The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-10-18
POWERFUL NAVY
Fifty-Five War Vessels Now Under
Contract for the Government.
Twenty OF the Vessels Are in Various Stages
of Readiness and the Shipbuilders Are
Hurriedly Gathering Material for
Construction OF the Others.

WASHINGTON, Oct lathe remark
able rapidity with which the naval
power of the United States is being
increased at the present time may be
realized when it is stated that 55 war
vessels are now under contract for
the government and that their aggre-
gate tonnage far exceeds that of the
vessels building at any one time in the
civil war This vast construction
programme, which has excited
more attention abroad than at
home has been authorized grad
ually by congress until the
vessels soon to be completed will place
the United States third in rank among
the sea powers. In addition to the
enormous fleet. including auxiliaries,
actually in commission at the present
time, 20 vessels are in various stages
of readiness and the shipbuilders are
hurriedly gathering the material for
So others. OF the 55 vessels, eight are
frst-class, heavily armored sea-going
battle ships, So are torpedo boats, four
are monitors and one is powerful
cruiser
Chief Constructor Hichborn has COM
pleted tabulated statement showing
the degree of completion of the 20
vessels now nearly ready for commits
sion or rapidly approaching that con-
dition, from which it appears that II
of these vessels have already bee n
launched and that the others will be
afoat before the end of this year. OF
the five battle ships, the Kearsarge,
the Kentucky and the Illinois, build
ing at Newport News, Va, are re-
spectively IS, &c and So per cent. COM
plete.
The Alabama, at the Cramp yard,
Philadelphia, has advanced to 63 per
cent, and the Wisconsin, which is to
be launched at the Union iron works,
San Francisco, is exactly half finished.
Of the ten torpedo boats the 26-knot
Rowan (No. 81, at Seattle, is rated at
SO per cent. and will have her trial tri .
before the end of this week. The
SOknot Farragut (No. ~, the first
of the destroyers to be finished by
the government, has already been tried
by the SCOTS at San Francisco, and
although readily making her guaran-
teed speed, has had the misfortune to
sustain minor injuries, which may be
easily remedied. The Dahlgren NO 81
and the T. A. NJ. Craven (No 1O), 80.
knot boats, building at Bath,
Me-, are listed 90 and 81 per
cent complete, but will not be
deliverable to the government
before spring. The two 22H knot
boats. the Davis (No 12) and
the Fox no 13) at Portland, Ore. are
practically ready for trial and the
Davis may have her speed run next
week. The Mackenzie (No. ~ has
just been completed by Hillman & Co.,
of Philadelphia, and her trial has been
| ordered for the first of next week.
| This little vessel is almost year be-
| hind contract. The statutes of the re-
naming three 30-knot destroyers is as
| follows:
The Stringham (No. 19) at Whining
ton, Del, 4S per cent; the Goldsboro
(No. 2O) at Portland, Ore, % per cent.
and the Bailey (No. 21) at the works OF
the Gas Engipe and Power Co., OF
New York, 81 per cent. The sub
marine torpedo boat Plunger also is
within Is per cent. of completion, and
will probably be put into service next
month. Two 10 knot tugboats, which
are now being built at navy yards
have made rapid progress in the
last month, the Penacock at New
York being rated at IS per cent.
and the Pawtucket at Mare
island at 60 per cent The sailing shir
Chesapeake, building at the Bath Iron
works, for use as training vessel al
the naval academy, is so per cent
ready. She has the distinction of be-
ing the first sheathed vessel designed
for the American navy and the first
sailing vessel laid down for naval pur
poses in over 20 years The last ship
under construction, except those
whose keels have not been laid, is
the cruiser Albany, building at Arm
strongs, Elswick, England. She was
only 40 per cent. completed when pur
chased together with the cruiser New
Orleans from the Brazilian govern
ment just before war with Spain was
declared, and work was only begun or
her two weeks ago. The contractors
have all material ready and have
promised to deliver her within siz
months.
| St. Louis in Gala Attire.
ST. LOUIS, Oct 14.-In anticipation
of President McKinley's visit to ST
! Louis FRIDAY the CITY is AGAIN puttino