The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19

pounds. These bie shells will 30 forth
from the gun at a velocity Of from 1000 to
800 feet per second
Are our naval factories such that we
are now practically independent OF any
| other country in the making ana equip
ment OF our naval yesselsE
Yes" replied the secretary we can
make any kind OF gun that may be
needed. and with the great forging works
which we now have at Bethlehem and at
the Carnegie works near Pittsburg, we are
| In the position 90 create as great navy
/ as the future NAV demand. What We now
need is more battle ships We need plen-
| ~ OF good torpedo boats to defend our
| harbors. and my idea OF the navy Is that
| IL should be large enough 10 command
| peace and protect American citizens in
| their rights the world over We have
! lately established a factory In this coun-
! try for the making OF torpedoes and we
are making some OF the best armor in
! the world. The armor which binds the
naval vessels to-day Is OF rolled or ham
mered steel, to which we have added
about three per cent. Of nickel. with such
success that our plate Is superior TO any
other armor plate Of the world"
rs the torpedo OF much value In the
naval warfare OF to-day?' l asked.
A Word Alb at Torpedoes.
"I think there is no doubt Of that" re-
piled the secretary "All OF the great
nations are adding torpedo boats TO their
naval forces England has nearly 200, and
IS building twenty-five more. France has
$50. and Is building forty. Russia has $50
and is building more. Germany has 100,
and the other powers are well equipped.
At test last summer in England twenty
four torpedo boats attacked squad OF
cruisers and gunboats. The result was
that after seven days trail these had de-
stroyed one battle ship and six cruisers,
and eighteen out Of the twenty-four tor
pedo boats were destroyed. OF course
there was no actual destruction Of these
vessels, and the torpedoes were so fixed
with collapsible heads that no real dam
age was done. IL was In fact, like the
firing Of a blank cartridge. but the effect
could be scientifically estimated from the
tOrpedOes having struck the ships. The
result OF the trail was, as / have stated,
and the estimated value Of the battle ship
and six cruisers destroyed amounted 10
about S95OO,OO including 2050 men. The
value of the eighteen torpedo boats was
only $l.s00,0O0, and the men destroyed
would have been only go In other words
the torpedoes did about five times as
much damage, 81 proportion 80 their cost,
as the battle ships and cruisers. The tor
pedo vessels which are now being built
abroad are fast, and they range in size
from 700 to 800 tons. They will go from
nineteen TO twenty knots per hour.
The torpedo boats are from 100 to 200 tons
in size, and they will 80 from TWEEN
ty-three to twenty-nine knots per hour.
Twenty-nine knots Is more than thirty
two miles, and these boats fly through
the water at the speed Of an average rail-
road train. The torpedoes used are
the automobile torped0es, and they are
about eleven feet long with a diameter
Of seventeen inches"
"They explode as soon as they touch
the ship and they are 50 made that they
can be sent as straight through the water
as a ball from gun. They are fired by
powder or compressed air, and compress
sed air Is the motive power which runs
the engines in the torpedo and propels
II by means Of the screws. They go forth
from the torpedo boat At the rate or
about thirty miles per hour, and they
run by the air power contained within
them half a mile with accuracy
This is the Whitehead torpedo. The
Howell torpedo is propelled by the gyra-
tory motion OF a wheel within Il which
is set spinning before the torpedo leaves
the ship"
How about electricity in the use Of
torpedoes?'
THE Simms-Edison torpedo IS worked |
by electricity. Some Of these are station
ed of from the shore and connected by |
electric wires. fhey arc propelled, steer |
ed and exploded by electricity. The power |
comes from a machine on shore or on a |
ship We have not found them as ehic- |
lent as the Whitehead torpedo, and IL is |
with the Whitehead and the Howell that |
our best experiments have been made |
How about the dynamite cruiserY
you refer TO the 'NesuYlus.' This IS a |
boat of go tons. 1t was finished in 1880 !
and 1t is armed with three dynamite guns, |
each Of which is So feet long. These guns |
throw shells Of dynamite weighing as /
much as 800 pounds each and each gun |
can be discharged once every two minutes.
The ship has two engines, each Of which
has nearly four thousand horse power, |
and in addition TO these dynamite guns |
it has a light battery consisting Of three
II has a speed Of twenty
two knots per hour and carries between |
sixty and seventy men,
Oar Big Babe ships.
"Can you give me some idea of our big |
battle ships, Mr. Secretary
1--WE have three battle ships building
Of the first class, each Of which is 1920
tons in size. and one ship building which
is II 300 tons. We have the Texas and
the Maine, which range between $500 and
$500 tons in displacement. The Iowa IS
II 800 tons and is one Of the largest ships
In the world. with its full coal supply
IL viii have d displacement of over 1900
tons, and II is 10 have speed OF sixteen
knots per hour. in order 10 give you some
Idea OF one Of these battle ships. this
vast vessel is plated with Haryeyed nickel |
stool inches thick with "A wood back |
Ing u inches thick. She has turrets which
are armored with Finch plates, and she !
vii be equipped with four Finch guns |
together with a number of S-inch and
-wenty-eight rapid firing and machine
guns. She will have HOO horse power
and she VIII have cost when she Is com
Jieted I'm 1886 more than S30J0000 Russia
las a new ship called the Rurik, which
las 1890 horse power. while the Indiana
and Massachusetts have each 5000 horse
power. The arrnor on these two last yes
sells is IS inches thick and they are TO cost
rot more than 100000 piece
We Need Battle ships and Torp do Goats.
"Are we not spending a great deal on
ne navy?"
yes" replied Secretary Herbert. but
he amount we are spending now Is con-
iderably less in proportion 10 our popula-
ion than that which we spent just be-
ore the war. I think expenditures ought
% go on until We have much better
.avy. We oUgat 20 have seven or eight |
more battle ships and some torpedo
.ruisers and some torpedo boats
How about politics In the navy? DO
hey enter into the consideration Of ap-
Not so much as in other departments
lf the ooverur,.ut raDli Secretary |