The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-01
STRONG NAVY NECESSARY
Fifteen New Warships Will Be
Speedily Constructed.
A PR0GRAMM OUTLINED
Board of Nava Experts Practically De-
termine Upon a Policy Work OF
Designing Three Battleships
Will Begin at Once.

New York, Aug. 31.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
naval board Of experts, under the speci-
fcation of Secretary Long. nave unani-
mously affirmed their action in recon-
mending a comprehensive programme
involving the speedy construction of is
warships. as outlined two weeks ago,
and directed the various bureaus of the
navy department to proceed with the
preparation of plans for the greatest
construction project ever undertaken in
a single period by the United States.
Ever since the adoption of the pro-
gramme. by the board on Aug. 10 the
members have devoted themselves earn
estly to the knowledge gained in the
war with Spain and the necessity for
vast sea power imposed by the posses
sion of distant islands n increased
American commerce. and they began
upon the details yesterday without mod
flying in any important particular the
classes of vessels which were deter
mined upon. as essential for the navy
hereafter. The meeting yesterday dem
onstrated that the members were more
thoroughly than ever convinced that
larger ships. with higher speed and
much greater coal endurance than any
INV III inc american service, were dDSO-
1utely indispensable and ought to be
begun with as little delay as possible.
The general programme, as originally
laid down, provides for is vessels, of
which six were to be heavily armored
line-of-battle fighting ships: six to be
small protected cruisers and three mid
way between these two extremes. The
three battleships were to exceed 10000
tons displacement, with a minimum
SDpp1 with all stores a nd coal aboard of
18h knots; there were to be three first
class armored cruisers of IL, 900 tons, or
o~ne-third larger than the New York and
Brooklyn. with % knots speed and a coal
endurance of at least 10, 1000 knots; three
semi-armored and protected second
class cruisers of a highly improved type.
and six 16-knot protected cruisers of
$500 tons, slightly superior to the De-
troit class, with the remarkable steam
ing radius of IL, 900 knots. The board
further determined that all ships
should be sheathed with oak and cop
per, TO make them comparatively indie
pendent Of dry docks.
As a result of the meeting. practically
establishing the programme as the
adopted policy of the navy for the i'm
mediate future. the work of designing
the three battleships will begin at once
along the following lines:
The displacement is fixod at IL. 500 tons
upon a draught of 25k feet when the
vessel is loaded to the maximum, and at
the draught a minimum speed of 1872
knots is to be guaranteed. Coal bunker
space for between 1900 and 1000 tons
of fuel is to be provided, in order hat
a steaming radius Of O,000 knots at a 10
knot speed may be secured. The armor
IS to cover the entire vessel in the form
of a cuirass. 1t will be made after the
modification of Harveyized process, and
is to be II inches thick amidships. taper
ing to five inches at the bow and stern.
There will be four 14-inch rifles of extra
length, for smokeles powder, mounted
in pairs in two %turrets, the latter being
of the elliptical balanced type, with
sloped fronts. h battIeships, as we'll
as the other vessels, Will be equipped
with water tube boilers and twin quad
ripple engines. As soon rs the plans for
these baCtlase'DS )rDgreEs sufficiently
the details for the big armored cruisers
will be taken up by the construction
officers.
1t is a peculiar coincidence that the
plans for these big battleships are be-
gun almost to a day with the opening
of bids for three battleships upon which
have been figuring for the
last three months. This competition will
close at noon on Sept. 1, and ii is almost
n foregone conclusion that the Cramps,
the Scots and the Newport News COM
Will each attempt to secure a YES
sci, which is practically the duplicate
of similar battleships now being built by
each of the firms. although the propos-
ais are expected to develop slight modi-
fications, which will give increased
speed and endurance over the Alabama,
the Illinois and the Wisconsin. These
ships, authorized by the last congress,