The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-27

will be shown in the speed and armame2
OF the vessels
The one defect that may be found win
the vessels that are about ready for ser
vice is their low rate OF speed. There are
war vessels building for foreign powers
that will show eighteen or more kaots,
whereas our new vessels can not exceed
sixteen knots. In the Maine and her sister
ships, however, this defect Will be OBJ
waited, and they. too, will be able to
steam at the rate OF eighteen knots. 10
accomplish this IL has been necessary 10
give them an increased length of twenty
feet in order to make room for the more
powerful machinery required.
The other innovation. which practically
doubles her value as a lighting ship, is
the introduction of smokeess powder and
other, improvements in rapid firing ord
nance. The Pinch guns that will be
used will be OF great length that will show
tho high velocity at the muzzle of 1000 feet
per second. the same velocity being called
for In the 6-inch rapid-iire guns The
mu22le energy of the l2-inch gun will be
$4,000 foot-tons, as against 25.9S5 fooi-
tons for the l2-inch guns of the Iowa, and
3S,b2f foot-tons for the lS-nch guns OF
the Alabama. The 6-inch guns viii have
about 5000 foot tons energy. as against
S20i foot-tons for the old slow fire 6-inch
represents an increase in energy OF nearly
100 per cent.
Another noticeable fact about this vast
work OF construction is its distribution, for
this illustrates the great change that had
recently occurred in the shipbuilding in-
dustry. AT the organization OF the new
navy the first four ships were built by
single firm, but at the present time no less
IMAM fourteen American concerns are
O. -.
Try OF these two are ON the Pacific and
the other twelve are scattered along the
coast OF the Atlantic from Maine to vir-
ginia
OF all our new vessels the sheathed
cruiser Albany is alone of foreign build
and this Is due to the fact that she was
purchased on the stocks from Brazil lust
prior to the breaking out of the war. At
that time 1t was guile necessary that wo
should have the Amazonas. TO prevent
SPAN IRON getting her, if for no other
reason Brazil, however, refused to sell
one snip without disposing of others at the
same time, and the navy Department
agreed to the terms. The Nictheroy was
made n part of the deal, and she became
me useful Buffalo, fully worth every dollar
oil the Sb'5,OOO that was paid for her. The
Amazonas, which had just been completed.
cost us sl,i29,2i5. but as the New Orleans
'he was OF great value. being the only
american warship provided with smoke
less powder for all batteries.
Her sister ship. the Almirante Abru,
now known as the Albany, was then moth
ing more than few ribs at Newcastle on
tyne, but we took the contract for her
construction out OF the hands of the Bra |
silian government, cheerfully paying the
10000 TO boot and there is no reason 10
believe that the craft, which was recently
launched. will ever make us regret our
'argain.
With these forty-eight vessels and the
iozen or so more that are soon to be con-
racted for the United States will have be- !
'ome power upon the seas instead Of
being relegated to the secondary position
nat she has occupied for SO long. With
We shall be close behind Russia in total