The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-09-28
THE NEW NAVY.
The Notable Additions Made This Year an
the Promise of 1894.

The Notable Additions Made This Year and
the Promise of 1894.
Secretary Herbert'5 forthcoming report will
not need to dwell much on any new construction
begun since he assumed control of naval affairs.
Congress at the last session provided for three
gunboats and submarine boat, but there have
been delays in regard to these. The Secretary,
however. will be able to note good progress in
completing and commissioning vessels begun
under his predecessor.
The great 8,150-ton armored cruiser New
York with her 81 knots and her fine battery,
is at last in service. and is by far the finest all
around vessel our Navy has ever possessed. The
2,000-ton Detroit, with her gratifying gain on
the stipulated speed and her rapid-fre srms-
ment is on regular station duty, and before the
end of the year her two sister ships, the Mont
gomery and the Marblehead, will have had their
trials.
The Bath-built 105O-ton gunboat Machias
also a great success in speed, is a member of
the North Atlantic Squadron while her sister
ship, the Castine, which made so remarkable a
record on her recent trial run. can soon be put
to routine service.
On the Pacific Coast the fine 5,500-ton pro-
tected cruiser Olympia thousand tons larger
than the Chicago is awaiting her trial. The
Columbia, the fastest flyer among our cruisers,
and with steaming radius that exceeds the
circumference of the globe, is also awaiting
promised for Jan. 10.
There are other vessels coming along. Be-
ginning with the big battle-ships, we find that
the Indiana, ths first of them to be ready for
sea, has all of her diagonal armor completed
and the barbets well advanced.
The Massachusetts, her sister ship, is only
about one month behind her in construction.
The Oregon, which makes up the trio, is 20 per
cent. completed, the outside plating being on,
with work in progress upon her turrets. She
will be ready next Autumn.
The Minneapolis, a sister ship of the ColUm-
bia. has four-fifths of her hull work completed,
and her machinery well advanced.
The Cincinnati, building at the Brooklyn
Yard, fine protected cruiser of 5000 tons dis
placement, with a speed probably exceeding 20
knots, is expected TO be ready for sea by Jan.
l. Her sister ship, the Raleigh, building at the
Norfolk Yard, has been delayed by the non-
delivery of material but her official trial is
expected about Jan. !.
The promise Of 1894 also requires reference
to the double-turret monitors. The Terror is
about S5 per cent. completed. The Amphitrite
is 80 per cent. completed. Next April is fixed
for the trial of the Monadnock. The Puritan
will follow later as she will require six months
after the completion of her armOr, but she is
now 81 per cent. finished. All of these i'm
portant harbor-d or-defenders-three of them being
of the MiantonomOh class and the Puritan
much larger, exceeding 5000 tons displace-
ment-will be added to the service in 1894.
The armored sea- going vessels Maine and
Texas are also to be completed by the middle
of next year.
Two other vessels, whose completion may be
hoped for during the coming year, are the
Katahdin. building at Bath, and the torpedo
boat Ericsson which is four ffths completed
Reviewing this list of Is vessels, exclusive
of the Columbia. which may also be assigned
to that year, we see that it will make 1894
memorable epoch in our New Navy. 1t in
cludes three 10200-ton battleshps, which are
declared to be unequsled in their combination
of enormous gun-power with the defensive
strength furnished by their thick nickel-steel
armor; two other batteships, less remarkable,
but exceeding $500 and $500 tons respectively,
and welcome additions to the Navy; four
heaviy-armed monitors, one of them specially
Important three swift protected cruisers, of
which one will probably be the fastest in our
Navy; finally, Western-built torpedo craft,
and ram that adds new type to naval con-
struction.
Mole st. Nicholas.
The important matter of securing Mole st.
Nicholas for use by this country as coaling
station will be reopened on the arrival in Haiti
of Mr.. Henry M. Smythe, of Virginia, the new
Minister Resident and Consul-General to that
country.
Mole st. Nicholas has been subject of diplo-
matte negotiation during recent years, and at
one time the United States, through its Minister
i'll l. IT,