The St. Johns herald., 1892-08-11
The Navy and its Cost.

0sL types OI eLacieHCy. " may o'
 something of 8 disappointment that
 still more was not accomplished
 but the lavishness of the Billion
 Congress seems to have enforced
 frugality even in this matter of great National importance. Indeed. it
 was not only by postponing appro- priations for the battle ship until the next session that tie authoriza- tion for it was secured. On the other hand, the House accepted much the most important portion of the additions proposed by the Senate. It is sometimes said dis paragingly that the Senate added a dozen vessels to the bill and the House only granted one. But this one ship selected by the House from the Senate's list may cost nearly million more than ten of the small CT craft that the Senate also pro- posed. In fact, the limit set for the battle snip is $4,0OO,OOO. It vii; also cost far more than the coast defense vessel proposed by the Sen- ate, while being itself most efi- cient coast defender, as we'll as a seagoing line-of- battle ship. Again, the armored cruiser, which the House had already ordered, is to be a very. expensive vessel, the New York costing s2,9S5,OOO. while the limit for the new vessel of this type is $3, 100000. and she will be supe- rior to the New York.
 Itwill be seen. therefore, that, while only two vessels have been author ized by Congress, they may be worth a dozen torpedo boats and small gunboats such as numerical ly swelled the Senate's list. Secre- tary Tracey has described the New York as "an unusual combination of great offensive and defensive power, with extraordinary coal en- durance and high rate of speed" She can go twenty knots an hour, and at less speed can make voy- age of 13,000 miles without recoal- ing. She is built, in fact, as the Secretary says, ito keep the sea, and thus destroy an enemy's com merce, and not only his commerce but any commerce destroyer he may send out. Four such ships, distri- buted in various quarters, would 1 put an effectual stop to the depre l dations of as many fleets of ordi- nary cruisers. Fer general purposes of service in war she is believed | to have q wider field of usefulness than any other ship yet designed for the Navy" The Secretary also | speaks of the New York as ''mag- nifcent vessel, in which the highest efficiency of the cruiser type is reached-in fact, the best all-round | vessel of any type" But the new armored cruiser, as planned, is like ly to be 1,500 tons larger than the New York, She will have four bar bette turrets instead of two for her heavy guns, and these will be pro- tected by 10-inch armor. Her pro- teetive deck will also be an i'm provement on the New York's and her battery power will undoubtedly be superior.
 Of the three battle ships now to be joined by fourth, Secretary Tracy has said that "there are oth- CTS in existence of greater size, none ofgreaterpower or efficiency" Their battery is "the heaviest and most effective carried to-day by any ship afoat or projected" while their wa ter-line armor of nickel steel is eighteen inches thick. The main battery of one of these vessels throws over three tons weight of projectiles at single discharge, and the projectiles of their 13-inch guns can perforate twenty-two inches of steel at the distance of mile. Their secondary batteries discharge three hundred and thirty ~..1s.ok.ls1- ,oo, v,o,,,,ko r. .. o1