The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-03-13
TIE NEW CRUISER RALEIGH,
Points About the Vessel to beLaunched
on the 31st.

st NolIo!k on the DIST instant The |
invitations to the launching will be
limited to 3 few public officials and
newspaper correspondents The YES
sci IS being bull. at the Government |
yard, and Secretary Trace is net will
ling to expend any unnecessary money
in entertaining visitors, says the
Washington Post. He has, in fact,
20 appropriation for such purposes,
although his pride in the Navy is
such that he would have all the
American people present if he could
so arrange it. The visitors will be
conveyed to Norfolk Gu the dispatch
boat Dolphin, which is now being
fitted out at the Norfolk yard.
The Raleigh will prove q valuable
addition TO the new Navy. She and
her sister slip, the Cincinnati. are
built on the same lines as the Boston
and Atlanta. Each of the quartet
has displacement of trihe less than
3 900 tons. But there the similarity
10 some extent ceases. Both the Raj
eish and the Cincinnati will Le
greatly superior in every respect 10
the two Roach vessels. The Ral-
eigh and the Cincinnati will embody
ali the improvements that have been
made in naval architecture since the
] R3-chss vessels we're built. Where
, the latter can steam but fifteen knot;
q an hour the Raleigh and the Cincin,
, nati are expected to make nineteer
. knots. Their coaling capacity vii
e also be much greater, thus enabling
# them to make longer trips withou
f refiiling their bunkere. Their batter
: les, too, viii be more aE, tive :.
n that they will carry larger arma
5 nent, which is better arranged fo
u fighting purposes.
> The Raleigh will be the first yes
20 sci built by the government to b
put In commission. The only othe
vessel constructed at the govern
ment yards that has yet been laur
chcd is the armored cruiser Maine
a but she will not be in commissio
1T for probably two yeaas. The Ra
OF eigh, on the other hand, will be con
rs missioned within the next twelv
ts months. Naval experts say ths
- the workmanship of the Raleigh i
" if anything, superior to that Of an
ne other vessel of the new Navy. III
IS, government does not do its work
he expeditiously as the contractors,bl
be it is said to do it bitter. 1t is
MS matter Of qualification to Secretal
IS. Tracy that The plant at the Norfo
nd and Brooklyn yards is SO cample
d. as to make the government in
op sense Independent Of the ship-buil
or ing firms.
ay The new armored cruiser pro,
:. ded for in the House naval bi
and which, as has been previous
stated in the Post, is to be Of
'ial type similar to the cruiser NJ
10, York, will be as much superior
ur- that vessel as the increased exp
WIS rience of naval experts will alIo
an The New York's displacement
,Ir $50 tons. 1t is expected that t
oil Displacement of the new armor
- cruiser will be increased to fro
. $500 to 5000 tons. If this
=: done, it will make her the larg
. - :, cruiser yet authorized for the Am
:" ican Navy and about equal in s
~ to the largest of the foreign armor
cruisers, the most conspicuous {
ample of which is the Warspite,
's the British navy. The new crui
80 ' will carry l0-ineh instead of
~ inch gus fore and aft. Her ho
- power will be greater than that
q. t' the New York, and the purpose
20" " 10 make her a twenty-knot cruis
' With the increased battery p'
er Secretary Tracy believes
Sec can whip any cruiser afoat
tier that she will be the equal OF ms
oom battle ships of the same size
ken fighting qualities and greatly 4
superior in point of speed.