The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-05
TIE new GUNB0AlS.
Naval Men Delighted at Their
Construction--Great Com
meree Destroyers.

WASHINGTON, March S, 1S95.-Naval
officers are delighted with the action of
congress in providing for six light
tdraught gunboats OF about 1000 tons
displacement. to cost not more than $780,
1000 each and to- be of composite construc-
Elton. Ever since Chief Constructor HIGH
|born's tour of the European govern
mental dock yards in 1885, he has been
urging upon the proper authorities of
the United States this method of con-
struction, and now that Congress has
approved the plan the United States is
promised a new and valuable type of
warships. Plans for the new ships viii
be commenced at once and by reason
of the stipulation that not more than
two of the vessels shall be built in any
one shipyard, 1t is expected that the
government will be able to put the boats
in commission year after the contracts
are let.
The United States now has compare
lively few of such useful ships. The
Castine and Machias. of LIT tons each,
are our only new vessels of similar
size and capabilities, although the three
gunboats OF 1872 tons now building at
Newport News closely approach them
In adaptability for duty in the shallow
harborS where American interests are
mostly centered. In the new designs the
department will probably adopt dis
placement of 1900 tons, and on account
sof the cost limit will omit many of the
expensive internal luXuries which crowd
modern Warships and will thereby Sc
cure increased coal capacity and engine
room without sacrificing speed or COM
fort.
The value of this class of vessels Is
steel gunboat of only 800 tons d.sDlace
ment authorized March 8. 1895. the ap-
preparation for her being. s275Ooo. This
scr1lised on the Atlantic coast a year.
went to China in 1891 and cruised the
followiIlg !, g W n tyo years spent last summer
ga mud dock at New Chwang the past
winter. She has been in constant service
steel steel Throughout. but It IS now ie eonceded &c ed
that vessels of the small cruiser class
should preferably be of the composite
framing and upper works. but with the
bottom planked with wood and sheathed
The principal advantages of this meth
cd of construction are that the copper
sheathing is anti-fouling, preventing ac-
cumuiation Of marine growth by which
treme cases to only about half what it
would be with. a clean bottom. Also,
small vessels like these must frequent
Well known and thoroughly charted, so
that they will be more in danger of
touching bottom than larger vessels. The
thick plank bottom, though no stronger
than thin steel plating, under ordinary
conditions afoat, IS much better quail
fed by its elasticity to resist the pound
ing and grinding due to stranding This
was well illustrated in the recent case
of the Kearsarge, which. though landed
bodily upon hard rock bottom, pounded
for some hours before sufficient damage
was done to the bottom to permit large
influx of water
The new gunboats will be efficient COM
merce destroyers in time of war; and
while more subject to capture than the
cruiser should, If properly handled, be
able to avoid the large cruisers, if not
altogether, at least until their work is
practically done. In this connection 1t is
remembered that the Alabama accom-
plished more through the suddenness and
unexpeetedneSs of her appearance than
through absolute size or speed. She was
a wooden vessel with auxiliary sail power
and of about 1850 tons displacement
only.
The new boats are peculiarly fitted for
distant service in the less civilized por-
tions of the world. They will be largely
independent of docks and coal piles, and
in the East, among the Pacific islands,
along the coast of Central and South
America and on the eastern coast of
Africa. will be of as much value as a
large cruiser.