The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1895-11-01
TIE PRIDE or OUR NAVY
BArTLFsHrPB NOW BEING BUILT
AREEVERY INCH AMERICAN.


Armament They are Entirely OF
Home Manufacture.
TT Is tho proud boast Of The Navy
Department that tho new war
vessels now being built are Amer
lean from turret 90 keel and
from stem 90 stern. Tho designs
we're drawn by American draughts-
men i'm the Buroau of Construction,
the armor in which they are sheathed
was forged at Bethlehem and Pitts
burg, Penn, the process by which the
armor was hardened. and which thus
permits q lighter weight OF steel Co BIO
used without impairment 20 its rela-
tive strength, was patented by au
American; the guns with which the
ships are armed were built OF Ameri-
can steel by American mechanics at
tho Washington Navy Yard, the ma.
ehinery itself being OF American man-
ulacture, while the contractors and
their workmen who constructed the
vessels are also Americans.
While ten years ago there was not
a shipyard in the United States capa-
bic Of building anything larger than
an ordinary cruising vessel, there
are 20 day scores Of shipyards in
which such ships can be built, while
four of the number-the Cramps's, at
Philadelphia the Union Iron Works,
of San Francisco; the Bath Iron
Works, of Maine, and the Huntington
yard at Newport News, Va.-possess
plants in which tho largest vessels
aAoat can be as cheaply and as rapid
ly built as at any other shipyard IN
the world.
The large vessels above referred to,
and which are technically known as
battleships, cost 100000 to build.
With their batteries on board and
when ready for commission the cost
will be increased to an aggregate OF
| SO, 200, 900 each.
The battleship is essentially fight
ing ship, and the four now in process
of construction will be the best Of
their class and the equal of any in the
largest European nayies. Each carries
in It's main battery four thirteen-inch,
eight eight-inch and four six-incl
guns, in addition to a powerful Sec
ondary battery. Three of the four
vessels will be in commission within
the next twelve months. The Indiana,
which is the furthest advanced, viii
be completed on January l, 1896. The
Massachusetts will be in commission
three months later, while the Oregon
will be turned over to the Government
next summer. On October 30 tn
plans and specifications for the TIVE
new battleships authorized at the los
session of Congress will be completed
and bids for their construction will b
invited. The bids will be opened Of
November 30 and the work on the yes
sells will begin not later than Januar.
l. Secretary Herbert insists tina
these vessels shall be ready for Sc
within three years after the contract
are let.
In one respect these vessels will b
an innovation in naval architecture
This feature is one on which expert
differ widely, 1t consists in double
deck turret in which the thirteen-inc
and eight-inch guns will be placed
with the purpose of concentrating tn
fire on an enemYs ship. While its az
vantages are obvious, its disadval
tages, it is said, more than counter
balance them, in view of the fact thu
any disarrangement of the machiner
would throw the turret out of actor
The brilliant achievements of tn
old wooden corvette Kearsage, whiC
was wrecked on Roncador Reef YET
ago, will be perpetuated in one of tt
new vessels by giving her name to !
Following the general custom, hoy
ever, the other vessel will receive ii
name of one of the States Each vi
be fitted out as flagship, and eacl
like its predecessors, will be kept
commission until the officers and me
of the navy ere sufficiently famili'
with it's mechanism to handle al
fight it properly. York II
bune.