The times., 1898-06-09
PLANS FOR NEW MONITORS |
The Naval Construction Board
Decides Upon Their Features.
THEY WILL BE WELL ARMED
The New Defenders VIII Have One
Turret. Mounting Two Twelve
Inch Rifes-The Craft VIII Also
Carry Four Four-Inch Rapid
Firers Apiece.

Four formidable single turretted moni-s
tors armed with 12-inch guns will be.
added to the Navy for coast defense
twenty-seyen months hence.
The Naval Board on Construction has
practically completed the circular setting
forth the general characteristics of these
vessels. The most important decision ar
rived at by the board today was TO equip
each monitor with two s12-inch guns in
stead of 10-inch guns cas was proposed,
and by this action. members of the board
are confident that the vessels will be able
to resist the attack of an enemys battle
ship.
Besides the Pinch guns, 1t is proposed
TO give each monitor a secondary battery
of four finch rapid-tire guns and several
and 1-pounders, the latter being neces-
sary to repel torpedo boats or torpedo
boat destroyers. The Pinch gun turret
will be forward on the amidship line, and
the armor will be eleven inches in thick
ness. This thickness of armor will also
protect the sides.
On account OF the small limit of cost set
by Congress. it has been necessary to fix
the displacement of each vessel at 2 $50
tons. II sufficient money had been ap-
propriated to build vessels of $500 tons II
would nave been possible to equip each
one with four Finch guns mounted in
TWO turrets. and the fighting efficiency of
the craft would have been doubled
Twelve knots viii be the maximum
speed Tor the monitors it being held by
the board that greater speed Is unneces-
safy, as the vessels are especially intend
ea Tor harbor defense. This speed will
be obtained by means OF twin screws
driven by triple expansion engines. Each
vessel viii be provided with a coming
tower and will have accommodations for
l00 officers and men.
In anticipation of the intention nf Seq
retary Long to name at an early date
the three battleships authorized by Con-
Sress. number Of Congressional aelega
tfons and influential citizens have filed
applications in behalf of various States
whose names they desire shall be placed
on the Navy list. In accordance with the
expressed wish of Congress. one of the
battieships will be named the Maxine. in
commemoration of the one sunk in Ha-
vana harbor
Ohio. Pennsylvania and Missouri are
the States whose representatives are
specially active in presenting petitions
that their names be used Ohio's claim
is indorsed by Senator Hanna. The Pres
ident is also understood to be interested
in having a battleship named In honor
OF his State, and the probability is that
Ohio will be selected As to the third
r battleship, the probability is that Mis-
souri, will be Its name.
Commander ]. NJ Miller, formerly in
command of the collier Merrimac. has
been assigned TO the command of the col
lier Pompey, to succeed the late Lieut..
| Commander +. w. Sturdy. Commander
| Miller is now at Key West, where the
Pompey is lying. and it is possible that
ne may be ordered TO re-urn to Santiago
de Cuba with coal for the fleet
Within the next week naval officials
+ confidently predict that the monitor Mo-
nadnock will be en- route to Manila The
! officials understand that she will be dock
! ed at once at Mare Island and as soon
/ as her bottom is scraped and painted she
| viii be ready 10 start on her long voy-
age. She VIII be towed by the Nero. as
/ the collier Whitgift has been renamed
! while the Monterey will be towed by the
| Brutus.
Corner in Ships.
Patriotism, apparently cuts no figure
with owners Of steam vessels suitable for
use as transports. for the Government In
its efforts to obtain steamers of sufficient
size and number to carry troops to Cuba
and Porto Rico has been hampered at ev-
| cry turn and the embarkauon of the men
! has been delayed.
| Great as the difficulties were at the
start they have increased of late, and the
| point has now been reached when no more
! transports can be procured by charter.
! Whether this IS due to an understanding
| among ship owners, who wish to force the
| Government TO buy their steamers out
! right, or to other causes. cannot be def
| nitely determined.
Army officers do not hesitate TO say that
! a ring" exists, the purpose of which is
| TO compel the United States to purchase
! instead of chartering. Owners of steam
! ers contend that they cannot offer their
| boats for charter without a loss to their
| business which would more than cover the
! charter price.
When the demand for transports was
! hrst made the steamship companies doing
| business with Cuban ports and the West
| Indies, whose business naturally came to
| a standstill by the opening of hostiIities
! willingly gave their steamers on charter
! to the Government. The Ward line thus
! disposed of the Vigilancia, City of Wash.
! lngton, Santiago. Seneca, Saratoga and
| Seguranca, and the Plant line turned over
the Mascotte and Olivette. Both of these
| lines then suspended their ordinary bnsi.
Tor the Lampasas, Concho and Leoua the
| Clyde line for the Comanche and IroouoJs
| ana the Cromwell line for the Louisiana
All OF these steamers were sent to Tam.
pa and Key West for the projected land
attack upon Havana. When the plans
| were changed and it was decided to send
| troops for land attack upon Santiago
| de Cuba, and upon San Juan de Porte
Rico, more steamers were needed. AL.
| though the quartermaster's department
has raked the entire Atlantic and Gull
| coast and inspected all vessels that have
| been offered, only one additional trans.
| port has been recently obtained. She Is
the Catania, owned by r. NJ Sloman &
| Co., and is now being fitted up at this
port. -
Major Summerbayer, assistant depot
quartermaster, inspected several other
steamers yesterday, but found none OF
| them that was suitable. The Government
| wants several additional ships and none
are to be had by the ordinary method OF
| charter. The army is held, up in abou,
| the same manner that the navy was
when the steamers for auxiliary cruisers
| and colliers were wanted. Exorbitant
] prices were charged by boat owners and
| ali sorts of schemes to foist poor yes.
sells on the Government We're adopted. A
| similar experience followed on the Pa.
| cific Coast when the Government started
out to get transports for the troops go.
ing TO the Philippines.
There are plenty of good steamers in
| the Atlantic coastwise fleet which would
admirably serve the purpose of trans
porting troops to Cuba and Porto Rico
but few of these have been offered fol-
| charter. The Red d line, from whom
the Government purchased the Venezue-
la, now the auxiliary cruiser Panther
has several steamers tied up. The Nor.