New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-23
CANADA'S "REVENUE" FLEET.
WHAT 1T MIGHT Do WITH WARIAkE IN
TENTI0NS.
AMERICAN LAKE. CITIES EXPOSED AND 40
ADEQUATE FORCE TO PROTECT THEM
CONGRESS To BE ASKED TO AUTHORIZE
NEW SHIPS
(BY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUsr.l

Wa,hlnctol. Dec. ETH, opinion OF General Mel
son H. ME-, that u, construction by Canada u thrce
sO.ca!ld "rcyeruc" vessels 70: service on tht lakes
amounts to declar zion of war;" X the v35-els are
really what III, ohc rs Il tie Revenue Maine service
contend hey arc has a,tractcd general att nion In
Washington.
TIE 1877 agreement, VIII ch IS sill In force. pc
vents the United states from placing more than cne
man -o;war upon the aks; bat nothing III the treaty
limits the numb e vessels In tn, rcT'nue cutter
fcct or the type cf dcs gns Of those ships. Conrr
may be ask d, ther FORE to make approprihons l'f
vessels OF tbs type. ard the confined influence o.
the state. Navy and War Dcpartments-possbly
strengthened hy a message on the sublect-may be
cxortea 70 bring about prompt and favorable action
The Chicago Board of Trade. December 10, 1891.
addressed a memorial to Congress concerning tho
weakness Of lake naval forc' and since then,
Captain shepard, Chief OF tbs Revenue Marin, Ser
vice. las been endcayoring 10 secure appropriations
TO cover the st Of construction OF NJ least two new
revenue cutters. In he early part Of 1891 tho con-
sructlon Of the British fleet was begun. and one
vesscl-thc Constance-waS launched at Hamilton,
ont. at aholt the cnd Of that year. Puls9n & Son,
OF owen Sound. out arc building the feet, and many
Skilled American wOrkmen, it is said. have been
induced ty higher pay 10 quit the service OF tho +.
W. Wheeler Company, shllbuidcrs, at Fay City.
Mich. 10 assist in It's construction, while every
po5s bic cor secrecy has bcen made by the English
autho it's, who hove guHried their revenue
ters-so styloi-agiin.t all inspection. so fa the
Constance the pcro ana the Cuglew are either und
way or finished.
The Constance was the first British Vessel launched
and the Canadian press referred 10 her " the first
OF number Of similar sells" to be buHt on the lakes
for service. The dimensions OF the Conscience
gre rs follows: Length, 1875 feet: beam. 10 feet
inches depth OF hold, feet Inches. ana draught.
feet ln'hcs. The engines Of the single screw,
fpl no
respectively Is and 80 inches; STROKE - Inches The
b. Hers measure 10 feet inches IN diameter by 10
inches in length and designed for working
pressure 10 pounds OF steam The battery Will for
The present consist Of three NoHin:olt rap!if-e guns.
The vessel is provided with a ram bow and special
attention has been paid 10 The arrangement OF the
bunl,rs to protect the machinery from shot. She is
fitted with Il turii,.b back deck forward and T. rig Is
that Of n twO-iEast,d hconr. The huih are -
constructed rs TO admit Of the mounting OF fourteen
populo- Maxim Ncrlenelt guns and the gun positions
p, rm Of the p'acing OF two guns one on caca bow.
for an almost direct ahead fir. 4 third gun posi- ion
I'm the after pat oi each slip gives Of fire r IN
sharp on one side 81 the bo@ around the stern to
sharp on the other side Of the bow. The rails amid
-p; will permit Of the llacing in brcafsde Of small
caibrc rapd-hre machine guns.
Now. TO any one At al acquainted with naval
ornaments aud naval matters generally raval
officer Is quoted in "The Post" SAY ing, 1T will
be apparent that either the Constance. Petrol
or Curlnw Is sngly than a match for cur COM
bincd lake force which consists OF The revenue cut
tors Perry. johnson and Fessenden, with The oil
MlcMcanthe only naval vessel allowed on The lakes
Ly the tr'Hty OF 1S17-thTown in and IN case OF war
these three British revenue cutters. even If no moic
were built, could sink those Old slc-wheel hulks
quickly and 40 The Queens taste; fire few incen-
diary shells into lake cities and steam for the
canal, within which their huh dimensions would en-
al txtf and, fi..aix
patrol until the feet Of light draught English cruisers
already pr badly conveniently concentrated ccu,d
emerge frcm the It. Lawrence River. r'Ss Lake
Ontario and join them. after which sufficient canal
guad could be detached and lake cities b. treated
to an appalling naval demonstration, against the raw
OF which our country wonld to-day be powerless
to defend them.
A rush OF land forces on part 10 the Wellnnd
Canal locks would be simply waste Of energy and
material, II speedy concentration Of troops OF
any kind could be effected, the rapItre guns Of
tho ships, backed by Canadian militia, would quickly
defeat such effort, and land batteries could
not hope TO pierce the Of the cruisers
II Is generally assumed In this country taat
sci OF over nlnc feet six inches drught be passed
into axe Erie from the ST. Lawrence; bait us n matter
Of fact vessels Of twelve feet draught have passed
through under favorable conditions OF strong west
ery winds ana by having resource TO camels.' while
the Cornwall canal by good manOeuvring and IL IS
predicted by expert, that tie improvements now being
rapidly maze viii admit of passing vessels OF 10 feet
length through any part II tie lake canal system.
In this case glance at the British Naval List viii
show thlt nine y-three els OF "A fyraiac
vpe-tCrpedO gunbOat cruisers OF the sharlslJ 0;er
ck,s, which can make fully nineteen knDts an hour
available TO sweep from fresh water any that
could be hastily improvisrd or constructed TO cope
with them.
II has been assorted that this class OF British war
vessels draw fourteen fifteen feet OF water hut
II mus, not be overlooked, naval officers urge, that
everything Of weight on them, except their machinery.
be lifted by steam lifts into lighters. which can
flowed a~ern, and the draught reduced sufficiently by
that means to permit their passage through the canals
they VIII be imrtrVed. The Wclland Canal locks
ailordng fOtirteen feet OF water the ss.
The Navy Department. II * safe, has drawn in the
rough series OF detlGns for number OF lake revenue
cutters, which would posses speed If twenty knots
hour and carry batteries OF fouriach rapid fire
ordnance rides and crews OF seventy five or eighty
men.
HNNQRs