The Van Buren press., 1893-07-08

.ere iegret that congress-, by q mis-
,ake in the idea of economy, has thus
.ong delayed the completion of our
inc of battleships. But year after
year the secretaries of the navy have
requested liberal appropriations for
this work, only to be answered with
specious pleas for economy, while the
statesmen have proceeded to vote
money away in the river and harbor
bill, for the improvement of out-of-
the-way creeks and almost unheard Of
streams.
When the Puritan was commenced
by John Roach, the only contract
which the secretary of the navy was
permitted by law to make contained
the following shameful clause: ut is
expressly understood, however, that
the government is not to be in 'o}ved
in liability, and that the contractors
are to do their work, if they do it.,
waiting for aid Rccepting for their
pay such appropriations as may be
made by congress therefor" In other
words, any American shipbuilder who
might be rich enough and patriotic
enough to build warships for the coun
try might do so, and depend upon the
generosity of congress for his REIN.
bursement. 1t is disgraceful to our
nation that such legislation should
ever have been enacted. But it was
the law, and John Roach undertook tc
prepare navy for the republic. The
above proviso in ship-building con.
tracts will be conceded by every bust.
ness mind. to have been an outrage
upon the national honor. No nation
can ever hope to build a navy in such
a hap-hazard manner; and it was Sec.
retary Whitney whose administration
made 1t possible for the government
to make honest contracts, and thereby
develop the nucleus of a navy. That
is all we have to-day; a nucleus.
In an official report to the secretary
Of the navy concerning the Terror,
Puritan, Amphitrite and Monadnunk,
Commodore Shufeldt said: "In thick.
ness of turret, deck and bow armor, the
Puritan is superior to the other ships;"
so that it will appear that the presi'
dent OF the naval advisory board Of
ficially agreed with Admiral Jouett in
his estimate of the new monitor. This
marine monster Is to have two electric
search lights of 10000 candle power
each, SO mounted as to have clear
sweep of the horizon OF at least two
hundred and fifty degrees, and both
lights are to command all approaches
to the ship, each light being provided
with its own engine and dynamo.
In the two turrets of the Puritan
will be mounted four 1015-inch, steel,
breech-loading ritled guns; each OF
them possessing the strength and di.
mensions necessary to utilize a charge
of 275 pounds of powder, with a pro-
iectile of $50 pounds weight. These
immense death-dealers are to be loaded,
elevated and run out of their port holes
by hydraulic power. The armor on
the turrets will be IA inches thick, ex'
cept in front of the guns, where it will
be t6 inches, with a wooden backing
of white oak, II inches thick. Even II
this ship were struck squarely upon
the turret with the heaviest projectile
of modern times, it could not be pene-
trated. But the chances are as one in
a million that the vessel would ever be
struck squarely in the center Of re-
volving turret. Any missile which
might strike the moving surface OF the
turret, save in the exact center, would
glance harmlessly away into the water.
This is very brief description of the
battleship to which the admiral di.
rected my attention; but, it is suf'
ficient to show her power.
SMITH D. FnY.