The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-06-11
1T WILL BE HARD TO BEAT.
Foreigners no Longer May Poke Pun at
Our Navy.

Inc American NAVY utt5 IeAcHtQ VIA
is called the middle point Of its devel
opment. To complete il and put itupoi
the footing Of frst-class power woulC
require an expenditure Of about $50.
100000 more. Thus far the Govern
ment has expended s70,000,O00 Thii
represents round sum Of sl35 600, O0(
for complete navy The interest on
this amount al q per cent, practically
the interest paid on Government loans,
represents the cost to this country Of
this most valuable kind Of insurance
The amount is small in comparison with
the security given.
Secretary Tracy said he would add
from six TO nine more battleships, each
Of 10000 tons. These would cost 50,
600, 900 each. This il as cheaply as
they can be built in England. He
would duplicate the New York. which
would cost S3,5O0,OO0 He would add
from four to six harbor-defense vessels,
costing each 81, 500. 600, and twelve tor
pedo boats, each costing Sl25, 900. This
\ would make navy the superior of any
nation, not excepting even England, in
point Of availability and practical quail
ties.
We have completed and authorized
forty-one warships These are all ves-
sells of modern class and will be armed
beautifully. In New England there are
being built at Bath ram and two gun
boats, at Boston cruiser No. IL, at Balti
more cruisers Nos. 8 and 10. the Maine and
cruiser No. are being built at the New
York yard, the Texas and cruiser No. 6
are being built at Norfolk, the Monterey,
cruiser No. 6, and the Oregon at San
Francisco, the New York, cruiser No.
H. the Massachusetts,, and the Indiana
are building at the Cramps, and a
practice vessel is building at Elizabeth.
This makes twenty-three ships in all
that are now being built and will be
turned ont within the next two years.
One of the most remarkable develop
ments in the navy has beenin the ord
nance service. Commander Folger,
who is in charge of the ordnance work
at Washington, is one of the most re-
markable ordnance officers in the world
Through his skill and knowledge great
economy and great rapidity in doing the
work have been accomplished. No bet
ter illustration can be given of this
than in the speed in which rifed gun
can be turned out to-day from the
works. A gun which used to take from /
two to three weeks to rifle can now have /,
the work done in fourteen hours. Guns
of quality equal to anything in the
service Of any nation are now being
turned out in great numbers ut the
Washington yard One of the means
OF future defense for the harbor of New
York will be found in this modern
equipment.
One of the dread features of posi-
BILE war with any great naval power to-
day is the defenseless condition of the
City of New York. 1t is an undisputed
fact that any one of the great battle
ships of the leading European Powers
could come over, take up a position at
her ease outside of the range of the guns
on the present Notifications, and destroy
the city. 1t is not known generally
that this danger does not exist to-day in
the same degree it did short time ago.
There are now being turned out of the
works at Washington guns with range
of twelve miles that carry magnificent
steel projects which could pierce the
armor of any European vessel at pres I
emit constructed. These guns could be
shipped over to New York and mounted /
within two days time.
In the event of war with England,
and that possibility has been presented $
1t various times during the Boring Sea :
controversy, it would be found that the
axes constitute another line of weak
less. Here under the treaty with En- I
gland, we can only maintain one war r
ship, the Michigan, an old vessel of no a
recount in modern times. England |
las large number of small torpedo d
boats of a draught so light that they a
'ould so through the Welland Canal. !
t could have sent a short time ago a I
ieet OF these vessels along the lakes $
md have destroyed a number of the Z
axe cities. To-day this would no n
onger be possible. The guns being O
urned out at the Washington ward u
'ould be shipped quickly to Ogdens- p
)urg and two of them properly manned
nd protected could sink these little p
orpedo boats as fast as they could come 7
Up. This evolution in gunnery is one n
f the most magnificent results of new r,
avail development, and calls attention 4
0 the fact that there is no such i'm Il
rovement or development in the other f
rms of power in the War Depart n
lent. 4
In another way the Navy Department o.
as been strengthened greatly, and that r,
in the education of its naval con- Il
lructors. Formerly naval constructors u
ere appointed from civil life. They st
ere always good ship carpenters, and W
the time when the department began tr
build new navy represented the 81
est that was to be obtained in the old Nj
cid of wooden ship0uding. They ca
new nothing, however, ofmodern ship 81
The first two plans ofthe tn
ew ship were purchased abroad. Since w
lat time, however, the department has m
syeloped its own constructors, and s,
bile 1t copies the best things abroad, W.
falling itself. of the experiments made tn
ere, yet the improvements upon those on
ans and the method Of application ar
ould be credited 10 the fine corps Of on
wal constructors of today. The DO
odern naval constructor is a graduate bu
st of the Naval Academy. The au- IA
critics there pick ont the men who trs
at the top Of their class. make fro
EN- naval constructors. and then send ne