The record-union., 1892-12-13
OUR NEW NAVY.
A Sacramento-Born Boys Essay on
Tint subject

1naG SUBJECT.
The Seattle Post -IntelHgencer of No
vember 9th prints the following paper
written and read i'll class by schoolboy
of that city, Master Clayton Crawford,
grandson of Mrs. NJ. F. Clayton of Sacra-
mento, where Master Crawford was born.
He is between II and l3 years Of age and
is a remarkably bright lad, who has
shown passionate love for reading re-
lating to naval construction, arms, naval
service, etc. He has cultivated his taste
until for one of his years he is better
posted in the details of such matters than
most people of mature years. The COM
position, while not much more than COM
pilation, bears on its face evidence Of ca
pacity in that direction and intelligent
appreciation of the subject. The IRtett-
g9accr says:
1he paper shows very intelligent
mastery of the subject. The literary skill
is far beyond the average, and the figures
are handled in most interesting way.
Throughout 4 patriotic spirit Is mani
teSted which is among the best Objects
OF school training to develop. The paper
is as follows:
"Inasmuch as the contract has been let
for the construction of Government
dry dock al Port Orchard, Just across the
sound and almost within sight of seattle,
l have taken for my subject to-day The
New American Navy This dry dock,
when completed, Will be used for the
docking, cleaning and repairing of such
vessels in our navy as may De stationed
on the Pacific Coast. And | understand
that training-ship will also be kept a.
Port Orchard, where boys VINO wish to
follow the sea in the service OF their cOun-
try will be educated and trained i'll all the
work pertaining to the handling and nav
lgatiEg OF vessels. ias2
'Within three years the American navy
viii be second TO that Of no other nation
in its SquadronS OF cruisers, battleShlpS,
monitors and torpedo boats. The navy
now planned will consist of six double
turretcd monitors. three large armOred
cruisers, one harbor-defense ram, five
armored battleships, thirteen protected
cruisers, three smaller protected cruisers,
six gunboats, two dynamite cruisers, one
practice cruiser for the use of the naval
cadets, the Dolphin, three torpedo boats
and torpedo cruiser. a total OF forty
five vessels. equipped with 364 large
breech-loadlng rifles Of the highest power
and destrUctibilitv. Nearly all the vessels
are fitted with torpedo tubes or torpedo
guns.
Though built of steel, the vessels now
alone the monitor Miantonomah, are un-
armored cruisers, smaller in size and dis
tinguished by an entirely different plan
of construction from what are styled
'battleships.' The cruiser may either
fight or run away, as seems most eX-
pedient; the battleship must accept battle
wherever and by whatever foe offered.
1.-The projected cruiser Olympia, now be-
ing constructed at the Union Iron Works,
San Francisco, will be the largest cruiser
ever built on the Pacific Coast. Her cost
will be 81 ,796, 900. The Olympia was
launched November 9th. She was named
for the capital city OF our own State of
Washington, at the request Of Senator
Squire of Seattle. To give you an idea of
the size of the Olympia | will compare
her with the Charleston, which vessel re-
Gently visited our harbor. The displace-
ment of the Olympia, or the amount of
water she will displace, will be $500 tons,
or 10 tons greater than that Of the
Charleston. Her length is to be $40 feet,
or forty feet longer than the Charles ton.
The Olympia'S speed on her trial trip is
to be twenty knots per hour, but her
maximum speed will undoubtedly be
much greater. Her engines are to de-
velop Z, $50 horsepower more than those
Of the Baltimore, and she will have twice
as many horsepower as the Charleston.
With a coal capacity of 300 tons, the
OlNIIlDid w III D6 dDlG W Sttdlil udII-WdN
around the world at speed of ten knots
an hour without recoaling. The cruiser
will be fitted with twin screws as are
nearly all the ships of the new navy, a
steel protective deck, and her main bat
terry will consist of four S-inch and ten
5-inch rapid-ire breech-loading rifles.
The Olympia is the latest specimen OF
naval architecture and will undoubtedly
prove very formidable in her class.
1.-The unexpected appearance Of that odd
looking little craft, the Monitor, in
Hampton Roads during the war Of the
rebellion proved to the world that the
old style wooden battleships were worth
less and resulted in revolutiOniZing the
navies of all civilized nations. Improve
ments in construction are constantly be-
ing made, and so great are the improve
ments that a vessel built even six or
seven years ago is back number to-day.
In this connection it is Interesting to note
that although the contract for the Texas
was let in 1885, and that the vessel has
been launched during the present year,
the advancement in naval architecture
has been so great in the interim that the
Texas is now considered an old style
battieShip, Scarcel Y able to cope with the
newer designed vessels of the American
and European navies.
"Of the five great battleships included
i'll the new navy the Texas, OF $500 tons
ulSpldCOlll6Hl, W dS lduuCuSu OH Jl6 ZSLl
Of June. The Oregon. Massachusetts and
Indiana are being rapidly prepared for
launching. They will each displace
10000 tons Of water. The other great
vessel has only lately been provided
for by Congress. The Oregon is to be the
longest, though the armaments OF the
Indiana and Massachusetts are to be the
same as hers. The cost Of the Oregon,
without armament, will be $3.50 600
Her main battery will consist of four l3-
inch, eight S-inch and four 6-inch breech-
loading rifles. The Oregon is building at
San Francisco. The Indiana and Massa-
chusetts are being built at Cramp Il Sons
yards, Philadelphia, and will probably
be launched this year.
While the different European nations
have been spending millions in building
men-of-war that have proved complete or
partial failures, the vessels of our own
new navy have more than fulfilled all ex-
of platform and speed, and are potent
testimonials to the ingenuity, ability and
skill of their Yankee designers. 1t is a
noteworthy fact that all our new vessels
have, at later trials or in actual service.
ecHpSed the records made at their con-
tract trials, while in Europe most of the
warships are put to their utmost speed
and their engines overtaXed to make a
good showing on trial trips.
For nearly year.i have taken a great
interest in the American navy; have read
everything that | could find regarding the
various vessels, both completed, under