The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-01
REDUCTION OF The NAVY
Is NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE
NAVAL EXPERTS
TO THE PROGRAM
The Only Change Being in Decision
Favoring Larger Ships and
Greater Speed
Associated Press Special Wire.

ASoOCldlCu hCSS oPSS'4A ''AH~'
NEW YORK, Aug H.-A special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The Naval Board Of Experts. under the
specification of Secretary Long, have unan-
imously affirmed their action In recon-
mending a comprehensive program involv-
ing the speedy construction of 10 warships
| as outlined two weeks ago, and directed
the various bureaus of the Navy Depart
ment to proceed forthwith with the prep
aration of actual plans for the greatest
construction project ever undertaken in
single period by the United States. Ever
since the adoption of the program by the
board on August II the members have de-
voted themselves earnestly to the knowl-
edge gained In the war with Spain and
the necessity for vast sea power imposed
by the possession of distant islands and
Increased American commerce, and they
began upon the details yesterday without
modifying in any important particular the
classes of vessels which were determined
upon as essential for the navy hereafter.
The meeting yesterday demonstrated that
| The members were more thoroughly than
| ever convinced that the larger ships, with
| higher speed and much more coal endur-
ance than any now IN the American SER
vice, were absolutely indispensable. and
ought to be begun with as little delay as
possible.
| The general program as originally laid
down provides for fifteen vessels. six Of
fighting ships. six to be small protected
CT users and three midway between these
two extremes. Then three battleshps were
tc exceed 1900 tors displacement, with a
1 Ill A@aI
aboard, of 1sh knots: there were TO be three
frst-class armored cruisers of 1900 tons.
or one-third larger than the New York and
the Brooklyn, with 20 knots speed and a
coal endurance of at least ten thousand
knots; three semi-armored and protected
second-class cruisers Of highly improved
Olympia type, and six 16-knot protected
cruisers Of $500 tons, slightly superior to the
Detroit class, with the remarkable steam
ing radius Of $4,000 knots. The board fur
Their determined that all the ships should
be sheathed with oak and copper, to make
them comparatively Independent of dry
docks.
AS result of the meeting, practically
establishing this program as the adopted
policy Of the navy for the immediate fu-
ture. the work of designing the three bat
| tleships will begin at once, along the FOL-
! lowing lines:
The displacement is fixed at 1850 tons
upon a draught of 251k feet when the vessel
Is loaded to maximum, and at that draught
a minimum speed Of 1874 knots is to DO
guaranteed.
Coal-bunker space for between 1900 and
1000 tons Of fuel is 10 be provided. in order
that steaming radius Of 10000 knots at a
| ten-knot speed may be secured. The armor
Is to cover the entire vessel in the form
Of cuirass. 1t will be made after the
Krupp modification of harveyized processes
and is to be 70 inches thick amids hips, taper
ing to inches at the bow and stern. There
will be four 14-inch rifles of extra length
for smokeless powder. mounted in pairs In
two turrets, the latter being Of the elIiptical
balance type, with sloped fronts. TIE bat
tleships, as we'll as the other vessels will
be equipped with water tube boilers and
twin quadruple engines. As soon as the
pans for these battleships progress suf-
fciently the details for the big armored
cruisers will be taken up by the eonstruc-
ton officers.
1t Is peculiar coincidence that the plan ms
for these big battleships are begun stimuli
.aneously to almost day with the open
ing Of bids for three battleships upon which
contractors have been figuring for the last
three months. This competition will close
at once on September l. and It Is almost q
foregone conclusion that the Cramps, the
Scots and the Newport News Company
will each attempt 10 secure a vessel which
Is practically the duplicate Of similar battle
ships now being built by each of the Arms,
although the proposals are expected to de-
velop slight notifications which will give
! increased speed and endurance over the
Alabama, the Illinois and the Wisconsin.
| These vessels, which were authorized by
the last Congress, have given rise to con-
siderable controversy because they have
no radical improvements over their prede-
cessors and were admittedly inferior In
type to the heavy warshlps now building in
Great Britain, France, Germany and Rus
| sia.
Under the circumstances Of yesterdays
action OF the naval experts, these battle
ships will probably be abandoned alto
gether, unless the shipbuilders on Thursday
take advantage of Secretary Longs appeal
for higher speed than was at first contem-
plated and the 100000 provided for by
/
vessels may be saved to apply to the COM
p-ehensive naval program which conserva
tive estimates indicate will involve an out
lay approximating $4,000 coo.
| Armories at Work
READING, Pa, Aug. M.-Peace makes
no difference whatever In the busy opera
lions here on shells and projectiles for
the army and navy. During the past
month the Carpenter Steel Company made
one OF the largest Shipments of projectiles
in the history Of the establishment. 1t
consisted Of all sizes from 1 to 13-inch and
were consigned to various stations desig-
mated by the War Department. The ship
ments are said to have aggregated in val
ue more than 100000. The firms employed
are working day and night. the same as
they have been since the outbreak Of the
war between Spain and the United States.
A TOTAL WRECK