The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-18
AMERICAS NAVY.
Irving M. Scott Presents His Views
as to Its Readiness.


Irving M. Scott, vice-president and gen.
eral manager of the Union Iron Works,
talked last night of the condition of the
American navy and expressed the belief
that, although the present strength was
not great, there could be extemporized
sufficient feet to enable the United States
to maintain the prestige of the flag. Con-
tinuing, he gave in detail the number of
vessels now ready and those which could
be readily prepared for war, saying:
eve can count on thirty-four now
ready, besides six turreted monitors, six
gunboats and two battle-ships now being
built. making a total of forty EIGHT. The
thirty-four are the following: Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Charleston, Newark, San
Francisco, Olympia, Monterey, Indiana,
Massachusetts, Oregon, Minneapolis, Co.
lumbia, New York, Iowa, Brooklyn, Texas,
Maine, Yorktown, Marblehead, Cincin-
natl, Raleigh, Machias, Castine, Concord,
Bennington, Petrol, Boston, Chicago, At
lanta, Dolphin, Vesuvius, Gushing, Erics-
son and Katahdin.
"Then there are thirteen of the old
Ericsson monitors that could be put in pre-
paration by having their turret arrange
ment removed and two 8-inch appearing
and disappearing guns placed in barbette
in the hold, making them very formidable
vessels in the defense of our bays and har-
bors. They draw about twelve feet of
water and have speed of eight knots.
They are the Ajax, Canonicus, Mahopac,
Manhattan, Wyandotte, Comanche, Cats
kill, Jason, Lehigh, Montauk, Nahant,
Nantucket and Passaic.
Give OF those turreted vessels being
completed just at the end of the civil war
were never finished-the Miantonomah,
Puritan, Terror. Monadnock and Am
phIite. They are similar to the Monterey
and very powerful vessels.
"There could be extemporized for cruis-
ers and commerce-destroyer the New
York, City of Paris. st. Louis and st. Paul.
They would rank up to the top notch. 1t
would require only the time necessary to
furnish them with guns. / should think
that within thirty days they could be put
into shape. In addition to those I have
mentioned there must be running in and
out of New York to South American ports,
and in and out of Philadelphia, Baltimore
and San Francisco quite large fleet of
vessels, out of which some sort of fighting
machines could be extemporiZed.
1.-THE Union Iron Works has in course of
construction two of the SIX gunboats /
mentioned, which have not yet been
named. The Oregon is awaiting her turret
armor, and if the last piece of it shall be
shipped on February /, as we are informed,
the Oregon will be ready about three
months later, or ninety DAYS from the date
of the receipt of that shipment. She will
then be in full condition to be turned over
to the Government. Her guns are all
here. OF the vessels we have built the
Olympia is at Yokohama, the Monterey
at Mare Island, the Charleston at Maya
saki and the San Francisco in the Bay OF
Marmosa."
Il think" he said, sit looks like an
American in the chair at last. His mes
sage should be eminently satisfactory to
the people. / think he shows forcibly and
clearly the application of the Monroe doc
trine to the Venezuela boundary question.
Congress ought to back him up with
monsy and everything needed to main
tain the prestige of the American Govern
ment on the basis of the Monroe doctrine
in its very conservative application"