The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-28
UUR NAVAL STRENGTH.
Twice as Many Vessels in the Navy
as at Any Other Period Sinca the
Civil War.

Washington Letter. New York Sun.
Some interesting facts are given in
the new Naval Register, which is now
nearly ready for distribution, con-
cerning the present strength of the
service anOat as we'll as the extent Of
the building programme being carried
out. The list of vessels shows that the
navy contains twice as many as at
any other period since the civil war,
which closed with 623 on the rolls.
| There are not 80 many now, including
all classes, as there were then, but
for fighting efficiency the fleets are un-
questionably superior to what they
ever were before in the history Of this
country. The building list shows also
| that never before have so many ships
been under construction at once; but
| this is to be accounted for by the lib
erality Of Congress last summer in au-
thOriZing so large a number of destroy
ers and torpedo boats.
The new Register changes the Classi-
| fiCation Of some vessels. 1t shows that
! at present there are more golfers and
steamers on special service than there
We're vessels of all types in the navy
| ten years ago. OF the first-rate there
! are eleven ships including four first
| class battleships, one seCoud-class bat
| tleship, the Texas; two armOred cruis-
| crs, the Brooklyn and New York; two
protected cruisers, the flyers Columbia
| and Minneapolis, the dOuble-turret
monitor Puritan, which is ranked or
| fighting ability with the Texas, and
| the flagship Olympia, with Admiral
| Dewey's command, which brings up
| the tail end of tirst-rate vessels OF the
| second-rate there are eighteen, to
! which has been added in the last year
| the Chicago, the largest and most for
midable of her class. Next to the Chi
| cago are the Baltimore and Philadel-
| phia, and then come in order Of eff
| cheney, according to the Register, the
double-turret monitor Monterey, known
| as BLACK Betsy" the protected cruis-
| ers Newark, san Francisco, and
| Charleston, all above 1000 tons dis
| placement except the last; the double
! turret monitors Miantonomoh, Am
| phitrite MonadnoCk, and Terror,
! the protected cruisers New Or
! leans and Albany, both ac-
| qulred for the war, and the Lancaster,
Cincinnati, Raleigh, Atlanta and Bos-
| ton. the Lancaster being the only
wooden vessel in the list and one of
| the remnants of the old navy. The
/ thrd-rate vessels show an increase
| over last year, there being now forty
two, including two old monitors, which
| come under this classification. YES
! sells Of the Detroit and Marblchead
/ type are Of the third rate. The old
| Hartford Farragut's flagship ct Mobile.
heads the list with 100 tons more dis.
| placement than the Mayhower, bought
during the war period. Third-rate YES
sells include all between 2,7OO tons and
| l 900 tons displacement. OF the fourth
rate there are only six, with the dyna-
mite-hurler Vesuvius at the head, the
| Petrol next and the old Pinta at the
bottom. All vessels of this rate are
new ships except two. Rated behind
these vessels are thirty-seven torpedo
boats, the majority of which are near
| ly completed, and next are twelve navy
yard tugs, six old sailing ships. includ-
ing the Constellation and jamestown,
six receiving ships and fifteen vessels
classed as unserviceable three -fourths
of which have been assigned to state
militia organizations for practice
drills.
The pending building program pre-
sents the largest array of vessels un-
| ucI ColSllhSNloil hipNH SINCE tnC new
navy was undertaken. There are eight
hrst-class battleships under construc-
tion, all more powerful than those now
| in service; one submarine torpedo boat,
| four monitors, sixteen dcstroyers. a
sailing ship and a gunboat besides a
number of tugs.
Forty-hye cruisers and yachts, all
of which practically We're purchased
for the war and are retained for SER
vice, are shown TO be also e. part of
the navy. These include such vessels
as the Buffalo, Yankee, Badger,
Gloucester, Eagle, Hist, Panther and
Hornet. The number Of colliers and
stsamsrs for snecial service is greater