The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-11-11
WHAT wARsHlPs cosT.
It Means n Big Bill When They Are
81 sIE Fairly AaOat. .sa -

IS. Fairly Anoat. s@ JHt.is
5# Growth in dimensions, speeds, protec-
ton and armament has necessarily
been accomplished bysincrease in cost.
In 1887 the Sovereign of the easFc cost
e41,ooo, half of which was for labor.
This was quite an exceptional outlay
and, no doubt, other than -legitima
expenses were charged against that
vessel. At the beginning of this. CEN
fury 1o0-gun line Of battleship cost
from e65,o0O to 100000, exclusive of
armament. The 121-gun sailing three
decker of; 1887 cost nearly e 10000,
and the screw three-decker of 1857
about s. 220 900. 49, a.
T. The use of armor added greatly to
the cost and the Warrior Of 1859 fig
aured up nearly 6 3SO,OOO. The Dread
naught of 1878 cost e 100000, and the
Infexible, WHICH followed her: cost
e8t0,000. These large amounts were
partly due to the introduction of cost
1y mecharisms required for mounting
and working the heavy guns and part
ly to large increase in the outlay Of
armor.
Then came the reaction in favor of
less costly ships and vessels were pro-
duced for 100000 to e650,oo0, be-
tween 1876 and 1885,. The inevitable
tendency reasserted itself in 1885, the
Nile and Trafalgar each costing about
6 $4,000. The Royal Sovereign class
Of 1889 cost about G775,OO0, and the
Majestic about e $40, ooo ALL these fig
ures are for ships built in the Royal
dockyards, and exclude incidental
charges as 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 6 440,O00,
or about twice as much as the unarm-
ored Inconstant, laid down i'm 1856.
The Powerful will cost about 6 $780,
600. She carries considerable weight
Of expensive armor and gun mountinss
costing over 6 $4,000. 20
Other navies spend even more on
their units of naval force A Trench
first class battle ship costs about }e1,-
100000 and so do the corresponding
ships in the Russian and Italian fleets.
The American battle ship Indiana cost
over 100000, exclusive of armor, and
that involved an expenditure of near.
ly e340,000. For the German battle
ships now building, Of which II, 900 tons,
the estimated cost is about 97OO00o.
1t will be seen, therefore, that British
battle ships are, in proportion to their
dimensions, less costly than 2 battle
ships of other navies, and actually less
costly than most foreign battle ships
of about the same date. Ir"'s'' !. ~
The same thing may be said Of
cruisers. The French Jeanne dare IN
estimated to cost about eS00,OOo;
German first-class cruiser about e $780,
600, and the American New York cost,
exclusive of armor, ETC., about 6 6O0,-
900. The actual cost of the great Rus
sian cruisers is not known, but must
reach high figures. '.s ~ .a'st5i@a1 -.
As compared with the costs of tie
largest passenger steamers the fore
going figures, no doubt, will appear
very large. But If deductions are made
for the expenses incurred on armor,
gun mountings and mechanisms, tor
pedo gear and special fittings repre-
senting together, say, 6 350,o0o to et400,-
600 in at'first-class battle ship, the com
parisoh is made fairer and the warship
approximates in cost very closely to
the largest passenger steamers. Sir
William 81. White, in Casters, Maya
zitp - EfE - 3" 81 tt#sE g::zt = 40