The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-20
COST OF WARSHiPS.
Some Compositions Between Diherent
Countries and Different Periods.

Growth ia dimensions, speed, protec-
ton and armament has necessarily been
accom- lishod by increase I'm cost. In 1887
/ the Sovereign of the Seas cost Rll, 900
half of which was for labor. This was
quite an exceptional outlay, and no doubt
other than legitimate expenses were
charged against that vessel AZ tho be-
ginning OF this century "a 100 gun line OF
battle shin cost from zoo, 600 To 10000,
exclusive of armament. The 81 gun sail
ing three decker Of 1887 cost nearly sl2O,-
600. and the screw three decker of 1897
about k22O, eco.
The use OF armor added greatly TO the
cost, and the Warrior Of 1859 figured up
nearly $3.50, 600. The Dreadnaught of
1873 cost 5000 600, and the lnheNihlo,
which followed her, cost fSl0,000. These
large amounts were partly due 10 the in
PRODUCTION of costly mechansms required
for mounting and working the heavy guns
and partly 10 large increase in the outlay
on armor
Then camo the reaction in favor of less
costly ships and vessels were produced for
e600, 600 10 e650, 900 between 1878 and
1885. The inevitable tendency reasserted
itself i'm 1855, the Nile and Trafalgar each
costing about $3.50, 600. The Royal Sow
ereign class of 1889 cost about 4775, 600 and
the Majestic about 9S40, 000 All these fig
ures are for ships built in the royal dock
yards and exclude incidentalcharges we'll
as cost of ornaments. They include gun
mountings, with their costly mechanisms,
and torpedo gear.
Cruisers have similarly increased in cost.
The Blake cost about sI40, 900, or about
twice as much rs the unarmored lncon-
4 a, IL mi
will cost about 1850, 900. She carries "a
considerable weight of expensive armor
and gun mountings costing over $50, 900.
Other navies spend even more on their
units of naval force. A French first class
battleship costs about ~ 900, 900, and so
do the corresponding ships in the Russian
and Italian fleets. The American battle
ship Indiana cost over $500, 600, exclusive
of armor, and that involved an expendi-
ture of nearly gao, 600. For the German
battleships now building, Of 1000 tons,
the estimated cost is about 600, 900.
1t will be seen, therefore, that British bat
tleships are, I'm proportion TO their dimen-
sions, less costly than battleships of other
navies and actually less costly than most
foreign battleships Of about the same date.
The same thing may be said of cruisers.
The French Jeanne d Arc is estimated TO
cost about eS00 600, German first class
cruiser about $3.50, 600 and the American
New York cost, exclusive of armor, etc,
about 1900, 900. The actual cost of tho
great Russian cruisers is not known, but
must reach high figures.
AS compared with the costs of the largest
passenger steamers, the foregoing figures,
no doubt, will appear very large, but if do
auctions are made for the expenses incurred
on armor, gun mountings and mechanisms,
torpedo gear and special fittings, represent
ing together, say, s350, 900 to 100000 in
n first class battleship, the comparison is
made fairer, and the warship approximates
in cost very closely to the largest passenger
steamers. Sir William ii. White in Cas-
sier's Magazine For August.