Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-15
EIGHTEEN SHIPS OF WAR.
satisfactory Progress BEING Made
Upon Their Construction.

reports received at the Navy Depart-
ment Indicate that satisfactory progress is
oelng made on the eighteen ships of war
now under construction for the United
States navy. They are in various stages
OF completion, and Will be pushed as rapid
~ as circumstances viii permit The out
look Tor strengthening the sea-going feet
Dotn IN numbers and power is regarded as
very encouraging. The vessels in ragarl 20
winch reports have been received are enc
torpedo boat, one gunboat, five nrotef.ted
cruisers, thfee afnored cruisers. one ram
three battle ships, and four monitors The
unavoidable delays in the delivery of ar7mcr
have held back several of the heavier ships
put recent reports encourage the belief that
future deliveries of plates will nearly IL NOT
quite equal the demand.
The Castine will be the first shin ready
S SIn vii Mi, have her trial within a few days.
ter nun and interior construction work is
practically completed, and IL her machinery
Is round TO be up to contract requirements
t durlhg her trial she is likely to be commits
sloned In the course of a month. The Mont
somery is almost as far advanced as tie
Sasune Changes which delayed the De-
tfolt are being made in the Mon
while the general work of CONSERVATION a.
gong on III her coming speed trials are
Satisfactory she will be accepted within the
neAt Two or three months. A private trial
of the Columbia's machinery Is exrectel
uaiiy. III satisfactory the official tests will
take tax, place immediately. The huh work on
Tour months. The Marblehead is behind her
sisters considerably, but the repo-ts no
ierred to indicate that she will with fair
lux, be ready for sea by January l.
inc ships whose readiness depends upan
arnor deliveries are the Cincinnati. Ia
nSn, olympia, Maine. Texas, kaiahdiu
T iIi' Terror, Monadnock. Amphitri,c,
Iiolaha, Massachusetts and Oregon The
Tutcihhat, me Maine, the Raleigh and she
Iesas are being constructed at the New
fotk ana Norfolk navy yards The two for
mer VIII be completed within four rno~rhs
after Their armor is received. The two lat
Ter Will be ready for speed trials in about
SIX months. The olynpia's diagonal amor
rs 10 place, and she only awaits her belt,
barbette and turret armor which will hort
ly be shipped to San Francisco. Eight
months hence she ought to be in commits
sion. With respect to the monitors infor-
nation is more or less indefinite IL vaula
appear. however, that those furtheSt ad-
xanced are the Puritan and the Terror
Both vessels can be completed within about
SIX months after their armor is delivered.
The Amphitrite and Monadnock are be-
In less than a year. OF the battle shins
the Indiana is nearest completion. 1t is ex-
pected that IL no further disappointnents
In armor deliveries are met with she viii he
ready Tor sea trial In about eighteen
months.
The Massachusetts viii be ready in about
twenty months. The date of the Orcgon's
readiness is more remote. about twenty
I'VE months being Necessary to mt her out
The ram Katahdin is expected 70 be -eady
IN apout twelve months As I'm the cases OF
an the armored ships, she is delayed on ac-
count Oh non-delivery of armor plates. The
torpedo boat Ericsson has not vet been
launched. Reports Indicate that she may
De completed inside of fifteen months