New-York tribune., 1907-06-02

rfous and distinct types in themselves, and since
the earliest batteship now in active service was
authorized. in 1890, the type represented by tho
Indiana and Oregon, there have been many
changes, and the displacement has gone up
from 11,0OO to $4,000 tons, while the speed is
steadily advanced from Is knots to 20 knots or
thereabout
The first battleship had a bunker capacity OF
little more than 1900 tons. and now the
largest Of them carry 400 tons or more. There
has been as much development in the batteries
in place of the 13-inch guns which formed the
main battery of the earlier ships; there Is
nothing heavier now than the 12-inch gun while
the latest designs do away with the secondary
armament entirely and put entire dependence
upon the all big gun armament
With these differences existing in one class
of battleships of the navy it is easy to under
stand how there may be such a difference in
other ships and how it is that there could be so
many distinct classes or types of naval ships
In the 80 vessels which are fit for service or
under construction or authorized. OF that num-
Der twenty-six under construction and thir-
teen authorized. The list includes twelve
armored cruisers, such as represented by the
New York; one armOred ram, designed in 1889
and regarded as one of the failures OF the navy,
being unique as vessel; four single turret
IA<AI OOL Oc4GIlCe ana SIX double turret
Of the same type Then OF the cruisers named
for cities there are twenty-five Of the protected
and three OF the unprotected variety or the
former the Albany and the Raleigh are types,
and Of the latter the Detroit and the Marble
head are representatives. Then there are three
scout cruisers of special design now under con-
struction, two at Quincy. Mass. and the other
at Bath. Me, which will serve the purpose
Of high speed spies OF the sea. There are nine
gunboats like the Concord and the Bennington
Of which the navy does not seem t. be repro
ducing many, although one has been authorized
There are also eight composite gunboats such
as the Marietta, which is doing admirable ser
vice in Central American waters. There are
four so-called training ships. two of which arc
Of recent construction. designed with an idea
Of giving instruction in seamanshp. There are
two the Dolphin and the Vcsuyius. which can
not be classed, the Dolphin being a runabout
OF the ocean and sort Of dispatch vessel and
the VesuyIus. starting in nearly twenty years
ago as 4 dynamite cruiser and ending up re-
Gently a torpedo instruction ship There arc
fifteen gunboats Of 800 tons Displacement in
tended FOR river work and the penetration Of
those waters which not navisablc Sv YES
sells Of larger displacement There are nineteen
torpedo boat destroyers intended to prey upon
such vessels as are represented by our thirty
five steel torpedo boats. Then there is stin
in service the single wooden torpedo boat, the
Stiletto.
The navy possesses twelve submarine torpedo
boats. four Of them nearing completion They
stand as the newest instruments of naval war
fare. I'D introduce in the strategy Of that SER
vic: - element which must be considered There
are seven antiquated cruising vessels built or
| rebuilt in the 70's. all Of them in service Tho
United States navy possesses forty three tugs
most used in and about navy yards, some of
them Of the oceans going variety and two OF
them in course OF construction. Another
distinctive type is the auxiliary cruiser OF which
there five. bought in 1898 from the coast
wise merchant lines and now used for training
sailors. Then there twenty three yachts con-
verted into gunboats, Of which the Mayfower,
used by the President his ship, is an ex-
ample. There sixteen colliers in the service
and two under construction. Most of the Golfers
were purchased at the time of the war with
Spain and have been retained in the service
ever since. These colliers have 4 merchant crew
and usually in charge of a civilian captain,
although in case Of some of the colliers a regu-
lar naval officer is detailed to command. This
ci,.lian crew is distinct from the enlisted force,