The evening times., 1900-09-26


prepared under the direction OF i,dmiral
/ Hichborn and just placed in the circular
spaces above the windows and doors in
his office, represent the evolution of what
might be called national naval architec-
ture in this country from its beginning
to its latest development and includes a
| representative of each distinct type.
Beginning with the historic fleet of Co
| lumbus-the Santa Maria Nina and Pinta
| the first vessels. with the exception of
the semi mythical Morse boats, which
F, crossed the ocean and heated in our wa
! ters, it will be appreciated that while
they were great ships in their day, the
| largest of them was mere cookie shell
| compared with modern ships. The Santa
| Maria, the largest of the Columbus feet
was a vessel about 63 feet long and of
about 200 tens burden; the Nina was not
more than 10 feet in length and the Pinta
was still smaller vessel
| From the time of Columbus until the
| first naval vessel was built in this country
/ there is a gap of two centuries. This yes
/ sci was the Falkland. She was built in
Portsmouth in 1886. the first ship of the
line built in the United States and pre-
sented to the English Government by the
/ coIonists and added to the Navy March
! ., 1885. She was OF 637 tons burden and
| carried 81 guns and a crew of 22s men.
Another picture Of the series shows the
! historic Constitution built at Boston IN
| 1877 and stin in existence. she was one
! of the finest frigate5 aHoat in her time and
! is 175 feeE long, 40 feet wide. and when
ready for sea drew 20 feet of water, with
| . 200 tons displacement No American need
! be told her history. which is perhaps the
| cornerstone OF our naval glory.
From the days OF the Constitution there
was but little change in type until the adj,
! vent Of steam and the third picture repre-
| sents two types OF the earlier steam frii5
ates-the Powhatan and the Minnesota.
/ The former was a side-wheel vessel. built
at Philadelphia iE 1880 She was a vessel
Of 3qS0 tons displacement. carrying Il
guns and she continued in service until
/ 1881 when she was condemned and sold.
The Minnesota was OF q class of six power
/ full auxiliary steam fFigates which were
/ in their day the best war vessels in the
world To this class belonged the Roanoke
and Merrimac both cut down and convert
/ cd into ironclads at the beginning of the
civil war by the Federal and Confederate
authorities respectively: the Franklin. IN
which Admiral Farragut made his tour OF
! European ports after the close of the war:
/ the Colorado and the Wabash. All were
( good ships and performed splendid service.
! the Minnesota was built at the Washing
| ton Navy Yard in 1855 and is still atioat.
! having been turned over 10 tins Massachu-
| sctts Naval Militia She is 2S4 feet IL
inches long, 81 feet inches wide. and .
feet draft OF water. diSplaceS 400 tons.
! She carried originally q battery of 46 guns.
! Ter engines of Goa. horsepower. were con-
sidered only as auXuiaTy power, her sails
/ being mostly relied Cpen Tor propulsion
I The most radical departure from prece-
/ dent in the history OF warship construction
| came while the Minnesota and her clBss
! were still new. and one OF them. the
Franklin. unfinished and is represented in
one of the pictures which shows the origi-
/ nal Monitor accompanied by the latest de
/ veICpment OF the monitor type, the Arkan-
/ sas and class. The Monitor built by
John Ericsson in 1861, and although indi-
! Viiuaily she was the first crude develop
I ment OF an idea she revolutionized the ma
vies of the world. Her splendid service
| showed that the spars and sails must no
! longer be considered as part of a war yes
| sells means of propulsion, and that ships
must be protected by armor TO meet the
| improvements in ordnance While the
Monitor type has long since passed out of
favor as a sea fighter. there are certain
phases of national defence for which many
authorities consider its latest development
the Arkansas, the Connecticut. the Florida.
and the Wyoming. now building the best
| vessels that can be devised. In them the
! only radical departure from the original
consists in providing living aecommoda-
tions above water. Other differences are
those of detail
| Another picture shows the Katahdin and
! the Holland. The former is in a sense the
| outcome Of the idea given by the Confed-
crate ram Tennessee. Admiral Ammen,
who participated in the fight between that
| vessel and the Federal ships always there
| after held fixed belief that the ram was
the most formidable weapon of marine
warfare, and finally persuaded Congress to
authorize the construction of vessel after
his designs, and the Katahdin was COM
menced at the Bath Iron Works in July.
1891
Owing to the difficulty in procuring her
armor she was not completed until Feb
| ruary, 1895. She is PSI feet long 43 feet
! inches wide q feet deep, and at a 15-
! foot draft displaces 2,155 tons. Her tur-
| tle-back deck rises cnly six feet above the
| water and is armored all over with steel
plates ranging from six inches thick at
| the sides to two inches thick at the cen
! tre. Her armament comprises only four
! 6-pounder guns, and the coamings around
| these, the armored coming tower and the
| smokestack and yentilators are the only
| projections above the deck except the
| daVits and galloW frames for slowing the
| boats.
! The katahdin had no opportunity to
| display her qualities during the Spanish
| war. The other vessel is the submarine
boat Holland, lately purchased by the
| Government, Congress during the last
session having authorized the construc-
| tion of five similar boats. Accompanying
| these two is the steel tugboat UnadiIla, 4
! type of several which have been construe-
| ted in recent years for naval use. She
! was built at the Mare Island Navy Yard
| in 1895 and is 10 feet long, % feet wide
| and at 10 feet draft displaces 345 tons.
The final and up-to-date picture of the
series shows the frst-class battleship of
tie Pennsylvania class, the designs for
| which are being completed by the Bureau
of Construction and Repair. In the same
picture is shown the new Maine and the
torpedo boat destroyer Farragut. The
Pennsylvania class win be of 5000 tons
| displacement and have a, speed of 19 knots
per hour. The principal dimensions are:
| Length, load water line, 435 feet; BEAM
rs feet, and draft, 25,5 feet The Maine is
being constructed at Philadelphia. and is
has a displacement of 1900 tons. The
| Farragut was commissioned just about
year ago in California, having been built
at the Union Iron Works, San Francisco
| She is 213 feet inches long. 20 feet ga
inches vide and at 6 feet draft displaces
279 tons. Her speed on trial was 30.13
knots with $500 horsepower. She is
armed with two 1S-jpch Whitehead tor