New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-03
THE NEW WARSHIP.

Tho launching of the Brooklyn yesterday was
an incident of both local and National interest
Our sister city IS to be congratulated upon the
giving of her name TO so fine craft-a inner
one. probably, than that which bears the name
OF New-York- the Nation also. upon this
prospective reinforcement of its power ar sea-
Perhaps the incident attracts less attention
now than IL would have attracted few years
ago. 1t Is no novelty. Since a Republican Adj
mnistra zion began the patriotic task OF building
for the United States modern Navy worthy or
the name, our people have become used to seeing
fine warships flying the Stars and Stripes IN
increasing numbers until now one more or less
IS scarcely noticeable We have Navy at last,
and It's growth and maintenance are taken as
matter of course
Still. the addition TO our fleets Of such vessel
as the Brooklyn bids fair TO be will be an incl
dent worth more than passing notice. The ship
Will be one which would increase perceptibly The
effective strength Of any navy, and which might
well be welcomed by the warlords Of the great
est of sea-going Powers. Whether she is Of the
most desirable type Is an open question. Many
high authorities do not approve the building
Of these huge warships, with ample freeDoard
presenting tempting target for the enemy
guns. OF that type, however, the brooklyn VIII
probably prove 10 be an admirable specimen.
She ranks as an armored cruiser 1t might be
well 10 describe her as an armed cruiser, or
cruising battle-ship. cruiser she Will be, PROB
ably Of good speed and long endurance. She VIII
also be armored with armor belt and protective
deck But her great feature will be her offensive
armament. Eight S-inch rifles. so arranged tllat
six Of them can be trained together upon any
point of the compass, form battery that would
be regarded as formidable on any battle-ship.
When to these are added twelve 5-inch, twelve
6-pounder and four 1-pounde- rapld-fire rifles
and four machineglins, we have an armament
calculated TO hurl an almost Irresistible rain OF
missiles upon an enemy, at either long or short
range. Nor are the five torpedo-tubes TO be for
gotten; an equipment which should be regarded
as Indispensable for every warship.
This splendid vessel IS of American design,
material and workmanship. She Is being fin
ished in private shipyard from which have
gone out some of the finest specimens OF marine
architecture afOat. in both the militant and the
commercial marine 1t is gratifying TO know
that this Is SO, and that this country Is able To
build its own ships, instead of buying them
abroad as the cuckoo-cry for many years mas
hidden US to do. The builders Of the Brooklyn
have done good work. and deserve cordial rccog-
milton for It, At the same time We must eX-
press regret that more Of the new ships are not
being constructed in the Governments own
yards There are, both at Brooklyn and at Nor
folk, facilities for building iirst-class ships, as
the production of the Maine, the Texas. the Gin
cinnati and the Raleigh testihes. The great and
costly plants there should not be allowed to stand
idle and dcteriorate, and the vast SUMS or money
invested in them TO return no profit TO the coun-
try. The workshops should be kept open and busy,
and an adequate force Of skilled workmcn be
kept on hand, fitted and ready for any task that
may be required Of them. Such a policy, we be-
leve, would not in It's direct results be more
costly to the Government than the present, while
in It's ultimate results it would be more profitable