The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-03-23

An InterestiCS Article on The Condition
OF Tho Ships of tbs Uniece States Navy
and Where They Arc a. Present
For reasons, which scaEcely require
detailed statement, many Of our peo-
pie are much interested in the subject
Of the present condition snd position
OF the United States navy, and not
few persons among us who are much
given to discussing the question 0: It's
fighting capacity wculd bs pleased,
we arc sure, TO be able to discuss il
with information, as well as with 81
thority. We are indebtsd TO the New
York Sun fora complete roster Of the
svailable warriors Of the deep, large
and small, with as complete Gsscrip'
ton Of eSch as can conveniently be
given IN the circumstances OF s gen
eral review.
To begin with there are IN North
Atlantic and Gulf waters alone eleven
armor clsds. They are as follows:
The bsttleship Iowa, OF II, 40 tons,
with Il inches of srnor on her SIDES
and Is on her turrets, four 12-inch,
eight S.inch, and six finch guns, with
IS smaller pieces" TIE battleshIps
Indiana and Massachusetts,, OF 70, ,2SS
tons, IS incn arnor on TIE sides ana
17-inch on the bsrbeites, carrying 1our
13,inch, eight S-i1ch, and four inch
guns, with 80 secondary pieces. The
Texas, s, ,315 tons, with Pinch arnor
over all. carrying two 12-i0ch and SIX
6-inch guns, and q smaller pieces.
The armored CRUISERS" sre the Brook,
~, of 9,271 tons, and speed Of q. 9
knots, with 81 inch turret and 3 inch
side armor, carrying S S-inch, twelve
5-inch and twenty smaller guns; and
the New York, OF s, 300 tons, q knots,
55.inch turret, and inch side arnor,
carrying six s inch, twelve 4.inch and
sixteen smaller guns. The monitors
are the Puritsn of $3.50 tons, with IA
inch armor, carrying four 12-lncn,
six finch and twelve smaller guns;
the Amphitrite, the Terror and the
Miantonomab, Of 8, $50 tons each, car
rying liz incn barbette or JurreE ar-
NOR and an average of finch side ar
NOR, with four 10:inch and eight sec
ondary guns. the Anphitrite carryl ing
in addition two inch guns. Besides
these there is the experimental ram
Katahdin, OF 2.155 tons, carrying only
four Founders, for the entertainment
of tarpedo boats, and relying on her
formidable underwater ''beak" as her
aggressive weapon. The total rec
battleships of the first class, on OF the
second class, four monitors, two ar
mered cruisers and ram.
The unarmored vessels IN Atlantic
waters include the Columbia and the
Minneapolis, of 1875 tons, with nine
main ''battery guns" the Cincinnati,
3,213 tons, with eleven such guns; the
Detroit, Marblehesd and Montgomery,
of 2,0S9 tons, and nine or ter guns
each. The Lancaster, $3.50 tons, L
wooden, but has ''a good modern Dat
terry" The gunboass, including traln.
ing ships, are the Wilmington, I, ,39z
tons and eight guns; the Nashville,
1871 tons and eight guns; the Anna
polls, Vicksburg and Newport, 1000
tons and SIX guns; their sister snip
the Princeton, which is to be launch
ed this month; the Castine and Mach
las, LIZ tons and eight guns each
the pneumatic dynamite boat Vesuv1
us, and the dispatch boats, Dolphin
1.AS6 tons, and Fern. Work is hurry
ing on the Chicago, $500 tons, anc
the Atlanta 5000. The torpedo heei
includes the Gushing. Ericsson, Por
ter, Dupont, Foo:e, Rodgers, Win
slow, Talbot, Gwin, Mackenzie, Nc
Kee and Stiletto. I'm this list ars
some not yet in commission, but none
the less certainly to be counted on
while several others are not lar from
completion"
The Pacific squadron includes three
ronclads, of which the Oregon, a sis
Ter of the Indiana, is first class bat
tleship, while the monitor Monterey
4,0S4 tons, carries Is inch armor auc
two pinch, two 10-inch and twelv>
smaller guns, and tbs Monadncck IS
sister Of the formidable Amphltrite
The unarmored ships now IL coumis
sion include the Baltimore, Of 4. II;
tons, and four s inch and six 6.inct
main battery guns, and the gun boat'
Bennington. /, ,710 tons, and six 6incE
guns, and the Wheeling and the Ma
rietta, 1000 tons and six inch guns
There are also useful old-time ships
like the Adams, Aler. and Mohican
and there are more modern ones un
der repair.
On the aAsiat;c Station" there ar
the fsg ship Olympia, 5,S70 tons, ant
four S-inch, ten 5-i1ch, and q small
er guns; the Raleigh, q sister ship o
the Cincinnati; the Boston, OF 3, ,OO(
tons and two s-inch, six 6-inch ant
70 smaller guns; the Concord, a slste
ship of the Bennington, and the Pet
rel, little. gunboat Of S92 tons an
four inch and seven smaller guns
besides the old Monocacy.
On the European Station are tn
San Francisco, 4,09S tons and twel7
6-inch guns; the Helena, 3 sister
the Wilmington, and the Bancroft
976 tons and four 4-inch guns. Som
familiar names will be missed trcr
the foregoing list, but their owner
have not been overlooked. The list
of vessels now available. There ar
to be added to it as avails5le IN tn
very near future the cruisers Charles
ton, $3.50 tons and eight main batter
guns, the Newark. 4,09S tons an
twelve guns; the Philadelphia. ! 81
tons and twelve guns and the York
town, 1,710 tons and six 6-lnch gun:
There are also several old style crui
sing vessels, like the Essex and I'll
Alliance, while some powerful nav
tugs could be made useful" The tw
great battleships Kearsarge and Ken
tucky are not counted, because, Whl
they Will be launched this month,
long time will be required for the,
completion.
Such, says the Sun in conclusion
IS ''our availaDle naval force, whic
each day increases by hurrylng for