The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-15

transports will be less difficult to make,
| but even here we might emulate Eng
land. which has at Deptford an estab-
| lshment solely devoted to this work.
| Here are kept, for example. the sea out
fits, tanks stalls. pads, sings, troughs,
a dozen or more special items for TO-
Io0e horses. and so syst matized IS every
thing that an expedition can be speed
/ ed out of England after a two days no
tice.
OUR AUXILIARY FLEET.
| OF course all the auxiliary ships belong
TO the unarmored class-that is, vessels
without metal side protection or gun
protection, save by shields. With US the
unarmored effective fleet consists OF
/ forty-nine vessels. varying in size from
the Minneapolis of 400 tons displace-
ment. to the Pinta of 500 tons. IN
doubleday in q weeks time forty-five of
these ships could be put into condition
fer waging active war, for already forty
of them are now in commission, DONG
such service as fall to a peaceful navy.
| But these forty or fifty cruisers no mat
ter how efficient, are inadequate to the
demands that would be made upon them
or upon ships OF their class in a time OF
active hostilities and the only way TO
provide for such exigencies is TO enroll
as part OF the regular naval force such
vessels OF the mercantile navy as can
be made to serve nearly the same pur-
poses.
! Mindful of the danger of the present
threatening situation the Navy Denart-
nlent has for some time been preparing
for the moment when mobilization ar
riyes. Under the orders some fifty or
more of the stanchest. fastest steam
ships in our merchant service nave
been inspected by naval officers to de-
termine ID the alterations needed TO
! convert them into desirable cruisers OF
war % the number of guns to be
mounted in both main and secondary
batteries, CD where these pieces are to
be installed, and a. what consequent
structuraI changes viii be necessary.
In most of the vessels it has been
decided that little more work need be
done beyond removing some of the up
per deck cabins and emplacing the
armament. This could be readily COM
pleted within week were the guns
and the gun mounts at hand. Luck
lessly, not more than half the guns
needed are now ready, nor anything
like enough carriages even to mount
breech- loading rapid-fire guns fall
short recourse can be had to some of
the old-time smooth bores, which still
will give good account of them
selves.
| A list has already appeared IN the
! Herald" giving the names of thirty
nine merchant steamers belonging to
the American Pacific Mail Columbia,
Red D, and New York and Cuba Mail
Steamship Companies, held under
agreement by their owners with the
Government to be transferred to the
Navy Department when called upon to
serve as cruisers. This number is by
no means enough to answer every de-
mand. At least a hundred of such
steamers could be utilized many of
them for cruisers some for transports,
some for provision and coal ships. some
for machinery or repair vessels, and a
few for floating hospitals. The ques-
ton now arises, Where are these extra
American ships to be found?
OUR MERCHANT FLEET.
The merchant fleet of the United
States includes 1873 steamers, each of
100 tons gross and upward, and of a
grand total tonnage of 1.105, 423. Not
| every one of these 1873 steamers is
either suitable or available for CONVEX
sion into a war vessel. There is. first
of all a demand for seaworthiness-
ability to keep the sea and fight; sec
ond. size and speed are the desiderata.
Generally speaking, the larger the ship
the faster the speed and the better
sea keeping qualities will she possess.
Bearing in mind these cardinal requl-
sites for the improvised men-of-war to
be furnished our Government by our
steamship corporations. let us see what
material may be found among our s;i3
steamers First as to size, we find
that our steamers of 5000 tons and
over number 6; 1000 TO 5000 tons. 2l;
3.000 to 1900 tons, 50; 1000 to 5000
tons. 1873. and /, 600 to 1890 tons, 1ol-
total, 419.
This is a first-rate showing. though
it is not really indicative of the essen
tials demanded for several of the ships
Z of 600 tons and upward included in
the above list are paddle-wheel river
steamers, some others are unseaworthy
/ from age and some are unavailable
by reason of popularity of construc-
ton. Especially would these objec-
tions be found TO exist We're an attempt
made to convert them into cruisers.
AVAILABLE MERCHANT STEAM
ERS.
Manifestly no unarmored merchant
ship. unless she have first-rate speed
as we'll as good battery of guns,
should go forth to convoy or to pro-
tect commerce, or to fight against COM
merce. Only armored ships can afford
to be slow for they are not supposed
/ to run away in order to live to light
| another day Theirs is to do and die
! whenever and wherever they may meet
! the enemy On the other hand, the
| cruiser's-especially the auxiliary cruis-
| ers-duty is quite the reverse of this.
Her fight should be a running fight. She
should stand up against a weaker foe
and turn tail and run from stronger
| one She should never court disaster;
instead should she strike quarry that
| turned on her. she should swiftly seek
other game.
/ A careful overhauling of the data OBJ
tainable of our mercantile marine FOR
/ the purpose of ascertaining the speed
as well as the size of our American sea-
| going steamers shows the following:
Of 20 knots speed, over 10000 tons,
there are steamships: IS knots, 5000
tons. |: 16 knots, 200 to $500 tons,
.. Is knots. > 400 to 1900 tons, II; 14.5
knots. .. 800 to $3.50 tons, D; IA knots,
$500 to 5000 tons. 10; 1873 knots, 1900
to 9. 400 tons. o: 13 knots, 1000 to $500
tons 16: 12.5 knots, 1000 to 5000 tons.
8. and u knots, LOGO to 1900 tons, 10
total, so.
| Here then in these eighty steamers