The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-08-19
Continued from First Page)
DID WE GET
THE PHILIPPINES

lng vessels Of NJ least s1O Knots radious
or capable Of steamlng huight away
! from Ban FTnnclsco 10 Manila ana Samoa.
Tho board decided that the Pannc.
rather than The Atlantic. would be the
seat for the naval operations IN the ~.
/ ture and while great sacrifice 70 speed
could be made 10 the vessels attached 20
the outer line of national defence on the
cast coast VI tho United States. abnormal
coal capacity and high economy were
prime requisites ~ long az distant pos.
sessions 10 the westward required pro-
lection All the vessels. however Will
be- as speedy az the fastest vessels now
building abroad and they will be eminent
lv more practicable In endurance
strength and formidnbllity
The main battery Of each Of the bat.
tlcshlps will be- composed Of four l2.lnch
rifles In turrciH on the center line fore
and aft. similar TO those Of the Iowa and
the secondary batteries will mount Il ana
10 rapid nro HlK-lnch guns In addition
10 these there viii be usually large aux
lliary batteries " assorted powder sizes;
both quick fire and semi-automatic.
The i3-inch guns Of earlier battleshlDs
have been put aside IN new designs on
account 0f their great weight and be-
cause II wllbo necessary 10 increase ma
tcrially The length VI the i2-inch callbre
to meet the requirements Of the smoke
less powder exclusively TO BE- used here
after In the navy.
The first cruisers will be covered with
heavy nrmor from bow 20 stern and will
be armed with finch guns ln tlrrets
ana ten 10 twelve G-lnch rifles In broad
side. They are 10 De superior In every
way 10 any ships nnoat In the world to-
day.
The second-class cruisers. as al first
proposed. were 90 be Of 500 tons each.
but the board aducd 100 tons 10 them,
to be utilized wholly in coal carrying ca
paclty They Will have two s-inch guns
ana ten 10 twelve 5-lnch rapid fires. The
details of the six smaller vessels are not
ye, determined upon. as all the energies
N the board were first directed 10 the
heavier vessels.
All the ships will be sheathed They
viii all have quadrupie expansion engines
and water tube boilers and with the ex-
ception Of the smaller craft they will be
equipped with under water torpedo tubes.
The smaller cruisers will have a steaming
rSdlus Of 1900 knots AT q ten knot rate.
The second.class will nearly approach
this radius. The trst-class cruisers will
be able 10 20 1000 knots and maximum
Of 500 tons Is fixed for the batIlesnips
The board also took under adyisement
the construction offtwo troop ships. each
capable OF Transporting a regiment Of
l2O men with officers. arms aEnmuni-
tinon. equipment and supplies. II Is
proposed. II congress turns over TO the
rayy the responsibility OF transporting
troops according to the established usage
In England and other foreign military
powerh Of great experience. that modern
armored vessels constructed solely for
the purpose OF speed and comfortably
carrying military forces shall De prompt
ly built, II Is argued that such vessels
will be indispensable. not only In the Pa
cIhc for changing the garrisons at Ha-
wall and Manila occasionally. but also for
Porto Rico and Cuba.