The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-15

were protected cruisers. They were all
authorized by the act of March. 1888.
and the plans for the three cruisers
were procured from England That
was natural. considering that our Ship
builders had TO learn the whole art of
| building warships from the beginning.
| NO other step was taken until 1885.
when the Charleston and two gunboats
were authorized. but from 1887, when
the Charleston's keel was laid, up to
the present time American ideas have
been followed and developed exclusive
ly in our new navy.
This new navy, including the Brook
lyn, so soon to be launched at Cramps.
and not including the ships authorized
by the latest act of congress, consists
OF six battleships, six coast defense
vessels and the Katahdin ram, five
nrst class cruisers and 13 second class
protected cruisers. The reconstructed
monitors Miantonomah, Amphitrite
puritan and Terror are included among
the coast defense vessels as being real
~ Drought up to date. The present ten
dency in shipbuilding in the United
states navy so far as battleships are
concerned, is singularly like that which
was so noticeable when the frigates of
1877 were built. While the other great
navies are turning their attention to
large ships with enormous tonnage,
great speed and great thickness of ar
NOR. the United States are still en-
deavoring TO find in a moderate-sized
battleship the best combination of
qualities. The two battleships author
lied by the last act of congress are to
be OF only 10000 tons each, and yet 1t
is probable that their strength will be
quite equal to that of the new English
battleships, the Renown, the Magnifi-
cent and the Majestic, of 5000 tons
each, for the simple reason that their
@ftx tu
ton. The Indiana throws 5000 pounds
OF metal and the Majestic throws 5000.
Her draught is four feet less and her
armor is thicker than the Majestic's.
The only superiority in the English
boats is that of speed. OF course, this
is a great superiority. but 1T is not so
great as the immediate comparison
would seem to show. In the first place,
the speed of the English battleships
may turn out to be a disappointment.
and the American battleships engines
may work better, but passing this the
fast English battleships will never be
able to steam faster than the fleet of
which they are a portion, and any
American fleet on account of its more
homogeneous construction will be sure
to steam faster than any English fleet
as a whole, because its slowest vessels
viii never be so slow. Finally, while
1t is very important for a battleship
to be able to maneuver more speedily
than her antagonist, IT is of still great
er Importance for her to be able to
fight, and that is what the Indiana can
do better than any battleship yet de-
vised, for the arrangement of her guns
is such that she can strike harder
blow than any of her competitors. The
same may be said of the Iowa and, in
all probability, of the new battleships.
Now, it was by being stronger all
round that the Constitution and her
sister ships were so superior to the fri
gates, English and French, that were
opposed to them. In the New York
and the Brooklyn the same superiority
of offensive strength is also manifest
1t is hardly necessary to add also that
the design of the Columbia and the
has been initiated by other
navies and has created a type.
The American navy is weakest in its
number of battleships and in torpedo
boats, defect which only constant ag-
itation of the subject in congress viii
be likely to remedy. An increased num-
Der of both these classes is an abso-
lutte necessity. They have only to be
laid down to render America safe. 1t
Is not necessary for us to surpass other
nations in naval strength, but 1t is
necessary for US to be of such strength
that the hazard of attacking us will be
too great for any other nation to risk
It.