The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-09-26

16 The batteshp Ohio still in the Atlantic
feet but slated TO leave in the near future never
TO return
L. The commerce destroyer Columbia, so long
missing in the news OF the navy that genera
ton has grown up that knows her not, and she
was Of the flying squadron OF 1898.
1S The commerce destroyer Minneapolis, a
speed record breaking cruiser OF the late nineties,
a sister OF the Columbia and, like her, OF the
flying squadron of 1898.
10 The monitor Amphitrite.
90 The monitor Miantonomah.
| 21 The monitor Monadnock.
% The monitor Cheyenne. formerly the Wyo-
ming
23 The monitor Ozark formerly the Arkan-
"a The monitor Tonopah, formerly the Ne
25 The monitor Tallahassee. formerly the
Florida.
&c The minotor Puritan.
27 The monitor Terror.
2S. The monitor Monterey.
% The protected cruiser st. Louis.
30 The protected cruiser Charleston.
81 The protected cruiser Milwaukee.
80. The protected cruiser Newark.
33. The protected cruiser Chicago.
81. The protected cruiser Cincinnati
$5. The protected cruiser Raleigh, Coghlans
ship at Manila.
36. Twentyeight torpedo boats.
Twenty years ago this feet of sixty-three ships
would have been a match for any naval organiza-
tion then afoat with the exception of the fleet OF
Great Britain Today all the vessels in it could
not last half an hour in battle with the five
dreadnaughts that constitute the great first divi-
sion OF the United States Atlantic fleet
And this mighty fleet of naval has-beens' cost
the United States government more than sl29,-
000 600 and the oldest among them, not including
the old monitors, is not yet twenty-five years old.
The battleships in IL TO build and equip cost the
government $64 ,i35 925, and the cruisers, mon
itors and torpedo craft raise the total to the
Sl29000000
What will become OF these ships? Some are
now in reserve and there they will stay until
their end is decided upon. VIII that end be the
target range the auction block and the junk
pile, or will they be permitted TO rust away In
navy Yards nomnally units in reserve fleets
but in reality useless reminders OF a navy
that in its day was great but which. owing to
marvellous progress in naval construction, has
reached quickly but surely that state OF obsolete
ness from which there can be no comeback"
The Oregon and the Olympia will probably be
retained for generations TO come as glorious re-
minders 10 Americans OF future years OF the
navy that won immortality In the brief conflict
that wiped Spain of the map Of the western
world and which added to American territory
island empire in the far east and won for this
country for the first time full free recognition
by all the nations OF the world of the right TO be
numbered among those powers whose mission
and influence is world wide
In the lineup OF the has been" fleet 1t will be
noted that there is included the entire fourth
division OF the great feet that circumnavigated
the globe In 1907 and 1905 This division
made up ot the Alabama. the flagship OF Sperry
when he began the voyage a division COM
mauder: the Kentucky, the Kearsarge and the
Illinois. In that feet three OF the vessels OF the
third division are also listed among the
obsolete fighters. the ships in question being the
Ohio the Missouri and the Maine. all sister ships
and in their day held up 10 the world en-
bodying all that best in the construction and
equipment OF modern men-of-war OF the battle
ship class.
The Atlantic feet when Il sailed out OF Hamp
ton Roads in December 1907. made up OF
sixteen frst-class battleshps. and look at the
makeup OF the organization shows that In pc
rlod OF less than six years seven, or lacking one
Of exactly half OF those famous ships. have been
relegated into the reserve. the first stepping
stone that leads 60 funk pile and oblivion.