Huntsville gazette., 1892-12-17

THE NEW NAVY.
Our new navy, including all vessels built or
| authorized, now consists of the following yes
ses
One sea- going battle ship first class): Iowa.
Three coast line battle ships first class:
Massachusetts,, Indiana, Oregon.
Two battle ships (second class): Maine,
Texas
Six double turreted harbor- defense vessels:
Puritan Monterey, Miantonomah, Monadnock.
| Terror, Amphitrite.
Two armored cruisers: New York, Brooklyn.
One ram.
Two protected cruisers of extreme speed:
Columbia and Minneapolis.
Fourteen cruisers: Olympia, Baltimore, CHI
cago. Philadelphia, San Francisco, Newark,
Charleston, Boston, Atlanta, Cincinnati. Ra-
leigh, Detroit, Montgomery and Marblehead.
| One dispatch vessel: Dolphin.
Six gunboats: Yorktown, Concord, Benning-
ton, Machias Castine and Petrol.
One dynamite vessel: Vesuvius.
One practice vessel: Bancroft
Two torpedo boats: Gushing and No. q
Making total Of forty two vessels.
FOUR YEARS OF PROGRESS.
The development OF the past four years has
not been confined to ships alone. At the be-
ginning of this administration the naval estab-
| lishment was entirely destitute of certain ele-
ments of efficiency. each one Of which was in
| fighting force, and the absence OF which, II it
| had been possessed Of a 100 ships, would still
| have left it in g condition of paralysis.
These were the following: Armor, torpedoes
heavy. rapid fire guns, armor- piercing shells,
| smokeess powder, high explosives.
| In March, 1889. the navy was still without
| armor, although contract made two years
| before provided for future supply. This
armor was to be of simple steel. A contract
| for like amount was made with another firm
| in 1890, and led to the erection of second
| plant Both plants now furnishing ma
| terial. In the meantime series OF exhaustive
| experiments, lasting over three years, resulted
| in the development Of an armor OF new COM
| position and treated by new process, far
perior TO any hitherto known, and destined
| to furnish the standard both Of quality and
manufacture for the great naval powers of
Europe.
| In 1889 the navy had several ships in process
| of construction that were designed and fitted
| for torpedoes. but it had no torpedoes that
could be used from the ships, nor was there
any concern that could make them in this
| country. Since that date the manufacture of
| the Whitehead torpedo. the most efficient
known. has been domesticated, and a contract
| has been made for 100 l8-inch torpedoes OF the
recent type Several Of these have been com
pleted and are now undergoing adjustment
| trials; the remainder will be ready for service
| in short time.
| In 1889 the navy had no heavy rapid fire guns.
| Since that time these guns have been developed
| Of calibers Of 4, 5 and 6-inch, the success Of
which under trial has proved complete. The
difficult problems presented In these guns, Ia
reference to breech mechanism, metallic car
fridge cases and other essential features, have
| been overcome, and maximum rapidity OF fire
has bsen obtained with each caliber, all parts OF
the gun working perfectly.
ARMoR- PIERCING SHELLS.
Although the few ships that had been com
Melted in 1889 were armed with high power
guns, we had no proisctile that could make
the slightest impression upon arrnor- plating.
This species Of projsc.iie. which was exceed