Arizona republican., 1892-02-24

There is protection in tho speed also Ten years ago speed of twelve knots was considered very fast Now we build for nineteen or twenty and get it in a spurt, with ability to maintain six teen or seventeen knots hours at d time. In the Baltimore, San Francisco and Philadelphia we have three of the fast est cruisers aiioat Speed is protection, because the unarmored naval vessel is expected to be fleet enough to run away from the enemy which she dare not fight The battle ships, thick with ar nor, terrible in their offensive power, are not built for speed, being expected to cope with anything that comes along. Such are the Miantonomah and Monte rey, the former just put into commis- sion at New York and the latter now ready to receive her great guns, whose transportation by rail across the conti- nent recently attracted much attention. These fighting ships are only one-half as speedy as the armored cruisers.
 There is safety in the twin screws, for they enable the vessel to be maneuvered so much more easily, Even the com manding officer is protected. No Ear ragut in the rigging, trumpet in hand, shouting through the darkness, "D-n the torpedoes-go aheadr in modern naval warfare By looking carefully at the models you will see "the bridge" which is the elevated platform well for ward on which the captain stands to give his orders by word of mouth or by manipulation of the many signal levers by his hand Underneath is a sort of blockhouse with walls of solid metal fifteen to twenty inches thick, and run ming horizontally around it a small open ing much like crack. It is into this steel wall, called the coming tower" that the commanding officer goes in an engagement Here are more levers and signals, and here, almost as safe as if in his favorite nook in the army and navy clubhouse in Washington, he may look through the crack, see what is going on and give his orders accordingly.
 Everything appears to be protected, l say, except the boats. There are many of them-yawls, pinnaces, Iifeboats, gigs, even steam launches-b but all are hung above the deck, fair marks for the enemy's big guns and his innuinerable rapid fire Hotchkisses and Gatlings,
 Would not these boats be shot to pieces in a severe engagement asked a naval expert.
 Certainly; we expect that. But there is no way of protecting thsm."
 Then, how could you escape in case of disaster to the ship2'
 We couldn't Wed have to go down with the ship
 So it appears modern ingenuity has protected everything but the human part of the machine, which, after all, is the cheapest part of it,
 Do these great fighting machines cost much money? For an answer look at a few figures; The San Francisco, now on | her way to Chilian waters, cost a little more than S2, ,000, 0,000-construction, arm ament and equipment. She is the most costly of our new vessels now in com mission. The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Newark each cost about $l 800, ,000, complete. The Atlanta and Boston cost S1 .0O0,000 apiece and the Yorktown $700, 900. These arc very small figures compared to the cost of some of the ships which we are now building. The most costly vessel now on the stocks in this country is the Oregon, which is tC be a monster floating fortress of l0,20t tons, with 2,700 tons of armor plate pro tecting her hull, and to cost, complete the enormous sum of $5,690,S9 HeI two sister ships. of the same size, arma ment and armor thoughout. will each cost about $l70,000 less, owing to diff feresce in the contracts.
 The hull of the mighty Oregon is to cost more than $2,500,0 900, her en- zines will take $73S, 900 more, the armor for hor hull $600000, the ar nor for protection of her guns 5000, 900, her guns $1S3. 900 and her equip ment Sl0l ,00O These figures show that building these mammoth moderr men -of-war is luxury which only tho richest of nations can afford to indulge in on a large scale. Secretary Tracy tells me the United States now has undeI way warships which will cost to com plete, arm and equip $55,O00 900. Great fleets come high, but the United State must have them,
 1t is gratifying to know that we arr building all of our new ships at home The plans of all but three or four wer made in this country too. Another in spring fact is that the United States i now turning out armor faster than tn factories of Europe could do it, and tha | it is the best armor in the world metal which acts as a sort of snowbank and takes the projectiles hurled at with Titanlike force and smothers then without cracking or serious injury to il self. Moreover, we are making all ou own high power guns, and are makin l better guns than the English, who hay
 been longer in the business, and as goo guns as Krupp or the French can make who had beaten the world till we starte
 up our factories.
 It costs money to man big ship afte it is ready for sea. The first class ship
 like the Chicago, Baltimore and Phila delphia carry about 30 officers, 300 CT listed men and marine corps of froI
 70 to 60 men and officers. Tho officer |, of first class ship of the line are tn following: Captain, lieutenant con mauder, lieutenants, junior lieuter . ant, ? ensigns, 9 naval cadets, medici . inspector, surgeon, assistant surgeon paymaster, chief engineer, assistant CT