New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-01

After careful deliberltion and research, taxing
own naval service. the board recommchdea Mag-
azne rife Of 2as calibre TO use smokele.sns pow
der which will give muzzle velocity OF ZfW loot
seconds, an effective range Of mile ana hait,
and employing cartridges Of such a weight a3 TO
permit not less than 30 rounds to be carried per
''T'ns rifle viii b, of a smaller calibre than that
has approved the recommendation Of the board
In the expectation that II viii result IN 6Yns the
qualities superior 10 those OF any other small arm
now in actual service or adopted and IN course OF
ToRPEnoEs.
Thirty Howell torpedocs originally con-
tr&cted for with the option Of increasing the num-
Der to fifty or more. Seven torpedoes OF this type
have been presented for official trial. and the bal
srce are ready for assembling. Their perform
ance in regard to speed and accuracy. up TO
range OF AGO yards most satisfactory. but.
unfortunately after two weeks Of trial; the torpeno
boat from which The tests were CONDUCTED br3k ;
dow thus necefsatnS pOs!pon s,nent OF the uiils
until repairs could be made 10 The boat.
or the Whitehead torpeoes atty OF those con
grs tfyng TO state that although the requirements
Of the specifications for the tests Of these torpe1
does were exceptionally severe the trials resulted
In the acceptance OF the entire lot and AL are con
s rsd 10 De- sen ~ every e the ion eontraced for
ard ready { n assembling VIII be delivered as rap
idly they can be tes.ed.
AEMoG.
1.-THE tests OF the armor plates at the naval
proving ground at Indian Head during the past
year have been most important, some exceeding
in severity any att mpted either In this com
try or abroad The results OF these tests have been
conclusive in demonstrating the desirabilty % using
the Harvey process for the armor OF all the vessels
now under construction In one test, that of
H-inch nckel-stecl Harvey plate, the results were
remarkable Against this plate Cred four
IOnch Iicltzer armor piercing shells. With striking
veoces OF 1472, l,s's 1859 and 2oos foot seconds
respectively All four OF these projectiies M"fr
Wh s'r' did HT not excecd Given cne, oeng dat Of
the last shot, which was nrcd at frasnent vi the
II ANS fooi,toms. or 55n foot-ions per ton Of
pate attacked. IL is bel; we'd that such IN energy
During the tests for acceptance OF .rlnor plates
experiments have been made to determine the re.a-
ships framing protected by ordinary nickel
steel plates and by nicei-steel Ilarveyized plates
In the experiments the backing reprcsentins tae
ships framing the same in each case. The
untrcated ncke-stecl laies receive nearly all M
the vessel in racklng eject whiic the hard sur
face OF the nclci-stecl Harveyzed plates causes
the energy OF impact - be principally absorbed
nen n daye"Scj merkcd cIrrco In the cficcts
men'eI p, ~ -. fo,s'rorgS is velocity than
h P' sr G vroc,y MIN Which the arvey
plate was attacked. while the latter was scarcely
"Exhaustivc experiments have concuslvely de-
nonstrated the beneficial results obtained by the
application OF the Haryes process ana aIrans ',
OF the armor under the OH contracts a. was not
too Iar advanced in manufacture To admit Of tn
change or as would not seriously delay IN" COM
pletion Of the ships. In con,s'quence ot TINS. nnch
Of the side armSr OF !se MANI MANI r rnGr N H.
Maine. Puritan and MOn-dnock. and tn barbri'rs
for tn. Oreson VIII b. Of lfaryeyizeI nickel steel
All the arInor provided ior anacr the now contracts
Will be treated b. the Harvey process
N.YNL Foley.
Under the heading OF Havai Policy The Secretary
discrrses at length the course iha; should b" FOL
lowed in the further expansion of tnc Navy iie
calls attention to In" fac; that We now ar" buNd-
Ing only four Grs,-olass battl'shps We az" com
I,Ietar an efficient feet az cruisers. gunboais anI
anxiliarics Which would b. ol great use 90 co'l-
mercc Gcsroycrs. "iiut uaagmorci cruisers a.c not
properly speaking. Gghtir; Nesseif They can d.
siToy merchant shipF. they can light vessels "t
their own class. but they canuo; meet armorcd
vessels with any reasonable HOY" Of success, ana
in time OF war scattered abroad over the hgh
seas as they would BE- II We fcni thcm against an
enemy's commerce they would leave our uniorti;lel
scacoaai. with all its cities. absolutely without
reliance. except upon four nrsi-r!as3 and TWO
second-class bat;leships. seven const-dei'nc" veg
sela and two little iorpedo-hoats. These. II they
were all concentrated. would scarcely be- able to
create a diversion 81 an "nemy's neet ana
would not furnish a batieship or even
a torpedo-boat for IN" defence Of each c'iy. II w.
carried out ouch a Programme" during war an
enemy with fleet OF battosAips could wreck cities
while We were robhing schooner.
''The military value OF a comm. rce-doe'roying
feet f. easily oyerrated. Cruisers directed against
an enemy's wealth anoai are capable Of dons
great damage They create CONSERVATION among
merchants and Worry tn people ak"Hst rh,"
properly ,b mex arr orarone ar prraps never
decisive Of a war. The history Of our 'INI war
furnishes recent and familiar proof 81 ny statr-
ment. The cruises Of The Alabama AMI h'r SISTER
ships were uncommony successful S'mm"s NV
alI,-l the exploits Of Jean Bart and pu Quay
lin tlgfa si rank "A
he CnnfeIrrnteg hut il IM rot benefit their cause.
Many indeed. were the complaints made against
President Lincoln because b" sent - rev Sn'pa
to search for the Confederate crus.rs. but ~" WIS
too wre to listen To the cinmor. Tn" nrcis or the
'nitcd Statcs were not thuS 10 De diverted ron
their purpose They bockaici the ports 81 the
1onfcdcracy thcy penetrated IL rivers. cot on ~
%avy rendered s.rviccs To the cause OF the I.ion
which the pubic has never yet fully appr,c .atci
can commerce dourishei Merchants insured agalns;
var risks and Individual losses were borne by
Commerce destroying was irritating,
bu; il decided nothing 1t would have been in;
ten times many cruisers unsupported as they
"If our Government In The future Is to have
naval strength enough u 'omnhhl lhe peHc' anu
is sense Of right and justice il must hay" more
Of torpcdo.boats For the defence OF ports torpedo
boats are perhaps more effective according 10 coFt
than any other class Of vessels Inc kno"'edg" oi
ther .xlstence alone will make an enemy chary
value Of this boat is recognized ~ all naval Powers
and they being built abroad IA great nhin"rrt.
'.No one can vaiI, economy moro highly than |
DO ana is practice * ccrtainls nrc"'sd:y ~ thus
time when the Government expenditure are iik'y
10 be more than ~ receipts. LI; the afrif ~ the
country. ~ honor and It's digniti. mast t'sr above
avery other considerations ana II ~ rcsi.NiGili SUB
,nited that the Programme ~ AUTHORIZING the bald
ing OF least Vessels ~ each session pi con-
l,ress ought not to b. interrupted nrw. recon-
rerd that the construction Of ~ least one battle
ship and six t1rpcdo-bOats Dc authorized by Con-
gross at the coming session.
''rhe authoritarian Of these vessels would re-
lui-c the expenditure Of very liitc money during
the coming fiscal year first-clas5 torpc'o-boats
can now be buiit for $4,000 each, and not more
han $tny0 &: this Jum. estimating the total cost
NJ $1,000 WOn!G he expended Within the ilscal ycar
snling June ~ 1885. 80 much time iH required to
perfect the plans ~ bltticfhp. put IL under con
tract and provide the material that not more than
.ne-tenth OF the cost Of such vessel, II II should
b.. authorized. would need TO BE- appropriated for
during coming session % Congress. Every
ye ssci nov authorized may be- expected to be In
by the FIRST day Of July sG. 80 that
unIcss other ships be provided FOR we shall
Al that date nOt have single ship IN prOccss ~