The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-30

suns or peace after the great civil war
snu the advent Of the iron ship was as
suIeu as controlling factor I'm maritime
supremacy, William Cramp directed to-
ward the rebuilding of our merchant
haIlne on That basis the same skin. the
same energy and the same cheerful faith
IN the ultimate dcstinies % the American
people on the ocean that had marked
ms career under the old regime. Met at
dlctiVe rivalry OF England, exultant with
the strides Of progress which our unfor-
tunate civil strife had enabled her to
make unopposed, and at the same time
supported or ENCOURAGED by our own peO-
pie iechly or not at all, William Cramps
FIRST efforts 70 domesticate iron shipbuiid-
ing on these shores were put forth under
conditions that would have appalled, most
men.
But there Is nothing In the history
on his career during that period TO in
dicate that from the day he laid the
@of his death his resolution ever Wavered
or his faith ever faltcred. He dii not
live 10 see the development II his ambi-
lions, but he laid wisely the foundations
upon which his successors have buldcd
so we'll
The last ship laid down under William
Cramps management was the Chalmette,
number was 2o7, 80 that during his half
century Of professional activity he built
two hundred and seven vessels
Many OF them, as for exam,
Morning Light. Of the clipper
period. tho New Ironsides and Chatta-
nooGa Of the war navy. ana the four
American Line ships were the most
important vessels OF their time under our
1ac
1t Is not easy to oycresimate the
Impress which the builder Of two hun
bred and seven ships for commerce or
for war makes upon the destinies Of his
country: no sinLlc mind can trace the
ramihcations Of the Influence due to
his creations; for their keels nave
plouEhcd every sea for the commercial
Acknowledgement of the Republic and the
thunder Of their cannon has been heard
In battle for It's life.
This is an eptome of the public char
acter and services OF William Cramp.
In private life he was the embodiment
Of domestic and neighborly virtues. lie
never wrought an injury and never
missed chance to help. lie lived be
loved and died mOurncd by every one
who had ever known him.
FoE srvrp Avn ,NDrr,NCr
For q number OF years IT has been the
aim of naval architects to combine high
speed win large coal endurance IN unar
mOred or protected cruisers IN the Hal,
tirnorp and Philadelphia class nigh speed
vas obtained. hut these vessels are not
Of sufficient dimensions TO carry the
coal weights necessary TO meet the re-
quiste endurance. II was Tor mat reason
mat "a step in advance was decided upon
aud I'm the act of June 80 1890 provision
90 made for a vessel Of about 100
tons displacement and tWenty-one knots
.ra,I to cost exclusive Of armament.
not more than $4,000 On this basis n
design was developed. officially known as
"CruiScr 30 70" whose construction the
Cramp Company undertook by contract
signed November 10, for 2.I23@O0.
Tho Columbia and the Minneapolis are
az feet long OF the load waterline. nifty
eight feet extreme beam, tWentY-IWo
feet six and half inches normal draught
consists of three three~cyllnder vertical
inverted trppl"-eNpansion ensineS' HaElnb
about ~ DU0 collective Indicated hoIHt-
power. and driyiug three screws or on
The middle line as I'm single screw ShlpS.
and Tho other two under the counters
as m twiu-screW vessels. rms PoWtI ~
guaranteed 20 produce q Speen ul tH'ntI
one knots an hour under the usual trial
conditions.
TWO no VOTERS.
Tho building Of the Minneapolis and her
.o-;ft Communion vessel. the tolunb't.
is not the only feature OF ingenuity anu
enterprise for which the Ero"inE
r,,.,. Of the United states is
navy 90 ne Crtmps Shipbundng Com
many. While the eyes Of Europe ana an
rtDar parts 0i th. Globe are upon tu'
American specd-hreakcrS. they are az"
upon the poudnrous ana po"eEW P'V.',
shius which have taken their blrih anu
thair christening on the banks OF tuc
Delaware. The Indiana and MaSsacuu-
eatte two of me greatest or the NIHolIC
can hattlc-ehips, are the proIGe'Se 81
Crar7is' ehipvarl. They We're the frst
t9gt were authorized bv Congress LOT
the new navy. When they are c'u'i'lcer..
they viii carry the heaviest aTlndifH{
~ INV. a American vessels that ever Sale
the national flag. They will have We
i1roe-.t ordnance ever placed on the
dar, of any American ship. Ihey We're
huUt so stand and fight and as such w,
are models Of tremendous power TO i''i''
Ief
Among the earlier decisions Tea'n'H
t,,- General Tracy after NJ hai taken
charge of the Navy l'epaIi men, MI, TaT
maj the new navy must include a nuhlueI
,f hsayiIv-2rmored and formidabY-aTmtl
t3ttl.-.11ius Of the first class, capable OF
combat with any atioat anu WINE pi.-
manly intended for coast defence, mus
,.,.se.ss Sufficient seaWOrthineSS TOT "N'
t.,1o1 cruises in case Of offensive opera
49,. These vessels were planned on
scale considerably larger than that con
templated by Congress. so mat as aIinnoollo
tiSel for bids, they We're SHIPS VI 4'.-'
rtgir length on the load waterhne is
"A, loot. extreme breadth. 60 feet men
es. and their draugh at normal iono aa d
rl4coment is q feet. When deep loaaru
MD, roai 10 their fun bunker capacity,
their disbursement viii be about ll"''
TONS Their power consists OF TWO Yer
engines of about 5000 Indicated horSt-
.roUer each Under forced drdusht'
iOOO collective, actuatns twin SCI ~ |
and calculated 10 develop a speed Oh |
fifteen knots an hour. ,..,
The protection consists OF WIZ /
line belt OF nickel-steel arnor eNtehdlhI |
through the machinery ana boiler spdct9
and the basis of the main. or thlrtrrL- !
inch. gun turrets. This armof Is tls1-
teen inches thick at the top If the belt !
and extends downWards four feet when |
II is beVclled to a minimum thickneSS OF |
eight inches at the bottom, the entire |
width being seven feet two inches
ruF OBJECT or SPECIAL INTEREST.
The last Of the warships contracted for |
by the Cramps, the hui OF when IS
"A 50 in process Of construction, IS me
sca-eoinR battleship, Iowa. Being the |
nrSt ~ II new class of war vessels. she
is also an object Of unusual interest
The Iowa was authorized by an act APP
proved July 80, 1892, which was 20 some
extent a departure i'm the programme or
the Iowa are: Length on the load wa
terline. $50 feet; extreme breadth, =
feet. II inches moulded depth. % lte'
4 IS inches; mean draught feet; diSSo-
ions, and with full coal supply. apoHt
y 200 tons The armor protection Of thc
ship consists Of a wateriine belt Oh
Harveyizcd nickle steel, fourteen inches
lhjrk on twelve inches of wood back
ing extending over length OF lSb Itet
4midships. and feet inches "lde,
laperiug below the waterline TO . inches
thick at the lower edge
INTENSIVE IspEoyEMFNrs.
4 very necessary adjunct of the policy
II enlargement to which the Cramps !
are giving their attention pertains TO
The docks and shipWays. which. Tor a
ong time. have not been of sufhcient
ength for the immense ships of com
nerCe which are now well under WAY.
quite as much, or more, space ashore