Warren sheaf., 1892-12-15
OUR NAVY.


OUR NAVY.
IT'S Rapid Development rs Shown by the
Report of Secretary Tracy.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10. Secretary
Tracy in his report to the president
starts out with list of vessels in the
navy, and points with pride to the
work accomplished during the present
administration. He says:
ION tho 4th OF March, 1885, the feet OF the
United States navy, apart from few old ships
long since obsolete and fast going to decay, con-
sisted of three modern steel vessels of an ae-
gregate tonnage OF 1858 tons, and mounting
thirteen 6-inch and four 8-inch guns the forgings
tor which last, as well as the shafting for the
vessels, had been purchased from abroad, as
they could not be made in this country.
."There have been total of nineteen vessels
Of the new navy put in commission during this
administration, of an aggregate tonnage of 81
s33 tons, mounting altogether two 12-inch
six loinch, 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. Three
new steel tugs have also been construed and
put in service during this period. There are
eighteen vessels in process of construction and
certain to be completed, should their armor be
delivered within the next year, of an aggregate
tonnage Of 93,407 tons and mounting alto
gether twelve 13-inch, six 12inch, sixteen TO-
inch thirty sinch thirty-two 6-inch, thirty
eight 5-inch and thirtyf four 4-inch guns, all OF
which have been or are to be manufactured
in this country. During this period twenty-fi
vessels will have been launched, thirteen of
them, including the three tugs, during the cur
rent year. and of all the new ships the con-
struction OF which has been begun during the
present administration only two will remain on
the stocks on the 4th OF March next.
''Our new navy, including all vessels built or
authorized now consists OF the following yes
sells: One sea.going battleship (frst class
Iowa. Three cOast-line battleships (frst-class)
Massachusetts, Indiana, Oregon Two battle.
ships Second class)-Maine, Texas. Six
double-turreted harbor-defense vessels-Puri-
tan, Monterey. Miantonomoh, Monadnock, Ter
ror, Amphitrite. Two armored cruisers-New
York, Brooklyn. One ram. Two protested cruis-
erS OF extreme Speed-Columbia, Minneapolis
Fourteen cruisers-Olympia, Baltimore, Chi
cago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Charleston,
Newark, Boston, Atlanta Cincinnati, Raleigh,
Detroit, Montgomery, Marblehead. One dis
patch vessel-Dolphin Six gunboats-Yo York-
town, Concord, Bennington, Machias, Castine,
Petrol. One dynamite vessel-Vesuvius One
practice vessel-Bancroft Two torpedo boats
Gushing, No. 2, making a total of fOrty-two
vessels.
"All the above, with perhaps one or two ex-
ceptions, are essential cOmpOnents of a
fully developed naval force, but the rel
ative contribution to the defensive power
of the United States to be found in
these groups of vessels is not to be
measured either by the number of ships
or the number Of tons alone The develop
ment Of the last four years has not been con-
fined to ships alone. At the beginning Of this
administration the naval establishment was
entirely destitute of certain elements Of eff
cheney, each one of which was indispensable
n tS "a 1py1,, a fol-
and the absence Of which, if it had been pos
sessed Of a hundred ships, would still have left
it in condition of paralysis. These were the
following; Armor torpedoes heavy rapid-fire
guns, armOr.piercing shells, smOkcleSS powder,
high explosives
The secretary details at length noteworthy
progress in the production of these things, and
says the progress noted, by which the United
States has emerged from its condition OF help
lesSness at sea and by the employment of it's
own resources has distanced it's most expert
enced competitors, marks an epoch in naval de-
velopment not only of this country but of the
world.
Coming down to detailed statement as to
armOr tests the secretary tells of the work ac-
cOmpliShed, of the tremendous test to which
the Harvey nickel-steel armor plate was SUBJ
jected, as the result of which improved meth
DDS were introduced in the Harvey process, and
continues:
'Tne result has never been equaled or even
approached before by any armor plate, Amer
: ican or foreign. 1t has demonstra that
the United States, in the reconstruction Of
its new navy, which ten years ago had no
existence even on paper, is enabled to
place upon each and all of its armored
vessels a material the like of which the
world, up to this time, has not seen; and that
while vast sums have been spent in plating the
sides of ign men-of-war with an inferior ma
f,l So.
an armor which is not only far more efficient.
but which represents unquestionably, having
reference to the dimensions Of plates thus far
tested, the highest development OF modern
science, and development reached by it's own
independent efforts.
"FollOwing che example of the United States,
the Eng ilSh government four weeks ago held a
trial Of the new American armor, and IL is clear
from the highly successful results Of the trial
that the United States, instead OF being the last
in the race in the construction of vessels of war
or of borrowing its best ideas from abroad, has
set an example in this respect which other
maritime powers will speedily follow"
In reference to ordnance of the navy the
secretary makes extended reference to develop
ments promising greatly improved results.
Comment is also made at length as to powder
manufacture high explosives and projectiles,
all showing progress of the most satisfactory
nature With regard to torpedoes, while ahe
Howell torpedo has not gone much beyond the
stage of hope with which the department en-
tered upon contract for it's manufacture four
years ago, yet the latest trials are giving great
promise.
The secretary speaks with much satisfaction
of the act to encourage American ship build
ing under which the City of Paris ard City
OF New York are ADM tied to American reg
istry.
The aggressive oolicy u foreign nations con
phafh will NJ
not, will soon be forced into a position where
it cannot disregard measures which form a
standing menace to it's prosperity and security.
On the isthmus commerce is engaged in a
desperate fight to maintain its foothold In
the south Pacific repeated annexations and
protectorates are extending the power and in
fuence of the maritime states of the old
world. Subsidized lines of fast steamers are
completing the circle of maritime commune
cation on the eastern and western coasts OF
the Dominion of Canada and fortresses daily
increasing in strength are surrounding our
coast upon the south and east. Under these
circumstances it is imperative to the welfare OF
this country that the policy OF naval recon
struction, - successfully carried on in the
past, should suffer no Interruption in the
future
Much space is devoted to interesting details
as to the operatio of ships in commission the
last year in Behripg sea and elsewhere; on the
work OF the marine hospital bureau in connec-
tion with cholera quarantine, etc. Interesting
statistics are given as to the growth of the gov
ernment toward establishing naval militia, the
creation OF which is characterized as one of the
most important steps in our recent naval prog
resS
The estimates in the report for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1894, for navy and marine corps,
including those for public works and increased
navy, are S24 Al, ,4sS, being s2,713141 less than
those for the last fiscal year.
FIRE RUINS a TOWN.
Sumter Is. co. Opera House and Princi-
pal buildings Burned to the Ground.
SUMTER. S. c., Dec. 12.-About 8