Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-14
FOR NAVY
Plans Maturing For Large
Number of Them.
POWERFUL CRUISERS
And Light Draught Gunb0ats Are
What the Department Is Looking
For-Will be the Best of Their
Class in the World.

New York, Nov. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says: The
project for further naval increases which
congress will be asked to authorize at
the next session for immediate %construc-
ton involves Is warships, three of them
armored cruisers of the improved Brook
Ign type, but double the size and formid-
ableness of that vessel, three improved
Olympias, one third larger and proper
tionately more powerful than the fine
flagship that led the way into Manila
bay, and II boats of a type recommended
by Adrniral Dewey as essential for the
effective patrol of the Philippine archi-
pelago. h latter class must be able
to go out to Manila under their own
steam, must draw less water than any
gunboat now in the navy, must vancouver
ably in %tortuous channels and above all.
must have sufficient protection to resist
capture if stranded. Such vessels are
intended to replace the smaller gunboats.
which, in several Instances. nave proved
unable to take care of themselves when
attacked in force, although frequently
demonstrating their ability in the pre-
vention of illicit traffic between the ISL
ands. carried on by small native craft.
This is the programme now under con-
slderation by the navy board of construc-
ton Which was decided by Secretary
Long several weeks ago to study the
needs or the navy and to submit recon-
mendat1ons for required additions to the
fleet. At the meeting of the board today
the members We're disposed to divide the
%gunboats equally into two classes, one of
! 200 tons. about the displacement of the
Yhnn1i ,r q Nd iLne a. 4.J o.
or 500 tons. which will make them smaller
than any Of the steel vessels in the regu-
lar navy, although larger thar the Giou-
cester and other converted yacht gun
boats. For both these classes of gum
boats maximum draughts Of eight feet is
regarded as imperative, which is nearly
four feet less than that Of the Helena and
the Wilmington, which We're designed
particularly for river service and which
up to this time are the lightest draught
vessels IN the service.
The proposed improved Olympias rep
resent a type hat was recommended to
congress last year. but which was crowd
ed out by the authorization of three bat
tleships. three large armored cruisers and
six cruisers of z, 500 tons. The new crl,is-
efs are to be of 5000 tons each and are to
have the bow turret and battery arrange
ment, which has proved SO admirable an
arrangement in the Olympia, the extra
1000 tons being devoted to increased coal
carrying capacity and engine space and
radius of action and heavier guns.
The board has shown some hesitancy
about recommending further increase of
arinored vessels at the present time, as
six higher powered and larger armored
vessels than have yet been built for the
navy We're authorized by the last con-
gross and have not yet been designed and
because 20 1000 tors of armor are required
for vessels already used, an amount
which can scarcely be delivered in less
than four years after it's manufacture
begins. The necessity of more first class
arnbored cruisers is, however. fully rec
o2nized and the board today favored
three of about 5000 tons disbursement
of a type involving no marked depar-
lures from the Brooklyn in arrangement.
though of double that vessels power and
mas and defensive qualities. At least
one OF the mber favored more
formidable vessels, combining the salient
T. ttGres of the best cruisers and battle
sflins abroad, which is described as the
Horrible, Damnable' class and
this will have further consideration to-
morrow. Every mi of the board
was emphatic for sleathing and copper
ing all these vessels to render them COM
pafatively independent of drydocks.