The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-06
The United States as a Naval Power.

Tho United States as q Naval Power.
In 1890. the year before the civil war. the
navy Of the United States stood sixth In
Importance among the worlds navies.
being surpassed only by those OF Great
Britain. France. Russia. Spain. and Sweden
and Norway.
That war greatly increased ou: sea power
n various ways. and most OF all by tn in
PRODUCTION Of the ironclad monitors. with
their low freeboards. srmored turrets. and
big 11-inch and 15-inch Dahlgren guns. But
tho close Of hostilities brought on reaction
ID naval as In military affairs. Reduction
81 forces was the rule. and SO long did this
policy last that by the year 1886 We had
fallen to be the nineteenth naval power.
Such change seems difficult to credit:
but We may recall that at that time Italy
and Germany had risen to be great naval
States: that dozen other countries had
built armored ships. whereas we had only
tho old single-turret monitors and the I'M
finished double-turret craft: that while
other nations had steel fleets. one group of
four modern vessels was all We had to
show; that in other navies high power
eech-loading rifles were familiar. while
our ShiLjsthen In commission we're armed
With old-type smooth bores. At any rate.
the House committee does not scruple. in q
tnble It has published, to rank the navies
for 1885 as follows: Great Britain. France.
Italy. Russia. Germany. Spain. Austria.
China. Japan. Holland. Sweden and Norway.
Turkey. Denmark. Greece. Brazil. Argen-
tina, Chill. Portugal. United States. Peru.
and Mexico.
What 10 our rank to.day2 This is ques-
ton little difficult to determine. since 80
der construction and not yet completed.
But what can be ascertained is the rank we
shall have when these vessels are finished.
or toward the close Of the year 1893.
Our navy will then include OF armored
ships. hrst. the Indiana, Massachusetts,.
and Oregon. coast-line battle ships Of 49,
800 tons each. Is knots. II inches Of armor
on turrets and barbettes and 10 inches on
sides. each carrying four 1sinch. eight
e.inch. and four 6-inch rifles. besides %
guns In the secondary battery. Next. the
battle ship Texas OF 6. 800 tons and II knots.
carrying IA inches Of armor on sides and
turrets. and two 12-inch and six 6-inch guns.
besides 20 In Its secondary battery. Then the
armored cruiser New York. Of $3.50 tons, 20
knots, inches OF armor on turrets and bar
bettes. six S-inch rifles. and twelve rapid fire
finch guns. with l6 pieces In her secondary
battery. Then the armored cruiser Maine
Of e.els tons. II knots. IL inches Of armor on
her sides and borbettes. and eight on her
turrets. four l0-inch and six 6-inch rifles.
and n guns In her secondary battery. Then
the coast defender Monterey. Of 4.1S8 tons.
J -. e lv,n Of OIL do nd
TX 10 II Of turret and barbette armor. two
l2Inch and two l0-lnch guns. and twelve In
her aeconddky battery. Besides these. there
are tho Ave iron double-turret monitors.
tho Puritan having 800 tons displacement.
1Alnches OF armor on her sides and barbettes.
With four Pinch and six 4-inoh guns: while
TIE Niaptonomoh, Amphitrite. Monadnock.
snd Terror. OF $3.50 tons. have less armor.
ut four l0-inch guns each and additional
batteries. Finally. there is the harbor de-
fence ram Of Ass tons. II knots speed. and
al inches Of side armor.
Our unsrmored steel feet will consist
nrst Of cruisers No. II and No. IS. Of 1850
tons and n knots each: No. 9. Of $500 tons
and % knots; the Baltimore, 1900 tons and
aek Knots: the Chicago. 4.6OO tons and Is la
knots: the Philadelphia. 1924 tons and 10 %
kpoes; the San Francisco. 4.0sS tons and 20
knots; the Newark. 4.OeS tons and 10 knots
- Charleston. A0lO tons and 10 is knots
80 Boston and Atlanta. 8. 1s9 tons and 10 2-s
knots: tho Cincinnati and Raleigh. s.lSs
tous and 10 knots: the Detroit, Montgom-
ery. and Narblehead. 2.0O0 tons and II
Knots. Then there are the gunboats York
town. Concord. and Bennington. OF l.7O0
Ahn