Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-19

midshipmen should include this instruction
in each years itinerary, but up to this
time the subject has not met with the "a
vor of the department. From time to time
parties Of midshipmen have come over
from Annapolis, and these were mostly the
men that were designated to become a
part Of the Engineer Corps, but never be-
fore has an entire class, including line
officers, included such an inspection In their
annual practice cruise of instruction.
In addition to the great benefit that will
be derived by the midshipmen from their
trip to the capital city. the presence of SO
many war craft of modern design in the
Potomac will prove of unusual interest to
the citizens of Washington and those
from the surrounding country who have
never seen one of Uncle Sans sea fight
ers except in photograph.
A Novel Sight.
Not in many years has there been a
squadron of warships in the neighborhood
of Washington, and 1t is believed by the
navy officials who directed the coming OF
the training squadron that such an exhibl-
ton will prove of much interest.
The Texas should prove of special inter-
est from historical standpoint, as that
ship took a prominent part in the battle OF
Santiago, under the command OF captain
Philip.
She is a second-class armored battle ship.
with two 12-inch turrets, and was built at
the Norfolk, Va, navy yard. She Is 3ol
feet long, with extreme breadth of u
feet 1 inch, and draws % feet of water
She is a twin screw, and carries Vertlcal
triple expansion engines.
She has a speed of 17.S knots and car
rles as her main battery two Pinch
breech-load ding rifles and two 6-inch breech-
loading rifles. twelve 6-pounders. SIX l.
Founders, two Colts. one field gun and two
Whitehead torpedo tubes. She carries
thirty officers and 39S men.
The Arkansas. Florida and Nevada are
single turret harbor defense monitors sis
ter ships, 252 feet in length, and breadth OF
so feet, with a mean draft of Il feet u
inches. They have twin screw, vertical
triple-expansion engines and speed OF
11h knots per hour.
Their main batteries are composed Of
two twelve-inch and four four-inch breecn-
loading rifles, and their secondary bat
teries of three siX-pounders, six one-pOund-
ers and two Colts, with armored sides, tur-
rets and barbettes. They were commits
s.oned in 1901.
Interest in the Destroyers.
In view of the great amount of de-
structive work being done by the Jap
anese torpedo boat destroyers in the far
eastern war special interest attaches to
the coming of the American torpedo boat
destroyers Hopkins, Hull, Lawrence Mac
donough, Truxtun, Whipple and Worden,
which, with the other boats that have
peeH otueieu mere, VIII make the largest
fleet OF American warships that has ever
assembled in the Potomac at one time.
These torpedo boat destroyers are of I'M
armored steel and practically of the
same build. They are 245 feet long, with
an extreme breadth of % feet, 72 inches,
with a mean draft of 6J2 feet. They have
twin screw vertical inverted triple expan-
sion engines and have a speed of twenty
nine knots an hour The batteries in each
are composed of two long 1S-Whitehead
torpedo tubes and two 3-inch and five
6-pounder rifles. All the joiner work is
fire PROCEED and each boat has a compile