The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-15
CONDITION OFTHE NAVY
CHAfRMANHERBERT OF THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE MAKES A REPORT.
A Compliment to Ex-secretary whitney,
The Experiments with the
Vesuvius' Guns.

Affairs Committee, has submitted to the
House his report on the Naval Appro-
priation bill. The report enters into an
elaborate history of the new navy. show
Ing the satisfactory results obtained since
This work begun ten years ago, in the
construction Of modern vessels OF war
and their splendid equipments. Seven
teen have been completed, and twenty-five
are in various stages Of completion. Five
or the latter are expected TO be ready
Tor sea within three months, and omit
ting the Brooklyn, all the cruisers the
remaining boats and a torpedo boat will
De completed during the coming fiscal
year. Ihe completed vessels received
their guns without delay, all of domestic
! manufacture, and thought to be superior
10 any made elsewhere. The report says
that the practice Of letting out guns to be
made by contract has been entirely dis
continued. 1t has been demonstrated
That they can be made cheaper and bet
ter by the Government. This is due.
chleiy 10 the unsurpassed facilities of the
| establishment, and is a monument to the
! wisdom OF its founder, Secretary Whit
| ney. The excellent system of employing
only skilled workmen and of retaining
them so long as and only while efficient
mas however contributed materially TO
| the excellent results achieved
| secretary Tracy is entitled to the credit
OF having applied TO this and all other
yarus system Of civil service rules,
| uhuer Whlch applicants for work are sub
Jected 10 examinations which test their
| knowledge and efficiency No political
| test Is required or allowed. and 1t is not
| known that any well grounded complaint
OF violation of these rules has ever
| bee made.
In discussing the delay in armor plate
deliveries, the report saws that il has
occurred to such an extent that previous
appropriations for this purpose will suf-
nee 10 meet the present demands The
Unforeseen difficulties. which have caused
thls delay have seriously impeded the
work Of building our armored fleet. and
the two companies. Carnegie, Phipps &
60. and the Bethlehem CO.. which to-
sether contracted to furnish over 900
tons, had on July 26th last delivered less
than 2vD tons. This fact caused an in
Vcstgatlcn 70 be made by Il sub-com-
mlttee, which resulted in the discovery
mat these companies have been energeti-
calIy at work, and that the difficulties
We're almost entirely SURROUNDED. and the
ucIlVerles hereafter will be reasonably
rapid. Besides the armOr already con-
tracted for, nine thousand more tons are
required for vessels hitherto authorized,
and all OF this cannot. I'm the committees
opinion, be furnished sooner than August
or September. 1875. and II any new ar
mored vessel is authorized under this
bill II would be ready for it's armor by
March l, 1895. and would be compelled to
wait for it, 1t is the opinion Of the COM
mittee that Congress has now so provided
for cruisers that now 10 others should
be built II we are to have battle ships,
which are the fighting strength Of a modern
navy With seven or eight more OF these
and their accessories, and a reasonable
number OF torpedo boats. cur navy would
rank fifth among these Of the world.
When the vessels authorized are COM
pleted we will rank seventh. While re-
GREETING their inability 10 authorize
few battle-ships during the present ses-
sion, the committee think that the uii-
avoidable delay in the delivery Of armor
plate renders It advisable not TO do so.
Although the Secretary Of the Navy re-
cOmmeads the construction Of light
draught gun-bOats, the committee think
the uncertain condition of the Treasury
makes it unadvis..be TO do So and, there |
fore recommends the construction Of only |
one such vessel at a cost Of 100000
Emc ency of the Rapien Fuse in Doubt. |
PORT ROYAL Feb. 1.-THE question |
of efficiency Of the Rapieff fuse is rem |
dered more than ever prOblematical by |
the result of the experiments in Port |
Royal Sound to-day The importance of |
the days work was fully anticipated by |
every one who has watched the progress
Of the tests. The wonderful performances |
Of the guns themselves had been demon
strated beyond peradventure. The Nesu-
vius had shown results which completely
refuted every objection. which her de-
tractors had raised. No mattef what
might be the action Of the fuse. the re-
putation Of the cruiser with her pnormatic
tubes was beyond suspicion. but the ques-
ton OF the efficiency Of the fuse was
Of great Importance. When il
was determined on yesterday TO fire gun
cotton charges II was apparent that in
measure the test would be crucial one
so far as the fuse was concerned. The
day could not have been more perfect.
As an entertainment was TO be given on
board the Philadelphia during the after
noon. it was decided to hurry the work in
he morning. The Nesuvus got under
way at 7:30 4. NJ. and steamed down the
river preceded by the Wahneta. BY
o'clock everything was in readiness for
he tests. The Wahneta resumed her
usual position 500 yards TO the north OF
he target. Lieutenant Ackerman occu-
lied his former station TO the southwark.
|
we're at the shore observatories. Three
'nots were fired, each from 1000 yards
'uoy. The first proiectile was sred at
40 The shell made a beautiful fight
through the air. falling about twenty
ards from the target. A wide-wake Of
oam was plowed through the water with
slight temperance of the projectile
eyond the target, but there was no ap-
aren't explosion.
After the Wahneta reported the results
o the board, who were on the Ves1vihs
he second shot was fred. Captain Rap
eff had come on board the Wahnsta and
watched the subsequent shots fro her
eek. The second proiectile fred fell di-
cctly beside the target, and scarcely five
ards from 1t. The shot was practically
perfect one. Had the shot been aimed
I a small cat-boat 1t would have knocked
into splinters. There was however. no
yplosi)n.
The third and last shot was fred at II
). NJ The gunpowder primer had been
eplaced by powder primer and the OBJ
ect or the shot was not TO produce an
xplositon greater than that which would
blow the detonation of the powder train
nd illuminate caps. The shell fell about
fly yards short Captain Rapieff thought
lat an exposition occurred, and If Il did
looked as though slight pun Of smoke
as waited over the waters This might
ossibly have been no more than snrov
nd many of the observers so consid ,rei
Captain Rapleff himself admitted
owever. that the fuse could not have
cted as in the care OF the two g1In-cot-
N shells.