Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-08
NOTES OF SHIPPING.
TIE MS OF INTEREST TO MARINERS
GATHERED FROM ALL SOURCES.
FIans Have Been Changed. Harder I'm
provements. Site for New Ship
yard. A Record Years

At meeting of the naval bureau
chiefs in Washington on Wednesday it
was decided to give the six new unpro-
. tected cruisers of the Denver class pro
tective decks extending throughout the
vitals OF the. ships and Of at least two
inches in thickness. This deck will run
102 feet fore and aft and extend we'll
above and below the water line, so that
on any roll i shot with q punging eff
1ect would strike the protection before
cutting through into the vessel The
effect of the protective deck will be to
practically convert the ships into what
is known as protected rather than un-
protected cruisers, and at least render
them fairly safe from serious injury
through projcStiles from small calibre
craft.
The objection to protective decks were
that they would necessitate changing
the coal and machinery arrangements,
but it was shown that this would not
be necessary under the present plan.
which permits of the deck without af-
fecting the displacement of the ship or
calling for a revision of designs From
vessels which were intended originally
to be Of the Detroit class. the new
cruisers have now advanced until they
are to be superior to the Raleigh and
cincinnati in all respects except speed
With the shea uhed bottoms and consa-
uuent freedom from marine growth and
oarnaclcs, it is expected the new vessels
will at all times be able to maintain the
highest speed for which they are de-
signed
While bids for the vessels will not b,
opened until the late autumn the num-
Der OF shlpyardS asking for plans AMI
SIecHlcatlonS indicates that the compe-
tit'oh VIII DC close. 1T is the desire Of
the authorities that, as far as practical
BE, the smaller yards shall receive thi,;
Grass of work in order that the three
reading concerns which have heretofore
built the batteships, may be able to
complete without delay the three ar
morcd cruisers and three 'battleships
that arc to be awarded when the ar1no,
question is settled.
Inc board of bureau chiefs decided to
put IN Hrst-class condition the torpedo
'poat Somcrs. which was bought in Ger
many during the war With Spain and is
now at the New York navy yard. The
board also decided to sell the old single
turreted monitor Ajax, which is one Of
the relics of the civil war
Both governmental and private en-
terprlse in Canada seems to be active
IN the highest degree in planning for
improvements that are intended to Sc
cure to shipping interests of the do
minlon Il considerable share of the grain
trade and other traffic between the
great lakes and the Atlantic seaboard
Applications are being filed at Ottawa
almost daily for grants and subsidies
for works of national development.
The most extensive improvements arc
contemplated al Montreal, where it ia
estimated that $4,000 600 can be eSpend
eu aoEantaGeously in new harbor works
ana terminal facilities, without allow
ance for dry dock which, if construct
Cd Will cost sl,c00,o00 additional. Mon
treats harbor commissioners visited
Newport News recently
At Quebec railway. bridge and harbor
improvements to cost S4,OOOOOO have
been projected and the government has
becn asked for an appropriation Of ST.
o"oooO. The Port Colbornc and Port
Dalhousle grant Of $780, 900 will proba-
pls DC found insufficient to deepen and
improve harbors to the extent desired
or {. SHORTCUT railroad as a connect
ing line between Cillingwood and tn
fohto Tor lake traffic developing at both
OF these points the estimate is 81, 600 0Oo
Toronto harbor improvements arc fo
ured at s1,o0o,00o, While Hamilton har-
Dor asks for 100000 and Collingwood
harbor for S25O,000. For improvements
Oh the channel of the ST. Lawrence be-
low Montreal estimates are before the
government to the extent of $500 OON
and this does not include lighthouses
fog signals, etc.
Moreover, there are other projects
booked for early attention. and from, all
Of which q will be seen that the Cana
dian authorities are likely to have their
hands full for some time to come in
trying to satisfy different sections of
the country Their determination TO do
as much as possible seems to have been
strengthened by the action Of the las.
ohlted States Congress in appropriatinr
o. authorizing the expenditure Of 81
199,ooO on Lake Erie harbor improves
ments alone
Henry g. Morse, president of the New
1ork shlpbuilding Co., states that the
coi'tpany has completed a contract for
the purchase of more than 100 acres al
the lower end of Camden. ~
for the construction OF it's nro-
posed plant. The statement an
nounces that there will be a wates
frontage of $500 feet and a depth of 80
1eet at low tide along the entire front.
and that over 1000 tons Of steel hav.s
been purchased for the construction of
the buildings.
ihe total output of American shin
wards for the fiscal year just ended has
been the largest of any year for the last
quarter of a century, except 1891 ,vhca
l.SS4 vessels of 363,s02 gross tons we're