The National tribune., 1894-02-15
NEW WAR VESSELS.
What the Year 1894 Will Bring FOrtf
in Our Navy.

It happens that during the present twelve
month many vessels will be really for CON-
mission aud for active service which have been
long under construction.
Beginning with the armorclsds we shall find
a great change effected during this year. The
reinforeements will be. to begin with, the
Maine, now completing at Brooklyn. aud the
Texas, building at Norfolk. The former is oi
6, 64S tons and carries four 10-ineh aud six g.
inch guns besides II s. FOUNDERS. six l-pounder>
and four Gatlings: the latter is of $500 tons.
and carries two IL inch and six 6-inch guns.
besiies 12 6 Founders four l-pounders fou
Hotrhkiss cannon, aud four Gatlings. Each
vessel is expected to make IL knots trial.
and each has l2 inches OF side armOr, the Texas
also having II inches OIL her turrets. and the
Maine eight inches on her fnrrets aud l2 on her
bsrbets. These vessels will be ready during
the Summer.
Far more important are the three great bat
tle-ships Indiana, Massachusetts,, and Oregon,
which should he ready in Autumn. They are
probably uneeualled any where in their class.
Of 10 200 tons displacement and Is knots speed.
they carry each four 3-inch, eight 8 inch and
four 6-inch guns, with 20 6-pOunders, four l.
Founders and four Gatlings, giving them an
extraordinary weight OF fire at a brosdsids.
Their side armor IS Is inches thick. their tur
rets and barbets for the heaviest guns, Is
inches and eight inches for the s-neh guus
and six inches each for The 6-inch guns. With
TWO such vessels on the Atlantic Coast and one
on the Pacific Coast our defensive strength will
be much increased.
But there are also four coast-defense mont
tors due this year. Foremost among them is
the ,060-ton Puritan, with her great battery
of four I2-inch and six rapid fire 4inch guns,
with II secondary pieces. She will carry IA
inch armor on the sides aud barbeis and 8
inch on the turrets and is to have a speed of
1874 knots. The other three sister ships Of
| the MiantonOmoh, but all fas or, the Amphi-
| trite and Terror making IL knots aud the
Honadnock 141. The AmphitriIe and Monsd-
mock carry two 4-inch rapid fire guns beside
| their four 10-iBch All these vessels have the
| same secondary battery. pair OF 6-pounders,
another Of 3-p0unders. another of Hotchkiss
81 MN. cannon, and still another of Gatlings.
The Terror's armor is like the MiantOnomohs,
| seven inches OIL the sides and III on the tur-
rets; but the other two have nine inches on
the side, III on the barbets and "a on the
turrets
II the ram Katahdin should be finished this
year, as she ought to he this would give still
another armorcad. She IS OF 2.i83 tons dis
placement, and IL knots speed, having six
inches Of armor on her sides, aided by her tur-
lie back, aud carries four 6-pOunders though
relying on her armored Prov as her chief
weapon.
The total array makes 10 armorclads to be
added this year for active service, or. at any
rate. ready for service, even if circumstances
should not justify their being put into COMMITS
sion.
OF the very fast protected cruisers no fewer
than five may I've looked for this year. Lead
ing them is the 1850 ton Columbia. with her
great record of % knots. She carries an S-inch.
two 6-inch and eight 4-inch guns, besides II
6-pounders, four 1-pounders and four Gatlings.
and she has a coal endurance enabling her TO
steam distance greater than the earth's cir
cuinferencs without recOaling. She is almost
retny for COMM ssion. aud her sister ship, the
Minneapolis, which may be even faster. is ex-
ported TO be ready before the year closes.
Only little inferior to this pair in speed,
although on a displacement of but $500 tons,
is the crack Pacific coast racer Olympia, which
costs nearly million dollars less than they,
aud has excellent though not equal radius
of action, and which surpasses them III battery
power. carrying. she does, four o-inch and 10
5-inch guns, be-ides IA q. p0nnders six l-pound-
ers, and four Cuttings. Inferior To these il.
displacement and speed, yet worthy to be
classed with them, are the 3. lo3-ton cruisers
Cincinnati, building at Brooklyn, AMI Raleigh,
az Norfolk. They designed for 10 knots.
but may exceed 20. and each carries inch
and 10 rapid-fre 5-inch guns, with eight o.
Founders, four l-pOunders, aud two GatlIng5.
The years list will not he complete without
taking account o. few other vessels already
familiar These include the 2.0O0-tonuers
Montgomery aud MarbIehead. of which the
former made IS knots and the latter nearly
1871 on their speed trials. and the pair of 1,0o0-
ton gunboats Machias and Castine, which are
undergoing alterations.
These four vessels, armed with rspid-fire hat
teries, will soon be in commission and render
ing useful service. The Machias was ready
last year. but the CastIne has still to perform
active service, so that she and the Montgomery
and the Mar blehead belong to the 1894 list.
IL will be seen from this array that there has
been year like the present for actual addi-
tions to the list of new vessels since the MODERN
fleet was begun. Should one or two of them
fail to be ready from unexpected causes, the
twelvemonth would still surpass any other.
But this prospect shOuid not induce relaxa-
ton in carrying on the work of strengthening
the Navy. 1t is because Congress did its full
duty in former years that We see the abundant
fruit now and it is certain that the recent fall
ing off i'm this respect will produce a dearth Of
additions. after the present year and the next,
in its turn remark able and suggestive. There
is great need of liberal provisions for construe-
ton at the present session.
She Bought a Doorbel1.