Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-10-25
LONGS ANNUAL REPORT.
Secretary Of he Navy viii Urge Abolition Of
Cost Limit io' Amor for BlrIeshps,
He wilI Not Recommend Any Consid-
cradle Increase of tho Navy ne
tails OF u Tentative scheme.

New hork. oct 25-A special TO the
Herald from Washington says. sccrc-
tary Long viii make a recommendation
for but a limited Increase Of the new
navy In hls forthcoming annual report.
II lH hlH Intention 20 especially devote
his pen 10 urging the abolition OF the
limit ~ cost now imposed upon nrmnr
purchased by the government and to
ask FOR sufficient appropriations Co on
able the department TO procure Krupp
nrmor Tor the battlcshlps ~ the Maine
class. and the projected battlcahlps and
urmurcd cruisers.
The three battlcshlps and three ar
mufrd cruisers authorized hy the last
Congress have not yet been laid down.
the law prohibiting the awarding OF
contracts Tor their hull ana machinery
la advance OF the contracts Tor urmor.
Yet the secretary believes that an In
crease, however small should be- made
durlnF the coming session.
n can be- stated that be- will certain
~ not recommend the authorization Of
morn than three protected cruisers of
the olympia class and h. may deter
mine TO recommend iu their place that
Congress authorize several small
shea he'd cruisers and Nunbnats cnpa-
~
pines.
Considerable progress has been made
by the naval board on construction In
the preparation OF tho circular Tor the
bnttlcnhlpn and nrmorcd cruisers for
which Secretary Long viii ask the au-
thorizatlon Of krupp armor. In reply
60 the boards recommendation that the
hnttelshlp kearrarEc be placed In COM
mission Ms soon nH possible nnd her
Hupcrimpuscd turretH given an cxhnus-
tive trial, Secretary Long has Informed
Rcar-Admirnl O'Noill. president Of the
board, that such trial win be- had linz
mrdintely after the vessel IN turned
OYER TO the government aud she ~
placed In commission.
Final decision will doubtless not be
taken by the board ON this point until
the trial ~ held. but II IL apparent that
the opinion OF four ~ the members ~
strongly In favor or this design of tur-
ret, the only opponent Co lts adoption
being ll"nr-Admlral Ilichborn. chief ma
val constructor.
The nrmorcd cruisers viii not be sup
piled with double turrcts. The table
given below N the tentative scheme 10
far worked out with battlcahlps;
Main battery, four i2-inch guns In
turrpta. four S-inch guns IN nuperim-
posed turrcts and four s-inch guns In
two turrcta. ono on each beam; ten
0-lnch rapid firing guns.
Displacement, deep loaded. 1900 tons;
drnught, under the same conditions. 20
feet inches. water tube boilers twin
crews coal displacement 5000 tons;
speed not less than ~ knots,
These are tho characteristics OF the
nrmored cruisers under discussion and
win In an probability be adopted;
Main battery four S-lnch guns IN pairs
IN turrets forward and at: twelve
G-lnch rapid fire guns IN classmates.
Displacement. deep londcd. 1900 tons;
draught. under the same condition. 20
feet 9 Inches; water tube boilers twin
crows coal displacement. 1900 tons.
not loss than % knots.
An the ships viii be shoathcd 90 that
the speed which they viii make cannot
be- regarded 90 fictitious as IN the case
OF the unahcnthod vessels ana thoy will
be unable TO repeat their trlul trip
record after having been In the water
several months.