Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-01-02
BY TELEGRAPH.
CHILFS ARMORED CRUISER.
Needless Fears OF What the Captain Pra,
Nigh DO.

wAsHIsGros J.n. The navy depart
msnt III siais evidently expect The Co'lisas
to hsys time 10 gsr their xrmOred crsi,rI
CAt is.n Prat out Of the hands q he French
&C RACERS besoIe hossliliiee gin. !: there
10 70 be war, and certsia prep.ratiens sis
being made that sou hardly be pecesssr,
il il vas LOT believed that the Auanlie
coast cities and the eoxawise comneye
might b. liable TO attack By this powerful
cruiser
If the Chilisus are able TO get her 70 sea
they viii urobabiy hope. b. threstsniOg the
Atlantic coast Of the aited States, to keep
. e,t sid,r Fable part Of The naval force of
this country al home ard divert IL from he
Cbilisa coast In this they would not
soc ;sed 10 any considerable extent. for 1t IL
douo full IL enc modern cruiser II 81
would other wise q, TO Cali would be lett
on the eastern coast Il has bee1 the pl,n
fro III the stsrt g. keep at iesst one fast
cruiser on the North Atlantic station,
ether the NewsIk or Philsoelphis b-ios
dsstin, for this service, Ard, in addition
20 being hAmpsrsd by this cruiser snd tb'
Vesuvias Al d Cushing, The Csptii Prs
would @ tbe eutrAnce to every hsrb :
or bay IN which she could hope to replenisa
her cpal hu, kers suardtd BY one or more
OF the old sir gle-tufeied monitors in ad
iition to the submarine mines, tOrpseo=s
& ID The guns Of he army.
Tia, ME Gushing is being prepared for
be, psrt in this scheme of coast dfsn-e
there can be no doubt IL -ss int ded h
DC her with tubes and launching appsrs'u.
for VIII ehead torpedo bus The plsos bsy,
been .udd eply changed AID she 10 osins
lifted vi the Howsll apparatus as fact A.
tie wo,k Can be done. The resson ttr
his is that none Of tbe Whitehead torpe-
ices is approaching completion, wbll- tn
Prat & Wbiiney Co hsve bad one of Il g
II well ,1rpedoes ace p I'd BY the drpart-
ment and have 80 more, 80 per cent. con-
ptet,d U der instructions II m Ihe nav
depsrIme M -ors is pushed night and DAY
- q i,h these sesp5ns ss soon IS possioi j..
A. has slready been sss.ed, plans are b =
H. devised fjr u Wi the ii gle-'nrrete+
m ii rs. IL IL fou a On ibyosugAslon tia
,htse vessels sI qurF, nth some ex
&c puoas, more time 10 d tn M Tor ses thsf
vss supp,sed The CONS enc, at Mae
leland, could 90 into commission IN sw, es
If no changes we're made III her hauef>
ali those on the AlAntii side would take
more time and two mjn,bs would prota
lily elspse before all OF them could
be rssdy for serv cs Commodore Wt-oii,
the chief naval c)os ructor, and G IN
modore Melville, ergneer-ia-chief, have,
YEAR after year, in ibeir snnosi reports
urged that these vessels be put into condi
ton FOR active service II they ,houid b.
ne eded 10 sudden msr gency They have
been ne girettd, h 1ssyer, though until the
MsntoDomDh was completed recently thu
were the only afmote5 vctsels in the pos
session % tie government. Commodore
Mel nlle, il his las annual report said n
this subject:
"At present, 10 case Of sudden emer-
gsncy, toe single ilrr.tsd Holitors are be
vessels on which Gu main reliance YOU
depe nd for hArbor d, Tense for some litil
time. l. IL true that these vessels are =
autiqIe type, siuw aid unhsody. For har
bor eefsure, hosevrr, speed is Of hsTdiI
IS mu h importance a, iisht daft and thu
tbty have, ensb ing ,hem to take positions
10 sbsl ov wa ef, whsre m 81 cruisers q
ir1n-cl.cs cannot reach them for ran
mig. A, close rAns a. in hs'D r, thelf
Is iuch smoohbore Guns would pfoosoil
be found # cave against vessels OF u.
cru.s,r class, but, II thought advisable ~
The ofdnsuDe bureau, their battery could b.
ea.ily changed TO one Of nore mo''ern
type; their turfets sre sDfi .ienly afmer e
to sffor5 fair protection to the guns' crews;
their ffeetoard 10 50 low thst theft eide
# tus very .msll target
Whether or not thsrs il to he vsr Wit
Chill o. not, mnny naval III ers won't
lixs to see ihese vssse-s fitted mp st once
ard -upplted with modtrn eight inch ores { b
loading les. Tnrre are 10 OF them 10
sill. aud, thus 6 ted, they you'll mske :
very considerable addition 10 ,he coast d
tense strength Of the navy. They need no
b. kept IN commission, OF as Commod'f'
Melville suggests ia the report quoted
above, thsy couli be stationed as ib'
vsriu us seaport cites as training ships fer
The naval N. mis-.