The San Francisco call., 1897-10-22

twelve 12-pound rapid firing guns, six
2%-pound rapld-6ring guns, five 14-inch
torpedo tubes. The contract price Is
81. 500 000
The Union Iron Works shipbuilding
plant is the best in the United States in
point of com pleteness, ana the work done
there cannot be surpassed anywhere In
the world. The owners intend to add to
its facility for handling biz vessels and
Will begin work in short time on a new
slip, which will be 700 feet long and capa-
BILE OF accommodating the largest vessel
afoat
1t is matter OF great pride to the peo-
pie of this coast that the war vessels built
here have given better results than those
built on the Atlantic sea board. The first
war vessel built in San Francisco was the
cruiser Charleston, and its performance
was a revelation to shipbuilders all over
the world. She was built from plans pur-
chased abroad. and after the first trial the
airpumps, e!ides, etc, were changed and
she then developed one-half knot more
speed with 333 less horsepower than a ship
built in England for the japanese navy
from what are said to nave been the same
plans.
The Charleston was the first ship deliv-
cred of the new set OF cruisers ordered
under the Whitney administration, and
the Others ordered at the same time.
The cruiser San Francisco, also built
here, has always been the pride of the
navy in her class. Her performance was
faster than any sister ship of tue same
class, and on her famous cruise under Ad-
miral Gherardi from San Francisco TO
Hampton Roads distance OF more than
10000 miles, the official record of her
chief engineer was tnat she needed no re-
pairs. She has been the flacship in the
Mediterranean Tor several years, and has
never yet had a regulation navy-yard
overhauling, fact which speaks well for
her builders.
r The monitor Monterey. which is San
Francisco producI, developed more speed
than any monitor prior to her perform
ance, and as coast-defense vessel she is
considered com petent to cope with any
vessel afloat outside of q battie-ship of 49,
coo tons. Her performance has been sat
isfactory, beneficial and efficient. She
was the first large ship in the American
navy 10 be constructed with coil boilers
The cruiser Olympia is another tast
vessel which was built here. On her first
trial she made for sixty knots speed of
% To- On her official trial, which was
made In All exceedingly rough sea, she
made q. 76 knots. After a years cruise
IN Chinese waters her ca plain reported
that ''she has made over % knots and Is
The battle-ships built here have also
made creditab Bile records. Ine Oregon
which was built from plans drawn by the
same man, and is of the same dimensions
as the Massachusetts and Indiana, which
was built on the At antic coast, is l
knot faster than the former and u knots
speedier than the latter. All three OF
them are supposed TO be of the same pro-
portions in every respect.
nf 10 W 10 pI
the Oregon is attributed by many TO
the fact that more power was got out of
the engines. This is proof that the skill
of he mechanics of the Pacific Coast is
superior TO that of the Atlantic seab 1ard,
as measured by the performances of the
vessels - namely, getting greater horse
power out OF the same size engines and
greater speed out of the same kind OF
battle-sEips.
The Coium pia, which was built by the
Cramps, has three sets of engines the
same as those in the Olympia, which has
two sets, yet the Olympia, with her two
sets, made within one knot of the speed of
the Columbia with her three sets and at
tnree-fiftns the cost. In other words,
three ships of the Olympia type could be
built for the amount II wonld cost to
build two of the Columb bia type and OBJ
tain practically the same results. In fact.
the Olympia carries a heavier ba terry than
the CoIumbia and is more efficient in
every respect.
II is matter OF congratulation for the
people of this coast to know that the YES
seis built in this harbor are superior to The
Eastern built ships, for lhe shipbuilding
industry has grown to be one of the great
est on the Pacific slope. Some idea of the
i'm poriance of the industry may be gained
when it is realized that the amount of
money which has been brought here for
the building of vessels OF war alone is the
enormous one of $i4 766 coo.
The following Is the lisI of war vessels
constructed and in course of construction
at the Union Iron Works, with the tom
mage and price Of each: