The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-12-03
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR OUR NAVY

naNys lot Lne HrSJ Time IN our MS
tory, is bound to attract more atten-
tion than that of any other cabinet
officer. Every nation that has a
navy of any Importance is eager to
learn what the United States intends
to do in the way of naval construc-
tion, and the American people them
selves are thinking far more about
the navy than any other department
of the government.
The people Will be interested In
the authoritative and official story
of the great naval engagements of
the war and in the administrative re-
forms recommended by Secretary
Long; but in Europe the main inter
est will be in the recommendation
to increase the navy. Recognizing
as inevitable the expansion of our
sovereign rights over Porto Rico,
Cuba and the Philippines, Secretary
Long recommends the construction
of three irst-cIass, heavily armored,
sea-going bat:leshlps. three armored
cruisers of the largest class, three
others of the class of the Olympia,
admiral Dewey's fagship), and six
of lighter draft than the Raleigh and
the Boston. Each of the battleships
oro fO ba Shao+bod op6 oopnoro6 10
have trial displacement of 12,500
tons, to be fully armored and to car
ry the most powerful ordnance. The
estimated cost, not including a.mor
and armament, IS $3,60O,0OO each.
Our largest battleshlp in commission,
the Iowa, has displacement of H.
$40 tons. England's largest battle
ships, of the Majestic type, have a
displacement of 14,9OO tons each.
The largest hattleships of France
have displacement of 12,205 tons
each; Germany, 11,130 tons each
of Russia, 12,540 tons each. The
new battleships recommended. by the
secretary of the navy will be larger
than any others afloat, except the
largest battleship of England.
The three large cruisers will have
a trial displacement of 10000 tons
each and will be expected to devel-
Ope the highest practical speed and
the greatest radius of action. The
estimated cost, exclusive of arm or
and armament, is $4,000.O0O each.
The Brooklyn, the largest of our ar
mOred cruisers in commission, has
displacement of 9,215 tons; the New
York displacement of 5000 tons.
The three large cruisers recommended
by the secretary of the navy will be
larger than the new cruisers ordered
by Great Britain. The largest ar
mored cruiser of Spain, the Dupuy
de LONE, has displacement of 6,
800 tons. Russia's largest armored
cruiser has a displacement of 1872
tons.
The three sheathed and coppered
protected cruisers are to have trial
dIsplace ment of 5000 tons each. The
estimated cost exclusive of armor
and armament, is $2,l5O,O0O each.
The six sheathed and coppered
protected cruisers of lighter draught
are to have trial displacement of
$500 tons, with an estimated cost
exclusive of armor and armament, of
$1,141,0 900 each. The fifteen vessels
y commended by the secretary call
Cor an expenditure of $36,lOO, 900. |
These fifteen vessels are in addi,
tion to the three battleships, Maine,
Missouri, and Ohio, the four moni-
tors, and the twenty torpedoboat de-
stroyers ordered by the last congress.
We have Fin course of construction
the battleships Kearsarge, Kentucky,
Illinois, Alabama and Wisconsin.
All OF these are heavier than the
Iowa, each having displacement of
sINho