The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-16
OUR NEW NAVY.
What the United States Might Do in
aHaval Fight.
A Formidable array or Sea Fighters.
The Building of Moro Ships
Will Proceed.
Will Proceed.

lG is almost impossible to estimate
the strength Of the new navy of the
United States now compared with
whab 1t was only few years back, and
while Admiral Togo's sweeping vic.
tory Is fresh in the mind of the people
OF the world, 1t is interesting to see
what would probably be the result of
naval fight by this country today.
The advocates of q new and strong
navy will indeed be glad to run over
the list and see the number and
strength OF f1rst.clasS battleships, ar.
mored cruisers, torpedo boats, torpedo
boat destroy ers, ETC., on the active
list in active commission, and ready
at moments notice to do battle with
the great powers of the world. Allo
our naval force Is divided into three
fleets at this time-tne North Allan
tic fleet, under Admiral Robley, D
Evans, the Pacific and the Asiatic
fleet. The North Atlantic feet be-
ing possibly the strongest of the three.
contains more first-class battleships
and armored cruisers than the other
two, yet neither OF the other two are
considered weak by any means, con
tanning many of the smaller and
swifter sea.going craft of the navy.
Admiral Evans fle 1T consists OF the
following compliment: Flag ship Kear-
sarge, twenty two guns; Alabama and
Illinois, eighteen guns each; Ken
tucky, twenty two guns; Maine
twenty guns; Massachusetts, sixteen
guns; Missouri, twenty guns; Iowa
eighteen guns; gun boat Scorpion,
eight guns; cruiser Brooklyn, twenty
guns; Des Moines, ten guns; protected
cruiser Cleveland, ten guns; Olympia, :,
fourteen guns; Texas, second. class
oattleship, eight guns; monitors Flor
Ida, Arkansas and Nevada, six guns
each; protected cruiser Newark; gun
boats Bancroft and Castino; convert
ed cruiser Dixie; protected cruisers
ChattanOt ga and Detroit; gun boat
Newport; protected cruisers Tacoma
DesMoines, Galveston, Aberanda, col
lfer Caesar; coal supply ship Colga;
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colora.
do and Maryland, all armOred crus.
ers; Minneapolis and Columbia pro.
tected cruisers; cruiser Hartford; con-
verted cruiser Prairie; gun boat To
peka; converted cruiser Yankee; tor
pedo boat dcStro. els, twelve; two sub
marines; eighteen torpedo boats in
reserve: one submarine in reserve
This strength represents the North
| Atlantic fleet alone, now under com
mand Of Admiral Evans.
There are now in commission, and
ready for service at any moment when
the department may call for them,
the following ships: Three ships OF
the class of the Alabama, IL, 525 tons,
18 guns main gun battery; three OF
the Oregon class, 1929 tons, 16
guns, main gun battery; one of the
class OF the Iowa, 11,34o tons, Is
guns main battery; two of the Kear
sarge class, II, 525 tons, % guns main
battery; three Of the class Of the
Maine, 1850 tons, 20 guns; one sec
ond class battleship, Texas, $3.50
tons, eight guns, main battery; ar
mored cruisers; Brooklyn, 9,215 tons,
20 guns main battery; New York
$500 tons, 1S guns main battery; two
of the West Virginia class, l3, $3.50
tons, l8 guns main battery; two OF
the Pennsylvania, 1870 tons, Is
guns main battery. There are also
two monitors OF the class of the Mo-
nadnnck; 4 500 tons. six guns; one OF
the Puritan, 5000 tons, ten guns;
three Of the Amphitrlte, 900 tons,
eight guns; four Of the florida class,
3,2l4 tons, six guns. Besides these
there are four torpedo boat destroyers
OF the Decatur class besides numerous
other destroyers and torpedo boats.
There are now under construction,
forty three ships OF which twelve are
firstcl battle ships, ten are armor-
ed cruisers, three protected cruisers,
the othors being gun boats, colliers
and torpedo boats. With this formid.
able array OF sea tiIhtcrs 1t can be
seen that the United States at the
present time is pretty we'll able to
take care OF itself, should occasion
arise for her to show her progress on
the high seas Of the world. Besides
this 1T Is not improbable that since
we have made SO much progress along
this line during recent years that
now nothing will step this country
from standing second to no country in
the world in naval equipment.
An Obliging Editor.
In course Of the conference held in
Washington last year by the Amerl
naWcnopar con,o o~o