The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-30
Vessels Which Will Safeguard
Uncle Sans Interests In
Asiatic Waters.

Ut IS now nearly 40 years since the
Americans taught the Europeans a
lesson they have taken to heart and
showed them how useless and anti
quated were their navies. That single
fight between the Monitor and the Mer-
rimac revolutionized naval warfare and
gave birth to a brood of vulcans which
may at any time turn upon the putative
parent, Uncle Sam, and rend him.
However, the United States has held
it's own pretty well, except in the mat
ter of swift torpedo boats and destroy
ers, and when the fleet recently ordered
to Chinese waters shall have assembled
we will have no cause to hide our
heads. For reasons of state, the pres
ident has decided that, while withdraw
ing the major portion of our land forces
from Picking and Tien-tsin, he will aug
ment the number of warships to be
gathered within hailing distance of
China's coast. Admiral Remey had al
ready a gallant fleet, since the repairs
to the Oregon have been made, but aft
er the arrival of those ships that have
been ordered to the Asiatic station he
will have a squadron of which no COM
mander need feel ashamed
In the armored class there will be the
first class battieships Oregon and Ken
lucky, the armored cruiser Brooklyn
and the monitors Monadnock and Mon
terey. In the protected cruiser class
are the Newark-hagship of the senior
squadron commander, Admiral Kempf
and the New Orleans. OF small cruis-
ers there will be the Concord, Benning-
ton, Manila, Castine, Yorktown, Nash
vile and Yosemite.
There will be % gunboats, the hotilla
consisting of the Callao, Don John of
Austria, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon,
Annapolis, Marietta, MOnocacy, Vicks-
burg, Princeton, Petrol, Gardoqui.
General Alvala, Basco, Dorothea, Ma
nileno, Leyte, Nashan, Nindoro. Pam
paga, Panay, Paragua, Quires, Samar,
Wilmington and VillalolOOs.
Besides these there will be seven sup
ply ships and as many GOLFERS, bringing
the grand total up to SO vessels of all
kinds, with at least Is of that number
real sea fighters, able to hold their own
in almost any kind of tussle that may
be precipitated. Nearly every name
cited is a tribute to American prowess
in some field of peaceful or warlike
achievement. The majority Of names
applied to the gunboats attest a Span
ish nationality and recall the heroic
deeds of 1898 in Manila bay, while no
one needs to be told what interest at
taches to the Brooklyn, the Oregon, the
Monadnock and Monterey. Each has
performed its service in defense of this
>
The giant of them all, the Kentucky,
which has been ordered to join the fleet
with dispatch, is considered the finest
battleship in our navy at present COM
pleted, the superior of any foreign war
ship now in Chinese waters, and prob
ably the peer of any that will pe sent.
She was launched at Newport News in
March, 1898, and at her trial, in Novem-
ber 1899, showed a speed of IL knots
over the official course between Boston
and Cape Ann.
She and the Kearsarge, a sister ship,
were built on a plan which provided
them with superimposed turrets. This
even now may be considered expert
mental, as neither has been in action.
Should any occasion arise by which
the Kentucky might test the efficiency
of her novel double deck turrets, the
experts will be greatly relieved as the
disposition of her batteries and her
general armament have caused no end
of discussion. While, however, there is
a difference of opinion as to the special
features mentioned. there is no doubt
as to her capabilities when opposed to
any vessel afioat, for her armor is al
most impregnable, and her batteries
are exceedingly powerful.
Next to the Kentucky ranks the Ore
gon, which has been styled the queen
of American battleships' and which won
the love OF the entire country when she |
made her unprecedented run of 1900
miles, from California to the West In
dies, in order to be in at the death on
the coast of Cuba. 1t is quite u1neces-
sary to detail her gallant achievements
at Santiago, when she helped chase the |
fleeing warships of Cervera's fleet to
shore and destroy them with her shells. |
There seemed to the American people |
then a special Providence in the unpar- |
alleled voyage of the Oregon, arriving |
as she did just in time to take part in |
the destruction of the Spanish war
ships. AS Secretary of the Navy Long |