The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-25

But read the answer for yours
one asks you, What could our o,
to give reply that will make
cause him to have no fear about
A little more than 100 years ago. the
Y United States frigate Constitution, then
one OF the finest fighting craft OF the
world held the seas with battery OF
g A-poundcrs on her main deck and
q smaller guns as her secondary armn-
nent. BY d;schnrging her entire ord
nance simultaneously. she could have
thrown 1.4o1 pounds OF cast iron N
To-day the New Hampshire type of bat
&tleship carries "a guns and could throw
1880 pounds OF chilled steel in one dis
charge OF her main battery alone. A
single broadside will send out 9. 600 pounds
more than a ton and n half OF metal
with an energy OF more than 10000 foot
tons. And the six battleships OF that
h class. which are building now are de-
signed to fire such broadsides as fast
as they can pelt them forth IN action.
In February. 1895, the United States had
y affoat In commissions:
. 4 first-clnss sea-going battleships.
second-class turret sea-going battle
ship
armored cruisers.
Il protected cruisers.
55 3 unprotected cruisers.
is g,inboats.
steel double-turret monitors.
dynamite cruiser.
Is ram.
6 torpedo boats.
s This fleet was augmented by the hur-
!. rled conversion OF purchased vessels.
mostly mercantile, when the Spanish
American War began. But the real navy
was as given.
Fit for Fight To-day.
To-day the United States navy afioa.
and 1T for immedia tie service is:
ii nrst.class sea-going coast-line battle
ships.
j second-class turret sca-going battle
ship
armored cruisers.
Is protected cruisers.
3 unprotected cruisers.
IL gunboats. .
composite gunboats. sgs
3 light-drau:,ht gunhoats. 4
q q gunboats under 800 tons.
steel double turret monitors.
dynamite cruiser.
] armored ram.
10 torpedo boat destroyers.
81 80 steel torpedo bonts.
b 8 submarine boats.
wooden torpedo boat.
16 GOLFERS
IA supply and hospital ships.
Besides these, there are 81 auxiliary
cruisers converted yachts. armed and
unarmed tugs. training ships and sail
ing vessels. bringing tho total of ships
i of all kinds to 265. "a
The Fleet in Being.
There are building now:
& IA first class sea-going coast-lne bat
tleshlps.
10 armored cruisers,
5Sprotected cruisers,
3 scout cruisers.
composite gunboats,
steel torpedo boats.
training ships.
! training brig,
golfers.
2,tugs.
In addition to all these will come two
mighty battleships OF the flrst-class. the
Michigan and the South Carolina. au-
thorlzed by the last Congress and re-
z CURED under the law to be Superior to
any now afloat." The PLAYS for these are
astill to be finally drawn 1t Is possible
that they will carry twelve and teu-inch
guns In their main battery, an arma-
ment hitherto unapproached
or tho II great new battleships. seven
are more than half finished. The other
Il four are from Ave to forty per cent. FIN
ished.
OF the armo,ed cruisers. all except two
are practically ready to use.
Fleet Qua drupled in Seven Years.
So this is how the real navy of the
United States, all Of which will be afioat
and ready for action within three years
< and most OF which will be finished within
less than two years, will compare with
the navy Of the spanish-American War.
navy has been more than quadrupled
within seven years.
Battleships Battleshlps Armored
LIST class End class Cruisers
4 1898 ..,......,. -
1903 ..,,.,,.... .
Protected Light Scout
n Cruisers Cruisers Cruisers
1895 8 None
q 1908 .......,..,. q 8 81
Torpedo Torpedo BITS
pestroyers Submarines
, 1888 ,,,,',., i y None 70 q S
& 1903 ,,...,.. Al ~ ~ ~
American Gun Power,
This navy will carry 1,4ls great guns J. in
.ts main batteries = east-ssteel rihe ndt
which would have been able to put the
biggest A-gun frigats OF the eighteenth
century out of action.
In the secondary batteries are so mary
smaller guns ranEng from more more e,na
f,ring balls little larger than rife ammuni-
( tiom fiat It would require a catalogue to