The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-27
THE MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER q. 1892

the summer of 1898 il reached the maxi
mum figure of 2t,l23 men Since that
ime il has of course decreased cons der
3oly, but the incoming Congress- is expect
ed TO authorize a permanent naval strength
OF upward of 10000 men. Nor in passing.
should mention he omitted of the success
which he's attended the amalgamation of
he line aud staff An experiment. watch
a 10y students OF naval administration
everywhere. it's beneficial efects have
been discernible instantaneousN,
For the iu uro. bright hopes may be
based upon The most favorable of mdica-
tons. Cougressmen have been spending
the summer of 1899 in the study Of naval
science abroad. Places on the naval com
mlttee have been eagerly sought Already
new atmosphere of liberahty and utelh-
gence characterizes the consideration of
naval problems and affords ground for
hope tina. never again viii the march of
proSress he retarded by such a lack of
knowledge as made possible the late hasco
relative Co the limitation of armor prices.
New battleshns, armOrod and protected
cruisers are to Toe constructed. Each class
Is quite certain to mark step forward IN
the science of building vessels of war
Rear Admiral George W. Melville declares
to the Review that the uew battleships
should he of twenty knots speed. that they
should carry large batteries of rapid fire
guns; have ample coal bunker capacity
and be fitted with triple screws-radical
revolutionary measures, all but vital in
influence if successful.
Already the eyes of every naval officer
across the Atlantic arc upon us. Within
he past month two of our new battloships
have exceeded contract speed. The practi-
Cahiity of that most novel of ideas-the
suponnduced urrets of the Kearsa ge-wiu
soon be put to the test. We are preparing
10 Guido the British Ia the thoroughness
of our experiments with liquid fuel and
wireless telesraphy. Finally we are in
veshEatiug the possibilities of the subma-
r-ne boat and our conclusions will have
enhanced value because they will be char
acterized by neither the enthusiastic OPP
ttmism OF the French or the cynicism OF
the conservative Britons
For woll-rounded naval development ev-
cry essential must be adequate. Thus
there is no greater cause for congratula-
ton than over the manner in which the
ship yards of America have met the re-
quiremeuts imposed by new conditions.
The past few years have seen no less than
half dozen firms actively engaged upon
naval contracts. although their previous
experience had been entirely confined to
mercantile craft. Several of them, at the
initial attempt, constructed vessels which
exceeded contract speed.
Heretofore the Powers have charged us
with being deficient in the matter of di-
versity OF strength in our naval fleet This
is true no longer for with the completion
Of the vessels now on the stocks we will
have more than half hundred torpedo
poats and destroyers. Here, too, Amerl-
can builders have been daring, for who
will contend that it is not venturesome
10 guarantee speed in excess of so knots
on smaller displacement than has ever
before been attempted by any ship builder
the world Overland that. too. when the
contract is the first OF the torpedo boat
Kind for the firm undertaking il.
Even down TO the details the United
States Navy will be unique No other ma
ton has found so appropriate a form OF
designation for its fighting craft Our
states have given us names for two doc.
en- two score of our cities have name.
sakes in our navy, and finally no less
than thirty of our naval heroes have had
their names commemorated by war vessels.
1t is a novel navy and magnificent one.
and with its strength considered, il is the
most interesting on the waters of the
earth.