The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-24
A NEW PRACTICE SHIP.
One Is Being Built for the Use of
Naval Cadets.
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific Auerican.
1t is a matter of common observation
that the coming of steam into the navy
has tended to eliminate the old-time sailor
as he is recorded in the tales Of Capt.
Marryat and other popular writer's of sea
stories. We are all of US familiar with the
pictures of the old ships of the line and
frigates as represented by the Conetltu-
ton, with their towering masts and their
vast spread of snowy canvas. They were
picturesque to the last degree, end in the
work of keeping ZEN in first-class order
there was at all times abundance of skill
and plenty of hard work required of the
man-of-war's man. When the first ar
nlored battle ships made their appearance
they were provided with a full spread Of
SAIL and except for its greater length and
its single row of ports, there was little to
distinguish the side-armored ship of TWEEN
ty years ago from the wooden frig ltes Of
an earlier day.
With the increasing speed and the in
creased destructive power of the tighter
guns, naval constructors began to feel the
necessity Of reducing the amount of top
hamper carried by the ships, and in course
of time the three masts gave place to wo.
Even these were in time stripped of their
yards and running gear, until now the
only representative of the yards and
sticks of an earlier day is a couple of
straight steel towers, to which the name of
mast is stll given, perhaps by way of
courtesy. AS a consequence of these
changes, there has been deterioration in
the seamanship of the average Jack Tar
as compared with. his predecessor in the
days of the sailing frlgate and the three
decker.
1t is realized that in order to give our
officers the fullest possible training for
their duties, it will be of great advantage
to the navy to possess a training ship
which will be fully equipped with sail
power In his last annual report Capt.
p. Il. Cooper, superintendent of the naval
academy, says: "It Is entirely useless to
argue that sufficiently good seamen can
be made on board the steamers or auxiI-
larry steamers, for there is an education OF
the nerves and brain and the habit of
command which can only be inculcated in
the same school which has reared the
greatest naval commanders the world has
seen, and that school has been the sailing
ship. I cannot urge too strongly my
former recommendation that Congress be
urged to authorize the building of two
moderate sized composite sailing vessels,
which should be supplemented by two
small briggs for stationary work"
One Of these vessels is being constructed
for the use of The cadets at the United
States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Nd. The
ship was designed by Chief Constructor
Hichborn of the United States navy, and
she is a beautifully uiodeled ship, with
fine lines and considerable sheer both
forward and aft. She has a high free
board, and should render a good account
of herself in stormy weather. She viii
have a total sail spread of about 20000
square feet and with her easy lines she
will undoubtedly prove to be a speedy
craft The vessel is to be constructed of
steel, and the bottom will be sheathed
with yellow pine and copper. The captain
will have special accommodation in the
after part of the vessel and there Will be
accommodation for ten ward-room officers,
two warrant officers, $50 cadets, and a
crew of 80 men,
1t is proposed to make the lower masts
and lower yards of steel, the balance of
yellow pine or spruce. The proposed ar
rangement of battery consists Of six l.
inch rapid-fire guns on the gun deck, four
6-pounders and two 1-pouuders on
the epar deck. The boats carried will
be one 9O-foot steam cutter, one 3O-foot
launch, two 2S-foot cutters. one 2S-foot
whale boat one 28-fOot gig whale boat
and one 20-foot dingy. Two small boilers
are TO be supplied to furnish steam for
the steam windlass, steam pumps, heating
and for the dynamos, tho vessel being
wired for electric lighting; steam is also
to be furnished to the disulling appara-
tus and refrigeraung plant. General CT
meusions: Length on water line, rs feet:
breadth at water line, 81 feet; draugnt
forward 10 feet inches draught aft. n
feet inches; mean draught l6 feet
inches, and displacement about 1875
tons. The vessel is TO cost about $lil $50.
-s--D-s-t
CONGRESSMAN Epes Of Virginia has
been unseated by the RepublIcan major.