The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-30
THE NEW NAVY.
sixteen Vessels 20 Bs Added to Our Fleets
within Two Years.

WASHINGTON. Sept 20.-The Navy Depart
ment has received reports from the navy yards
and private shipyards building ships for the
navy which show that within another year sew
eral new vessels will have been added to our
fleets, and that in two years every vessel now
building for the service will be completed and
In commission. should Congress In the mean
time fail 20 provide more ships, there would
then be an entire cessation of naval construc-
ton In the country. There are now, all told,
sixteen vessels OF various classes In process Of
construction. but OF this number the majority
are practically completed and nearly ready for
commission. The list includes four first-class
battle ships and two second class. the latter
being the Maine and Texas. which are now pre-
pairing for their official trial trips. The four
first class are the Massachusetts,, Oregon, In
diana, and Iowa, the latter being authorized
two years after the others, and will be the last
vessel of those under way to be placed In active
service.
The protected cruiser Brooklyn, similar in
some respects to the New York. but of 1000
tons greater displacement. Is yet On the ways
and will probably not be launched until next
winter. but the Minneapolis, which is included
in the above list, can be said 10 be almost ready
for service. Three double turret monitors, the
Puritan, Amuhitrite, MOnOdnOck, and Terror,
are all well toward completion, and would be in
commission before the close Of the year, but for
delay In their armor deliveries. The Amphi-
trite is expected to be In service by Jan, l next
the Terror about the same time, the Puritan
early In March, and the MonOdnOck "a few weeks
after. With these vessels the navy will have
six hrst-class monitors. all double turrets. and
mounting twelve and ten inch guns. While not
In the class with battle ships. they are expected
10 perform most efficient work as coast defence
ships, and In tie protection Of the great cities
FROM sea Invasion. Tw" OF this class, the Milan
tonoInOh and MOntery, are now In service,
The big battle ships Massachusetts, and lndi-
spring, but the completion OF the Oregon will be
DELAYED until several months later. The last
large vessel uf the strictly cruiser ,type,, the
Olympia, l. now waiting the instaliatl3h OF hrr
baTbeite arm0r, hut this will soon be in place
and the new ship assigned To the Faclnc station.
Following close upon her heels VAL by the Maine
and Texas, and al the sanle TIME the 'iatioh'
going repairs. Not until October, 1890, VIII ne
~ iowa bp completed, ana even before then tho
thrce lttle gunbOats building at Newport News
din. tke Invention OF Admiral Ammen, COM
p!etrs The list OF ships building, AHd early next
year will have her trial. u,.
With al, the vessels ia service, anu, hlclanihs
:hu~e ROW I'M commission, the run hkhllh~
rtrrng-H 0I The navy Htll CONSIST " hIly-ohS
vcs5rl- ~ all Classes, exclusive OF tht rAM anu
thTra torpedo boats. divided a. follows: Fn1.
h'st class battle ships, two second -cttls uAsrt11
monitors Cor coast defence purposes. nine pLO-
IeCtcl CrC.sers, four partially protected eruIs-
eTt. cighs gunhDytN AID the remainder cTeiseIn
some Of which are old wO0den ships, or ihAl
aAuur the -aMc number of vessels As the M
Ivst Iua japanese have together. Out lhhhllsly
sIprripr, In the next two or three yeA.s hos
eve, ell the wooden vessels now IA sSfNhtst
probably ne dropped from the naval register,
lowing only gessels for actual cruising ssrfles
which have heen completed since the hst stSk
AsS t4ken % huild the nsU naFy."