The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-21
orr ATJTLdBLE SHIPS.
The Battle-Ships, Crui,ers, Gunboats, ana
Monitors KeadY or to be Rolled Upon.

WASHING rON, DEC. BIN these days
IL is natural TO take account once more
of our available ships in order 10 see what
we can rely upon IN case OF early need.
We must strike out, of course, most of
the relics Of our Old wooden navy, al
though some Of these would be OF SER
vice ~ reason Of the batteries they car
ry.
But, taking the new war vessels, we find
10 begin with, thirteen armored ships Of
four different types that can be counted
on. Five Of these are battle ships. The
Indiana. Massachusetts, and Oregon, are
OF lO2sS tons displacement, and the In
diana has shown a speed of over Ia -
knots Their main batteries consist OF
four 13-inch eight s-lnch. and four 6-inch
guns, with twenty 6-pounders, six l-pound-
ers, and four Gatlings i'm the secondary
battery. They carry Is inches Of armor
on the sides, and II and IL inches on their
heaviest barbettes and turrets. and are
gnequalled, il is believed, ia their comDi-
ration Of armor and armament, by any
thing ahoat The Indiana is ready for
serVise to-day. and her two sisters ships
are nineteen-twentieths complete. so that
all three can be relied upon from this
time forth. TO other completed battle
ships are the Maine and the Texas, the
former Of 6,6sZ and the latter OF 6,3l5 tons.
They were built for II knots, and the
Maine exceeded that speed on her trial,
although then she was not carrying her
normal weights. The Texas carries two
Pinch and six 6-inch guns, and the Maine
four 10-inch and six 5-inch guns. The for
mer has q and the latter % secondary
pieces. The Texas has u inches OF arrnor
on her sides ard turrets, and the Maine
also u inches on her sides and barbettes.
Both are rady for service.
Passing TO the armored cruiser New
York. she is OF $500 tons displacement and
q knots. carries ten inches Of armor on
her barbettes, 5l-2 inches on her turrets,
and inches on her sides. and has six y
inch and twelve 4-inch guns in her main
and twenty pieces IN her secondary bat
terry. Her protective deck is inches thick
on the slopes and inches on the fiat. The
ram Katahdin, Of 2.l55 tons, has a speed
exceeding 10 knots. and armor on her
sloping sides of from 6 to inches thick.
or our six double-turret monitors, three,
the Monterey, the Miantonomoh. and the
Amphltrite are in regular service. And
since the Terror, az a recent reckoning.
was % l-2 per cent. finished, the Monad-
mock 81, and the Puritan 81, we really have
all six at our service.
The Puritan. OF 5000 tons. has side arm
or and barhcttes OF Is inches and turrets
OF 3. and carries four l2-inch and six 4
inch guns. The Monterey. built OF steel.
while the others have iron hulls. Is OF f,o,4
tons and over 10 l-2 knots, with sides y
inches thick and with ls and II l-2 inches
OF armor on her harbettes and and IL
on her turrets. Her turrets guns are two
pinch and two l0-inch. The four others.
of $3.50 tons, have speeds OF from 10 IL TO
IA IL knots. . TO inch sides. and turretes
OF II 1-2 inches TO 7 IL. They carry each
four l0-inch and, all but one, also TWO
4-inch guns.
In this array Is not incllisd the Iowa,