The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-21
THEGREATNEW NAVY
It's Chief Constructor Is Now
Stopping in Seattle.
HIS NOTABLE RISE TO HONOR.
The Beginning Was as IN Apprentice
in the Sayy-Work on
New Vessels.

Theodore d. Wilson, chief constructor
OF the United States navy, arrived at the
Rainier hotel with his wife last evening.
Re Is on his way TO Port Orchard to in
spect the Puget sound naval station and
the United States ship Nipsic.
Mr.. Wilson, who holds the relative rank
Of commodore in the navy, has for ten
years been chief of the bureau Of con-
struction and repairs. He worked up to
this high position from the lowest round
of the ladder. He was born in Brooklyn
in 1910, and when a lad in his
teens he began his apprentice
ship as shipwright in the
navy yard there. At the beginning OF the
civil war he was for three months nom
commissioned officer in the Thirteenth
New York militia. Upon his return he
was appointed carpenter in the navy;
and from 1861 TO 1864 he served on the
steamer Cambridge in the North Atlantic
blockading squadron and assisted Rear
Admiral Gregory as inspector Of vessels IN
the private establishment near New YORK
city. Alter passing the required examina-
ton III 1866 ne was commissioned as an as
sistant naval instructor. In this capacity
he was at the Pensacola navy yard for
year, then at Philadelphia: and
from 1869 TO 1873 he was instructor
in naval architecture and ship-bullding
at the naval academy. At the close OF bis
term there he was promoted TO be naval
constructor, and spent the next nine
years at the Portsmouth navy yard. In
1882 he was appointed chief of the bureau
OF construction and repair; he was reap
pointed by the Cleveland administration
and reappointed again by Harrison.
Commodore Wilson was elected a member
of the Institute of Naval Architects of
England, being the first American mem
Der of that scientific body. In 1870 he re-
ceived patent for air ports, which have
been adopted both in the naval
service and in merchant ships;
and in 1880 he patented bolt
extractor, which is in general use.
'Ship- Building, Theoretical and Prac-
tical," a text book used at the naval
academy and by the profession generally,
Is from his pen.
His name will always be distinguished
in American naval annals by his wonder
derful work on the new navy" He has
had entire charge of the designing and
construction Of nearly all the new vessels
of which the country is so justly proud.
While the different nations OF Europe
have spent millions in building men-of-
war which have proved complete or par
tial failures, the vessels designed by Com
modore Wilson have all more than full
filed expectations both as to seaworthi-
ness, steadiness of platform and speed. 1t
is probably not saying too much to assert
that to Commodore Wilson more than
to any other man is due the
mir N hYfl linz af hn
navy. For If congress had not
had perfect confidence in the designer of
the ships-that the money appropriated so
lavishly would be economically and profit
ably spent--it would have waited for re-
suits before providing for other vessels.
But both political parties have been as
sured of the outcome and have cheerfully
appropriated for new vessels each year.
The people of Seattle within the past few
days have seen two magnificent and
effective specimens of the skill in design
ing and ability in constructing of the chief
constructor at the navy department.
In speaking of the work of his bureau
Commander Wilson said last evening:
"There are now fourteen of the new
steel vessels actually in commission, the
Chicago. Boston, Atlanta, Dolphin. Balti-
more, Philadelphia, Newark. San Fran
cisco. Charleston, Yorktown, Bennington,
Concord. Vesuvius and Petrol.
1.-THE Charleston was built on plans
bought from abroad. and she is the exact
duplicate of a japanese cruiser. The
Philadelphia has the same hull, with the
machinery OF the Cramps.
You can get an idea of the amount of
work still on our hands when | give YOU a
list of the vessels now under construction.
Take those building by contract at Bath,
Me-, there are two gunboats and one ram
At South Boston there is one 2.00o-ton
cruiser. At the Cramp ship yard at Phila-
delphia there are two line-of-battle ships
of 10000 tons each, and two cruisers of
1900 tons each, and capable of making
twenty-one knots an hour at sea. These
last two vessels are intended as commerce
destroyers, and speed is great object.
They have three screws each At the
same yard is the New York, vessel of
s,lo0 tons. Building at Baltimore
are two boats of 1000 tons each. At Du-
buque is torpedo boat No. . At San
Francisco is the Oregon, OF 1o.0o0 tons. a
cruiser OF 6,000 tons. aud the Monterey,
coast defense vessel
AT our navy yards eight more vessels
are under construction. At New York
the douhle-turreted monitor, Terror. of
$500 tons. and four l0-inch guns, the
double-turreted Puritan, with tour II.
inch guns: the armored cruiser Maine
with four i0-inch and six 6-inch guns: and
the 2o-knot cruiser Cincinnati of 5000
tons. At Norfolk the 3.000-ton cruiser
Raleigh has been launched. and the
armored battle ship Texas is soon to be in
the water. Fne latter will have four
10-inch and six 6-inch guns. The double
turreted monitor A;nphitrite, with four
lo-inch guns. is also there. At Mare
Island is the double-turreted monitor
Monadnock
you can Judge something of the num-
Der OF men employed on this work from
the fact that 81 the Cramp yard there are
5000, between 1.S00 and 1000 ut New York,
and nearly IS many more At Norfolk.
I'VE are now making complete model
of the Oregon on a scale OF one-quarter of
m inch to the foot, and Will have it ready
for exhibition at the Oregon state far.
We make models of all the vessels. COM
plete in every detail, except, of course, the
interior, and keen them Tor exhibition in
our gallery AZ Washington City. The
average congressman is not n technical
builder, ana the plans convey little infor-
nation TO him, but when he sees on-
models he has = chance 70 form rnuch
better opinion Of the use 20 which an an
preparation Will lie put
I'VE are expecting that the conference
committee of the two houses will decide
upon a liberal appropriation for the
work.