery of rapid-tiring guns. Where diff
culties arise with small countries like
Haiti. San Salvador and Nicaragua, which
have no navy, such vessels fill every re-
quirement, while the expense of maintain
ing them afoat is trifing, as compared with
that of the larger ships.
'tAt this time, too, We could use them in
China The disorders in that country are
usually far in the interior and can only be |
reached by light-draft vessels, inasmuch |
as the rivers are often shallow and not |
navigable for warships OF average size. |
Against countries that have navy neither |
these nor the 1900 and 5,0O0-ton vessels |
could be used except as commerce destroy |
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