The National tribune., 1894-07-12
FROM WOOD TO STEEL.
The Transformation of the Past Decade In
Our Navy.

~@sO VI thC aSt DSStuc
Our Navy.
TBrookIyn Eagle1
The return of the Lancaster and the near
approach of the Alliance from foreign
stations will practically mark the retire
ment of wooden vessels from the active
list of our navy. While there are still two
or three wooden vessels in commission, in
probably two years time they will succumb
TO the inevitable, be condemned and placed
on Rotten row to join the noble fleet that
has gone before them. In Just one decade
has this transformation from wood to steel
taken place. The last FIVE years has marked
the death-knell of the wooden bulwarks of
our defense. To old seafaring men, and in
fact to all patriotic Americans who feel
proud of the achievements of our navy in
the past, such a change cannot but bring up
feelings of mingled sentiment and regret.
Gone are the tall, tapering spars, the snow
white sails, the holy-stoned decks, the
double and triple rows of frowning guns,
the beautiful lines, and it might be said
every thing that lent romantic air to life
on the ocean wave.
In their place what has been substituted !?
To answer it briefly, floating workshops, full
of machinery, that can bs navigated with
out a single man being exposed to the
weather. All points Of beauty have been
sacrificed, no spars and no sails, everything
adapted to speed, endurance and powers of
offense and defense. On the other hand
what has been gained? First and foremost,
speed. Who would have thought 10 years
ago that in this short lapse of time we
would have a vessel in the United States
navy that could make nearly % knots an
hour? At that time we did not have a
SI,oAa L
an hour.
Then, compare the offensive power of the
modern steel cruisers with that of the old
wooden frigate of the past. True, the
frigate may have carried five times as many
guns, bat where would she be in an engage
ment with vessel armed with modern steel
rifles of probably one-half the caliber of
the old smoothbores?
A cruiser like the Columbia could whip
round dozen of the old timers before
breakfast and hardly realize that she had
been in fight. Future generations may
well look back with pride ON the period
between 1884 and 1894, or, as it should be
called, the reconstruction period of our
glorious navy. Looking backward for 10
years, what do we see? A navy, belonging
to one of the richest and most progressive
nations in the world. which did not contain
a single modern and effective vessel nor
single gun that could cope with the guns of
an antagonist; a navy that was laughing
stock abroad and source of modification
at home; not shipyard where a battieship
could be constructed, nor a forge where an
armor plate or gun forging could be made.
How different is this in comparison with
the present aspect! We have nearly 40
modern steel vessels of all types known to
naval science, armed with guns the superior
of which does not exist. Compare them,
ship for ship, with the vessels of other ma
tions, and we need not feel ashamed of any
of them. Some OF them have their equals,
few their superiors, but many cannot be
equalled by anything that floats. Many
criticisms have been made and canards
started, but the fact remains that the United
States navy of the present day Is not ex-
celled, except in point of numbers, by the
fleets of any other power. The vessels them
selves are not the only fruit of this 10 years
of progress. There now exists within our
borders a number of ship-building plants
that are capable Of constructing any type of
vessel. Within these yards are hundreds of
trained mechanics and skillful designers;
there are two immense plants that are pro-
ducing the heaviest and most impenetrable
armor plates that can be made, and gun forg-
ings of any size Or description. 1t can now be
truthfully said that we are absolutely inde-
pendent of any other nation for the design,
construction and manipulation of vessels
and guns, or any of the devices to be used
in modern warfare, and therein lies our
surest guarantee of peace aud the respect of
rival powers.