New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-29
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIprNE.1

ana dimensions OF the three rev ginDOlf,
which were to be built under the Naval Appro-
priation BILL The secretary's action in the matter
marks new In the raval policy Of the country,
| IN That II Is a radical departure from methods OF
| construction heretofore employed. The action was
not taken, however. until after deibera'ion.
during which the peculiar service upon which the
Ses were to BE- engaged and the health and comfort Of
officers and men to be- attached to them fairly and
| fully considered The secretarys conclusions are
| regarded with great favor in Naval circles. more
especially by officers who claim to be in touch with
| progress in ship building abroad.
The board Of officers who considered the proposed
plans Of the cunboats selected three types Two Of
these represented composite ships the other being
Of steel. All Of the plans recommended for adoptio
| propose flush decks. In approving the adoption
Of composite ships. the secretary departs. as has
already been said, from former methods OF construc
ton. 1t is understood that In addition to the we'll
| known arguments favorng sbeathei ships. the Secrc
tary Influenced In his decision by the fact that
composite ships could BE- kept in service long period
without docking. and afforded increased comfort TO
| the crew. owing to their wooden coverings.
Interiors Of composite ships are OF steel, the
| outside Of the hull being wood Steel ships are
| particularly hot In summer and cold in winter. and
| the gain In comfort to the By the change Is
therefore considerable and Of great importance. Ac-
cordng to the plans adopted yesterday By the Score
| tary the dimensions OF the allsteel gunboat Will
| be- Length, 22O feet; extreme beam, 30 feet, mean
| draft 10 - feet and displacement 1,2OO tons.
| Her Indicated vSe-power forced draughD Will be
| i7JO: estimated speed. ii knots coal capacity at
| normal displacement, 40 tons; full coal capacity.
$50 tons sail spread $3.50 square feet Her battery
| will consist OF eight 4inch rapid fire guns. four
| 6pnndcrs. two l-pounderS and two gatlings. She
| will also be fitted with one torpedo tube.
To meet unfavorabe criticism, 70 the effect that
| the present small gunboats In the Navy are wet on
account Of low frccboard. the vessels freeboard
| hair f..t J,v hay
| flush rather than "A well' deck. go men can be
| comfortably slowed Oh Of the new vessels. as
| against l-O OF the present ginboats. The
| general dimensions Of the composite ships the
same as adopted for the all steel ship. An In
crease OF made In the beam. the draught to
the bottom Of the keel is six inches greater. and the
zeal capacity Hight and full. Is decreased TO l22 and
800 tons respectively. The battery Of the composite
ship is to b.. Identical with that OF the steel boat.
The proposition make more OF the vessels
Of composite de-lgn strongly urged By Naval Con
,lructor liichbOrn t. whom more than any othef
authority in the cChntry. IS due enforcement OF pro
grc,sivc ideas on the subject Mr.. chborn has for
years the policy Of shcatbing ships or building
composite vessels Of the most Interesting features
Of the new vessels will be their engines. which were
designed with special consideration for economy In coal
con ,umptlon at all speeds. The engines are to b. Of
| the directacng vertical inverted type They VIII be-
Of quadruplc expansion, With cylinders OF the follow
Ing Dimensions: High pressure. II inches hrst In
t.rmedate Il inches second intermediate. Ii inches
low pressure, "a inches steam Will be generated IN
tx boilers two OF the usual cylindrical type and three
| of the Ward tubulDuS pattern.
The Official inspection Of tho training and torpedo
| stations by Assistant secretary McAdOo during the
last promises To De- OF great advantage To those
| t,n,or,,n. naval posts Tn. inspection
,hor,uch one and covered more particularly the
ditions and needs OF the apprentice boys With the
! exception Of an unsuitable building for the boys,
Mr. McAdoo found stations In excellent order
and under thoroughly satisfactory management. The
admnis,raf Of public affairs by Captain ounce ana
Commander Converse, commanding respectively me
| training station and torpedo school received I'M
,rinr.d praise The appearance ana discipline OF the
marine, under command OF Lieutenant Dickens also
| attracted favorable notice. The results Of Mr.. Nc
Adoos observations will form the subject Of special
r,.nri and recommendation 10 secretary Herbert IL
expected that this report Will refer In earnest terms
10 the necessity Of Immediately providing better
building In which 10 quarter the apprentice boys
| This 4, "A subject for serious consideration and has
lately attracted much attention In naval circles. Al
present the boy, are housed In building which Is
| nothing more than sail loft. Three hundred boys
arc compelled 10 live I'm space hardly sufficient Tor
hall that number and In manner not conducive To
health morals discipline. The condition OF affairs
Is due TO mcagrcncSs OF Congressional app"prii
lions and the consequent inability OF Naval authorizes
10 erect larger and more desirable quarters.
| Since the completion OF the War College Building
| II has been suggested that portion OF II be TEN
porarily apart for dormltorieS mess rooms, e'''
! for the apprentices. 40 other building on Coasters
Island available for the purpose. and the necessity
for improving the surroundings Of the boys APPEARS
10 be urgent The college building would be- amply
large II Is not now used for any purpose except
during about months each year, when the an
nual class Is In attendance upon lectures. Many
officers believe that the proper place for the War
College Is at Annapolis, and that the building shouii
permanently be turned over the apprentice boys.
These officers say that between the higher edhca
ton of commissioned officers and the comfort ana
discipline OF the Youngsters who to man the war
vessels the choice should be In favor Of the latter
rs they are necessary. while the knowledge impaired
| 10 officers at the War College IS mere refinement.
| Both are important. but only one Is essential From
all that can be- learned It might be sufficient to set
aside part OF the college building for tn" boys until
sccr.iary Herbert can induce Congress to make pro
vision for another Building
| The experiment Of employing carrier pigeons rs
official messengers the New York has been watched
with much interest by officers Of the Navy. The
| experiment Is regarded successful one. showing
that trained pigeons 10 be relied upon for such
service The New York Is to BE- fitted out with Il
| piceon cote through the generosity of George W.
Childs and several If his Philadelphia friends The
authority Of Secretary Herbert has been given to the
! proposed idea. During the naval review The Secre-
tary had opportunity to observe the USEFULNESS oi
pigeons as messengers AMI on several occasions he
| employed them to send messages TO Washington from
| Hampton Roads. The value # pigeons swiftly and
| safely TO carry important communications Is recognized
By foreign countries. plriull'N by France ard Ter
| m;nv. 10y which their training has careful attention.
| Their employ In this country may b" said to
have originated last summer on board the ConSlela
on during the practice cruise of the naval cadets
| Experiments at this time included communication with
the shore from the vessel while nj sea. and also -
distant places while the ship was In port The
experiments showed concusvely that the blrls wcr'
both Intelligent and trustworthy messengers. They
also showed that the theory that pigeons need to be-
taught the way and that To do good work they must
always be- kept the same course because Of posi-
bic confusion was srrcneons U,utenint ". :. Ben
son. NJ the Navy. who had charg" OF IN" birds on