Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-12
QUITE FORMIDABLE
The StceI-Jacketed Navy We
Have Guilt.
TWO DOZEN SHIPS IN ComMIss1oa,

Nineteen of Which Have Hoisted Old
Glory During the Last Four Years
Names of Vessels Now Afoat and I'm
der Cotract, Forty-Two in aT-The w ork
Must Go on, Says the Naval Secretary
Some Interesting Railway Statistics
Blaine Not Well Yet.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Secretary Tracy,
In his annual report, says that nineteen
vessels OF the new navy were put in COM
mission during the present administration
Of an aggregate tonnage o. 81, ,S32 tons.
mounting altogether two 12-inch, six 10
inch, sixteen s-inch, and eighty-two 6-inch
guns all OF which, with the exception of five
OF the earliest, have been manufactured in
this country. Eighteen vessels are in pro-
cess OF construction, and certain to be com
pleted, should their armor be delivered,
within the next year, of an aggregate ton
mage OF 93,497 tons, and mounting alto
gether twelve 13-inch, six 12-inch, sixteen
1O-inch, thirty S-inch, thirty-two 6-inch,
thirty-eight 5-inch, and thirty-four 4-inch
guns, all of which have been or are to be
manufactured in this country.
strength OF Our New Navy,
Our new navy, including all vessels built
or authorized, now consists of the follow
ing vessels: One seagoing battle ship
first class)-lowa; coast-line battle ships
first class Massachusetts, Indiana. Ore
gon; battle ships (second class)-Maine,
Texas; double-turreted harbor-defense
Vessels-Puritau, Monterey, Miantonomah,
Nonadnocki Terror, Amphitrite; = armored
cruisers-New York, Brooklyn; l ram: ?
protected cruisers of extreme SDeed-Co-
lum bia, Minneapolis: IA cruiserS-Olympia,
Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Newark, Charleston. Boston.
Atlanta. Cincinnati. Raleigh, Detroit,
Montgomery, Marblehead; l dispatch YES
sel-poiphin; 6 gunboats-Yo Yorktown, Con
cord, Bennington, Machias, Castine, Petrol:
1 dynamite vessel y Vesuvius: l practice
vessel-Bancroft; torpedo boats-Cush-
ing and No. ,; making a total of AZ vessels
Uncle Sam Ahead of EN- All.
The development of the past four years
has not been confined TO ships alone, At
the beginning of this administration tie
naval establishment was entirely destitute
OF certain elements of efficiency, each one
OF which was Indispensable to its practical
employment as fighting force, and the
DOSSeSSed
of 100 ships, would still have left it in a
condition of paralysis. These were tie
following: Armor, torpedoes and heaAv
rapid fire guns, armor piercing shells
smokeless powder and high explosives
The secretary then notes that the Unit, i
States has emerged from its condition ,f
helplessness at sea in this respect and i,y
the employment of its own resources his
distanced its more experienced competitors
thus marking an epoch in the naval q =
velopme1t not only of tbjs country, but of
the world
Plates of Nickel Steel
In connection with the DEVELOPMENT of
nickel steel for armnr the department has
undertaken a series of experiments in the
application of this material to other mr.
poses of construction, which promise no
less important results than those already
attained. If the expectations now formed
are realized it will not be long before
nickel steel will be extensively used. both
in ships frames and in marine engines
with married improvement both in the
strength of the parts and in reduction of
weight while its non-corrodible qualities
already partly demonstrated, point to the
probability that 1t may ultimately present
a solution for the harassing problem of
P'N'N 'i''s~ '''' 'i'i'isSVt t'IdblhS ci SHlpS
Style of ships Recommended
Another year of experience, of discussion
and of criticism both at home and abroad
confirms the department in the views
which it adopted in the annual report of
1889 as to the policy of construction which
the navy should pursue The policy then
advocated, which was a radical departure
fron any view previously presented in this
country, consisted in the production of
three principal types: First, the armored
battleship of 10000 or more tons; second.
armored cruiser of from 5000 to 1900 tons
and third, the commerce protecting and de
stroying cruiser of extreme speed, of 900
tons.