New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-26
L4rNCH or THE COLUMBIA.


The launch of the cruiser Columbia to-day
in PHILADELPHIA is one of the most important
events in the worlds record OF naval progress.
The ship is essentially original III type model
and mechanism, and if the expectations OF the
designers arc fulfilled its construction VIII be
followed by new departure in the naval aren't
tocture of maritime Europe. IT Is commerce
DESTROYER pue and simple-a ship having the
promise of the potency OF twenty Aiapah"N'
The design has been II produce VeSScl Whlcn
c,n sail around the world without c0allng ana
have the capacity of "Sputing' to speed OF
ovcr 81 knots and Ovcrtaking the fastest En-
ropean liners In speed it will be superior to
tho tbroo fastest cruisers recently built for the
rnoish French and Italian navieS, and in coal
canacitv il will so far exceed them that COM
rar:son is supeIfluouS. While not designed 10
he a fighting ship. lis machinery, DoHeIS anu
magazines are protected by armor plating ana
an aImorcd deck. and while its armament Is Il
licht one il has formidable engine OF attack
in q ram which can be driven At tremendous
spced The ships real character Is concealed
80 that al long distance it Will look ike an
innocent merchantmen but at short range II mas
\ rarid firing armament which can he employed
with terrible effect The Columbia i an Ala
bara that cannot be ovcrtakcn by any vessel
of-var now ailoat. and in the event OF naval
hostii,ics il will have any merchant marine III
Is mercy.
Until the Columbia has been completed and
Subjected t. rigorous trials it will be premature
t. assume that all the conditions requircu Ioi
making her the most formidable commerce
DESTROYER ailoat have been supplied. 80 novel
n craft. with the application of triple screws
and other original devices is necessarily an cN-
pcrimcnt in naval construction, ana her adap'a-
bilitv 10 sca-Scryicc and warfare VIII have To
bc demonstrated before European ShipbulldefS
can be convinced that Yankee ingenuity has
surpassed their best achievements. Mean
while. Americans will watch the completion
and trial voyages of the Columbia with keen
interest and feeling of intense National pride
II is hardly more than ton years since the bulId-
inc # new fleet was begun after protractod
period If inacii1n and neglect. 80 great has
h, on the rate of progress that already the most
diAicult work can be done in American ship
Yards with even greater efficiency than it can
be done abroad Not only that, but American
engineers and designers have rcgalned THEN
conception and their triumphS of ingenuity they
ar, setting the pace far the naval architects OF
the void.
70 ;hc credit Of Secretary Tracy it may be
said that he has made il fundamental policy
that the new ships designed and built under
his supervision shall be American in every re-
Spcct. lie has neither purchased plans abroad
nor conicd foreign models. but has encouraged
his designers to strike out on new lines, to de-
pend upon the inventive genius OF the Original
Yankee. and TO reproduce the conditions OF hall
century ago when American clipper ships
wore fine pride Of the seas. and when every
Improvement in European naval architecture
ya, introduced from New England Secretary
Tracy has had 50 large a faith in American
supremacy in mechanic arts that he has been
enabled to pass rapidly from one successful
achievement, to another. The questions are ne
longer asked in Europe: Have the Americans
a nayy?" or Mat has become of the tIidI-
lional Yankee shpbuderY