The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-01

New York, Aug. 31.--A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
naval board of experts, under the speci-
: ficat1on OF Secretary Long, have unani-
mously affirmed their action in recon-
mending a comprehensive programme
involving the speedy construction of 10
warships as outlined two weeks ago. and
directed the various bureaus of the navy
department to p coed forthwith with the
preparation for actual plans for the
greatest construction project ever under
taken in a single period by the U--
States Ever since the adoption OF the
programme by the board. on aug. 10. the
members have devoted themselves earn
estly 70 the knowledge gained IN the war
with Spain and the necessity for vast sea
power imposed by the possession OF as
tant islands and increased American COM
merce and they began upon the oeldtiS
Yesterday without modifying in any I'M
portant particular the classes OF vessels
which were determined upon as essential
for the navy hereafter The meeting yes
terday den1onstra ted that the members
were more thoroughly than ever con-
WINGED that larger ships, with higher
speed, and much greater coal endurance
than any now in the American service
were absolutely Indispensable, and ought
TO be begun with as little delay as pos
sible.
FIFTEEN WAR VESSELS.
The general programme as originally
laid down provides for 10 vessels, OF winch
six We're to be heavily-armored line OF
battle fighting ships. six to be small pro-
tected cruisers and three midway be-
tween these two extremes. The three Dat
tleships were to exceed 1900 tons dis
placement. with a minimum speed, with
all stores and coal aboard, of 1S12 knots;
there were to be three first-class armored
cruisers of l., 600 tons, or One-third larger
than the New York and Brooklyn, with
% knots speed and a coal endurance of a
least 10000 knots; three semi-armored and
protected second-claSs cruisers of a high
ly improved Olympia type, and six l6-
knot protected cruisers of 2.509 tons,
slightly superior to the Detroit class, with
the remarkable Steaming radius of 13.000
knots. The board further determined that
all ships should be sheathed with oak and
copper. to make them comparatively in
dependent of dry docks.
WILL BEGIN AT ONCE.
AS a result of the meeting practically
establishing this programme as the
adopted policy of the navy for the imme-
date future. the work OF designing the
three battleships will begin at once along
the following lines: The displacement is
liked at 1880 tons upon a draught Of 251a
feet when the vessel is loaded to maxi
mum, and at that draught minimum
speed of 1S12 knots is to be guaranteed.
Coal-bunker space for between 1,S00 and
200 tons of fuel is 10 be provided, in order
that 4 Steamlng radius Of 10000 knots at
a 10-knot speed may be secured. The ar
NOR is TO cover the entire vessel in the
form of a cuirass. 1t wiz be made after
the modification of Harveyized process.
and is to be L inches thick amidships.
tapering to five inches at the bow and
stern. There will be four 14-inch rifles of
extra length, for smOkeleSs pOWde,
mounted in pairs in two turrets, the latter
being of the eiliptical balanced type with
sloped fronts. The battleships, as well as
the other vessels, will be equipped with
water-tube boilers and twin quadTuple
engines. As soon as, the plans Tor these
battleShips progress sufficiently the de-
tails for the big armored cruisers viii be