New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-03
GREAT NAVAL INCREASE.
THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD ADOPTS A
BIG PROGRAMME FOR 1901.
BUILDING OF. THIRTY-TWO MORE VESSELS
PROPOsED-FIVE OF THEM FoRMID-
ABLE FIGHTING SHIPS
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TR,RuxE.I


thirtytwo vessels of 111,GOO tons displacement
| or more than double that laid down In any pre-
| cedins year. The list which Congress is to be
asked to authorize is follows
Three $4,000 ton battleships. two $4,000 ton
aa6Gmored cruisers six 1000 ton gunboats, SIX
oOo ton gunboats, ten 200 ton gunboats. three
1300o ton Golfers. 900 repair ship, one
''oOo ton marine transport
II VIII be observed that the Board of Con-
struction has decided to omit the torpedo boats
poth surface and submarine recommended by
the Policy Board, of which Admiral Dewey is
chairman, but the programme in all other par
ucuiars conforms closely to the initial project
under discussion week ago. and described in
The Tribune last Saturday
The programme divides itself naturally into
three parts according to the uses for which the
Navy is to-day regarded most in need of
augmented strength, the of building general
utlilty ships of large size and devoid of protec-
ton intended solely for round the world crus-
ing to display the flag having passed far as
the United States is concerned, that class of
which the Baltimore and the Chicago are types
being already looked upon as sufficiently
| merous The programme makers have, there
tore, confined their project to ships for offence
Tor police and for novel auxiliary purposes re-
quired by the conditions imposed upon the
Navy by the increasing Importance OF American
interests in the Far East
BATTLESH1PS AND CRUISERS.
The five fighting ships proposed are more for
midable than any of the same category yet de-
signed. With the seventeen now building or
authorized and with the six battleships and
! TWO armored cruisers already in commission
they Will give offensive force of thirty
ships The eight now in active service-the
kearsarge, the Kentucky the Indiana the
Iowa. the Massachusetts,, the Oregon, the New
York and the Brooklyn-average 10000 tons;
| the six building-the Alabama the Maine the
| Illinois. the Missouri. the Ohio and the Wis
oonsin--average 10000 tons; those just de-
signed and to be contracted for next month
the Pennsylvania the New-Jersey the Georgia
the Virginia, the Rhode Island, the West
Virginia. the Nebraska the California the
Maryland. the Colorado and the South Dakota
average 1900 tons. while the 1901 designs will
form a new $4,000 ton class. The object of the
aaa1tional LOCO tons is fuel, in order to gain
radius of action and to adapt these powerful
vessels especially to cover the great distances
which separate safe harbors drydocks and coal
ing stations in the Pacific Ocean
GUNBOATs FOR POLICE DUTY.
The second group of twenty-five vessels is in
tehoed Tor police duty, principally III the Phftp-
pines. although adaptable for service in China
Ihese vessels are to be sheathed in order to
render them practically independent of dry
DOCKS. They are to have every provision to en-
| able them to remain for long periods at a dis
tance from base of supplies Their light
orausht VIII enable them to visit places situated
Oh shaiioW water and their armament is tc be
rapid fire for large guns and automatic for
smaller calbres. Their quarters for officers and
crew will be fitted to insure all attainabIe com
fort and health during long stays In tropical
climates, and speed will be sacrificed for more
essential qualities Six of them will be slightly
larger than the Pennington the Concord and III
Yorktown, or about double the displacement of
the Annapolis Princeton class. These will be
able to cross the Pacif" under their steam.
Six more are TO have about the displacement Of
the old side wheel cruiser Michigan. for many
years so useful on the Great Lakes. and slightly
larger than the converted yachts Peoria, Hist
Eagle and Hornet, wh.un performed such effec-
tive service in the Cuban blockade.
The ten 200-ton gunboats will be the smallest
war vessels. except torpedo boats, ever built for
the United States Navy, but they the size
recommended ny all officers of experience in
the Philippines essential to preserving order
among the small islands CT the archipelago. to
penetrate the interior districts of the larger
islands by means of the rivers, and to put
end to smuggling.
The crews of all the gunboats will be pro-
teoted against small arm fire by light defective
pleting and shields and provision will be made
to secure safety for their machinery by similar
protection.
The American Navy alone OF modern first
class navies. already prototypes of the
specialized auxiliaries of the third group, but
they have been improvised from converted mer-
not all that could be desired They have proved
Indispensable, however. and the experience
gained from using them two years has demon
strated the necessity for building special ships
of their character.
THE AUXILIARY VESSELS
The three GOLFERS are designed to deliver on a
single voyage from Norfolk ten thousand tons
of coal at Manila Guam, Pago-Pago or Hawaii,
carrying at the same time two thousand tons OF
distilled water and fuel for their own propul-
sion on the outgoing and returning voyages.
This is twice much any of the colliers now
owned by the Government can do, and the new
ships to reduce materially the time re-
quired for such voyages. They also to have
sufficient speed to enable them to accompany a
fleet of batteships on long cruise. They are
to b, equipped with automati loading and
loading appliances 70 secure greater economy Of
time. and If necessary more of them can
be quickly converted into cable laying ship for
use in the Pacific Ocean.
The repair vessel is to be twice the size Of the
machine shop ship Vulcan. which proved of
the most valuable auXiliaries in the with
Spain. The Vulcan is to be kept in the Phil
ippines, and Is virtually to be cruising navy
yard
The proposed marine transport is to be like the
Solace. but half again as large and armed with
light guns. She is needed by the Marine Corps,
which now has six thousand men. dependent on
the Solace Army ships for transportation
The new vessel is TO have accommodations FOR
two battalions and to have high speed for the
purpose of hurrying force quickly to any scene
of disturbance in the East. her headquarters
being at Manila.
Naval officers expect little opposition to the
adoption of this programme at the next session
needed they say if American interests in the
Pacific Ocean are not to be abandoned.
ANGERED THE VATICAN