The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-20

AZ Baltimore the Montgomery and
Detroit are rapidly being pushed TO
completion. They are built on tho
same cruiser model and will each cost
s612,500. Each will have two 0-inch,
eight 6-inch new rapid-fre breechload-
ing rifles, Six 6-pounders and two l.
FOUNDER rapid-firing cannon, as we'll ns
two Gatlings. It Is believed that each
will reach speed Of nineteen knots an
hour.
The protected cruiser building at San
Frapcisco, which is to cost sl,700, 900,
may possibly DO launched before the end
OF the year, but this is in doubt Her
armament Is to consist of four S-inch
breechloading rifles, ten 5-inch rapid
fire breechloading rifles, fourteen G.
Founders, six 1-pounder rapid firing
cannon and four Cuttings But 1t is tho
Oregon at San Francisco in which par
ticular interest is taken No time has
yet been fixed for the launching and
work on her is progressing very slowly.
She is to be the longest of the great bat
tleships of the new navy, although her
armament is to be exactly similar to
that of the Indiana Tho displacement
of both vessels will be 1000 tons larger
than that of the New York and 1900
tons greater than that of the Texas.
while that of the Indiana Is So, O2O, 200.
The armament of both ships will CON
sist of four 13-inch, eight S-inch, four
0-inch breech-loading rifles, sixteen
0-pounders, four l-pounder rapid-fire
guns and four Gatlings 1t is more
than likely, however, that many
4 A.
of these as well rs of the other cruisers
and battleships yet to be launched and
building, for the tests constantly being
made have led to many improvements
which are, of course, never taken into
account In the original Designing It Is
an interesting fnct that from the time
the contract was let for the building of
the Texas in 1880 to the present year,
the year of tho launching, such vnst i'm
provements have been made in naval
architecture that the Texas is con-
sidered On old style battlcship, hardly
able to compete with tho newer de-
signed vessels of the American or
European navies.
Both the Indiana and the Massach,,-
sets are building ut Cramps The cost
of the ships is tho same, as is also the
armament
The cruiser building ut Boston, No.
IL, Is to cost SO74 200, nnd in armament
and general design is almost the exact
counterpart of the Detroit. The Monad-
mock, the double-turreted monitor nov
being constructed ut Mare Island, is on
the plan of the Miantonomoh, which
has but recently gone into commission
Its armament consists offour 1O-inch
breechloading rifles two G-pounder, two
3-pounder rapid-fring guns, and two
S7-milimetcr revolving cannon Then
two Gatings complete the outfit
The Pirate will be, perhaps, tho next
protected cruiser to be launched at
Cramps 1t is to cost s., 725, 900, end
has displacement somewhat less than
that of the New York. 1t is the first of
the new cruisers in which the original
designs included the o-inch rapid-fring
guns.
Thus It will be seen that Unclo Sam 10
preparing to protect his coast from in
vasion- There is one point on which
the department is OF sea- It was origin
ally intended, SO at least Is tho report.
TO build Mt least two of the practice
cruisers But the Bancroft, which has
just been launched at Elizabethport,
and the cost of which is $3.50, 900, has
proven altogether too small, and it is
likely that new practice cruiser will
be ordered, designed on a moro extern
sive scale
The pictures which are published
herewith are from the original designs
and absolutely accurate. They arc
published through the courtesy of Mr..
Hart, of 2+S East Twenty-third street,
New York, the official photographer of
the navy.
Animal Wisdom.