The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-13
55 WAR VESSELS
Are Now Under Construction For the
U. S. Government.

New York, Oct. IA dispatch to the
Tribune from Washington SAYS:
me remarkabl rapidity with which
the naval power Of the United States
IS being increased at the present time
may be realized when it is stated that M
war vessels are now under contract for
the government and that their aggre-
gate tonnage far exceeds that of the
vessels building at any one time in
the civil war. This vast construction
programme, which has excited more at
tentlon abroad than at home has been
authorized gradually by congress until
the vessels soon to be completed will
place the United States third in rank
among the sea powers.
In addition to the enormous fleet. in
Guiding auxiliaries, actually in commits
sion at the present time twenty vessels
are in various stages of readiness and
the ship builders are hurriedly gather
ing the material for 90 others. OF the So
vessels, eight are first class heavily
armOred sea-gOing battleships, SO are
torpedo boats, four are monitors and
one is powerful cruiser.
Chief Constructor HichbOrn has COM
pleted tabulated statement showing
the degree of completion of the twenty
vessels now nearly ready for commits
sion or rapidly approaching that con-
ditiOn, from which it appears that II
of these vessels have already been
launched and that the others will be
af1Oat before the end of this year
OF the five battleships. Kearsarge,
at Newport News, Va, are respectively
IS. Sc and So per cent completed. The
Ala bama, at the Cramp yard, Philadel-
phia. has advanced to So per cent and
the Wisconsin, which is to be launched
at the Union Iron works, San Francisco,
next month, is exactly half finished.
OF the ten torpedo boats the 26 knot
BOwan (NO. 81 at Seattle is rated at SO
per cent and will have her trial trip
before the end of this week. The 30
knot FarTa gut (NO. ID, the first of the
destrOyers to be finished by the gov
ernmRpt, has already been tried by the
Scottg at San Francisco, and although
readily making her guaranteed speed,
has had the misfortune to sustain minor
The Dahlgren (No- 81 and the T. a. NJ
Craven (No. 10, 80 knot boats building
at Bath, Maine, are listed at 80 and 81
per cent complete, but will not be de-
spring. The two 221a knot boats, the
Davis ono. 12) and the Fox ono. 80
at Portland, Ore, are practically ready
for trial, and the Davis may have her
speed run next week. The Mackenzie
(NO. I'D has just been completed by
Hulman & Co., of Philadelphia, and her
trial has been ordered for the first of
next week This little vessel is almost
a year behind contract. The status of
the remaining three 30-Anot destrOyers
is as follows:
The stringham CNo. 19) at Whining
ton, Del, 4S per cent;sthe GoldsbOrough
(%o. 20) at Portland, Ore, % per cent,
and the Bailey CNO. 21) at the works
of the Gas Engine and Power company
of New York, 81 per cent.
The submarine torpedo boat Plunger
at Baltimore, is within fifteen per cent
of completion and will probably be put
into service next month. Two 12-knOt
tug boats which are now being built
at navy yards have made rapid pro-
gress in the last month. the Penacock
at New York being rated at 65 per cent
and the Pawtucket at Mare Island at
so per cent The sailing ship Chesa-
peake. building at Bath Iron works for
use as a training vessel at the naval
academy, is 80 per cent ready. She has
the distinction of being the first sheath
ed vessel designed for the American
navy and the first sailing vessel laid
down for naval purposes in over twenty
years. The last ship under construction,
except those whose keels have not been
laid, is the cruiser Albany, building at
Armstrong;, Elswick, England. She
was only 40 per cent completed when
purchased, together with the cruiser
New Orleans, from the Brazilian gov
eminent just before the war with Spain
was declared, and work was only begun
on her two weeks ago. The contractors