The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-03
Our Available Navy.

The withdrawal of ships from the reserve
and the hurrying forward Of those under
repair have now put in readiness for any
call by far the most powerful modern navy
ever under the American flag.
To begin with, there are in North At.
lantic and Gulf waters alone eleven armor-
clads. The battleship Iowa, of II ,41O tons,
with IA inches of armor on her sides and
Is on her ~turrets, and mounting four 12-
inch. eight s-inch, and six 4.inch
with % smaller pieces, heads the list in
size. Next come the still more power.
full battleships Indiana and the Massachu.
sets, Of 1O.2sS tons, 1S-inch armor
IN the sides and 17-inch on the bar.
bettes, carrying four 13-inch, eight g.
inch. and four 6.inch guns, with 80 sec.
ondary pieces. Then We have the Texas,
6,315 tons. with 12-inch armor on sides
and ~turrets, carrying two 12-inch and six
6.inch guns and "a smaller pieces.
Our armored cruisers are the BROOKLYN of
1921 tons and a speed of 21.9 knots, with
5l2-inch turret and 3-inch side armor, car
rying eight s-inch, twelve 5.inch, and
twenty smaller guns; and the New York
Of 5000 tons, 81 knots, 5l2.inch turrct,
"fe oAo ohhioi Ill ihB VI O-lHCn,
twelve 4-inch. and sixteen smaller guns.
The monitors are the Puritan Of 5000
tons, with 14-inch armor, carrying four 12-
inch, six 4-inch, and twelve smaller guns;
the Amphitrite, the Terror, and the Milan
tonomoh, Of 5000 tons each, carrying
11l2-inch barbette or turret armor and an
average of Finch sid armor, with four
1O.inch and eight secondary guns, the Am
phitrite carrying In addition two 4-inch
guns. Finally. we have the ram Katah-
din, of 2,155 tons, carrying four 6.pound.
ers, but relying on her formidable under
water beak as her aggressive weapon.
The total Is three battleships of the first
class and one of the second class, four mont
tors. two armored cruisers, and u 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, Marblehead, and
Montgomery, of 2,Os9 tons, the two former
carrying nine guns and the Montgomery
ten. The Lancaster, $3.50 tons, is wooden,
but has q good modern battery. The gun
boats, including training ships, are the
Wilmington, 1902 tons and eight guns;
the Nashville, 1871 tons and eight guns;
the Annapolis, Vicksburg, and Newport,
1000 tons and six guns; their sister ship,
the Princeton, which Is to be launched this
month; the Castine, LIT tons and eight
guns; the pneumatic gunboat Vesuvius
and the despatch boats Dolphin, 1885
tons. n Fern. The Machias, a sister
of the Cnstine, In on the way from
Funchal to Norfolk. Work is hurrying
on the Chicago, $500 tons, and the At
lanta, 5000. The torpedo fleet is already
noticeable, including the Cushing, Ericsson, |
Porter, Dupont, Foote, Rodgers. Winslow,
Talbot, Gwin, Mackenzie, Mckee, and
Stiletto. In this list are some not yet in
commission, but none the less certainly to
be counted upon, while several others are
not far from completion.
The foregoing are ships now in North
Atlantic and Gulf waters. But we should
have the use of the Pacific, the Asiatic, and
the European squadrons, either for rein
forcing our main fleet or for attacking |
Spanish colonies or elsewhere. |
1t would be possible, for example, for our
Asiatic fleet, alone or reinforced by the
Pacific fleet, to destroy or drive off the Span
ish squadron at the Philippines and attack
those Islands.
The Pacific squadron includes three from.
clads. Of which the Oregon. . sister Of the