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cr MARINE REVIEW. £5 EIGHTEEN NEW SHIPS OF WAR. THREE BIG ARMORED ORUISERS, THREE OLYMPIAS AND TWELVE GUNBOATS IS THE LATEST NAVAL PROGRAMME--GENERAL REDUCTION OF WORK IN THE NAVY YARDS--ASSISTANT SECRETARY ALLEN'S REPORT--OTHER MATTERS, Ty 7 1 € WasHINGTON Burnau, Marine Review, 1345 Pennsytvania AVENUE, WasHineton, D. C., NovempBer 15, 1899. The project for further naval increase which congress will be asked to authorize at the next session, for immediate construction, involves eighteen warships, three of them armored cruisers of the Brooklyn type but double the size and formidableness; three Olympias, one-third larger and propor- tionately more powerful; and twelve gunboats of a type recommended by Admiral Dewey as essential for the effective patrol of the Philippine archipelago. This is the program now under consideration by the naval board of 'construction, which was directed by Secretary Long several weeks ago to study the needs of the navy and to submit recommendations for required additions to the fleet.. At the meeting of the board held this week the members were disposed to divide the twelve gunboats equally into. two classes, one of 1,000 tons (about the displacement of the Wheel- ing and the Marietta) and the other of 800 tons, which will make them smaller than any of the steel vessels in the navy, although larger than the Gloucester and other converted yachts. For both these classes of gun- boats maximum draft of 8 feet is regarded as imperative, which is nearly 4 feet less than that of the Helena and the Wilmington, vessels designed particularly for river service, and which up to this time are the lightest draught ships in the service. The proposed improved Olympias represent a type that was recom- mended to congress last year, but which was crowded out by the author- ization of three battleships, three large armored cruisers and six cruisers of 2,500 tons. The new cruisers are to be 8,000 tons each and are to have the bow turret and battery arrangement which has proved so advan. tageous in the Olympia, the extra 2,000 tons being devoted to increased coal carrying capacity and engine space, radius of action and heavier guns. The board has shown some hesitancy about recommending a further increase of armored vessels at the present time, as six higher powered and larger armored vessels than have yet been built for the navy were author- ized by the last congress and have not yet been designed; and because 20,000 tons of armor are required for vessels already authorized, an amount which can scarcely be delivered in less than four years after its manufac- ture begins. The necessity of more first-class armored cruisers is, how- ever, fully recognized and the board this week favored three of about 13,000 tons displacement of a type involving no marked departures from the Brooklyn in arrangements, though of double that vessel's power and tonnage and defensive qualities. Every member of the board was em- phatic for sheathing and coppering all these vessels to render them com- paratively independent of dry docks. Rear Admiral Hichborn's suggested policy of economy in regard to repairing and overhauling ships at the several navy yards has been ap- proved by the department. There are now nearly fifty vessels undergoing repairs or waiting for renovation. An order will soon be issued to com- mandants, in which the vessels most urgently required for service will be designated, with instructions to continue the repairs until they are ready and to abandon those ships not needed now for active service. This policy has become necessary in order that the construction and engineering bureaus may be able to get through the next four months with the funds at their disposal. : The reduction in work begins at the Portsmouth navy yard and ex- tends to all but the New York where the vessels are of such a class that practically all are now required for some station. The two Spanish gun- boats, Alvarado and Sandoval, are so nearly completed at Portsmouth that the department will direct that the work continue on them until they are ready for sea. At the same station is the Raleigh, on which $500,000 is. to be expended before she is again in commission. No special appropriation has been made either for this vessel or the Cincinnati, which is to undergo similar changes at Norfolk, so that it is intended to perform only so much work on these vessels as to prevent their deterioration. : At the Boston navy yard the reduction in work affects three ships. The Vicksburg is required for duty in the Philippines and is to be pushed rapidly and got out of the way. The vessel should be ready for sea in thirty days. Upon the amount of work and the cost required on the Olympia will depend how rapid the progress will be at first. A survey board is now examining the ship and will report its findings in a few days. There is no purpose in any event to allow the Olympia to remain at the yard without some repairs being begun, and while the force at work on the cruiser may be small at first it will be increased as the money becomes available. All work is to stop on the cruiser Topeka and the colliers Sterling and Peoria. Neither of the latter is required for service and both can be left for the present in the hands of ship keepers. : At the League Island navy yard it is recommended, and will be so ordered, that the work on the Minneapolis, the Columbia and the Mianto- nomoh proceed only as the allowance of money under the bureaus will permit. It has been found necessary also to abandon work on the Panther, as it is not thought the ship is immediately wanted for service. The Dixie requires an expenditure of $60,000 to get ready for sea, and it is recommended that work on the vessel proceed very slowly. ; At the Norfolk yard there are a large number of ships under repair and on which work has been progressing favorably. The order will no doubt stop work on a number, or at least curtail operations considerably. It is now intended to continue repairs on the Fortune and on the San Francisco also. Work on the Apache, Dorothea, Frolic, Hannibal, Hawk and others will proceed only as it may be necessary to prevent deteriora- tion. The San Francisco will probably not be ready for sea under one year and the Cincinnati, which is to undergo extensive changes, will prob- ably not be in commission for eighteen months. Fully $500,000 is neces- Sary to carry out the work on this ship. oa At the Mare island navy yard the Boston has been waiting months for an overhauling. This ship has been for two years in Asiatic waters and is now in many respects obsolete. Changes, that will modernize the cruiser have been ordered and will be carried out. The Mohican and the Alert at the same yard and the torpedo boats are not required in the ser- - vice, so no further work will be done on them. ~ Rear Admiral Hichborn's statement, showing to Nov. 1 how far work has progressed upon various vessels for the navy now in course of con- struction, is as follows: Battleships--Kearsarge, Newport News, 97 per cent; Kentucky, New- port News, 95 per cent; Illinois, Newport News, 71 per cent; Alabama, Cramp & Sons, 91 per cent; Wisconsin, Union Iron Works, 79 per cent; Maine, Cramp & Sons, 15 per cent; Missouri, Newport News, 1 per cent, and the Ohio, Union Iron Works, 7 per cent. ' Sheathed cruisers--Albany, Armstrong's, England, 94 per cent. Monitors--Arkansas, Newport News, 4 per cent; Connecticut, Bath Iron Works, 30 per cent; Florida, Lewis Nixon, 17 per cent; Wyoming, Union Iron Works, 24 per cent. Torpedo boat destroyers--Bainbridge, Neafie & Levy, 30 per cent; Chauncey, Neafie & Levy, 28 per cent; Dale, William R. Trigg Co., 45 per cent; Decatur, William R. Trigg Co., 44 per cent; Hopkins, Harlan & Hollingsworth, 27 per cent; Hull, Harlan & Hollingsworth, 27 per cent; Lawrence, Fore River Engine Co., 27 per cent; MacDonough, Fore River Engine Co., 60 per cent; Paul Jones, Union Iron Works, 50 per cent; Perry, Union Iron Works, 50 per cent; Preble, Union Iron Works, 50 per cent; Stewart, Gas Engine & Power Co., 8 per cent; Truxtun, Maryland Steel Co., 5 per cent; Whipple, Maryland Steel Co., 5 per cent; Worden, Maryland Steel Co., 5 per cent. Torpedo boats--Dahlgren, Bath Iron Works, 98 per cent; T. A. M. Craven, Bath Iron Works, 98 per cent; Stringham, Harlan & Hollings- worth, 85 per cent; Goldsborough, Wolff & Zwicker, 93 per cent; Bagley, Bath Iron Works, 3 per cent; Biddle, Bath Iron Works, 3 per cent; Blakely, George Lawley & Son, 60 per cent: De Long, George Lawley & Son, 60 per cent; Nicholson, Lewis Nixon, 42 per cent; O'Brien, Lewis Nixon, 42 per cent; Shubrick, William R. Trigg Co., 65 per cent; Stock- ton, William R. Trigg Co., 65 per cent; Thornton, William R. Trigg Co., 64 per cent; Tingey, Columbian Iron Works, 38 per cent; Wilkes, Gas Engine & Power Co., 20 per cent. Submarine torpedo boats--Plunger, Columbian Iron Works, 85 per cent. Assistant Secretary Allen in his report to Secretary Long indorses and recommends the establishment of a national naval militia. He says that the experiences of the year suggests certain changes in the plan as outlined by the congressional bill. He urges the adoption of the amend- ments prepared by Lieutenant Commander W. H. H. Southerland who was for some time in charge of the naval militia bureau of the navy de- partment. The personnel act has made the term of service of enlisted men in the navy four years; the same period should be fixed for enrollment in the naval reserve. Some provision should be made by which the naval reserve officer should be promoted in war time with the regular officer with whom he holds the same date of commission. It is also recommended that steps be taken for the organization of a permanent coast signal system for the retired list of the navy and the em- ployes of the light-house and life saving service. There are several thousand of these men, and with a small appropriation and an annual drill for a few days each year they would be competent to take up duties imme- diately upon the outbreak of the war. With a retired naval officer in charge of each light-house district and an officer in charge at the navy department, and the necessary paraphernalia iat the nearest navy yard ready for use, this necessary adjunct of war could be put in working order in twenty-four hours. The department undertook to afford the naval militia of the country an opportunity to drill at sea under service condi- tions and the offer was accepted by the governors of all but one of the states having militia organizations. Capt. C. M. Chester, who is to command the new battleship Kentucky, has sent to the navy department a brief report upon the performance of that vessel recently in a heavy sea off the Virginia coast while out on a builders' trial spin. The vessel behaved admirably in the big rollers. On reaching the mouth of the Chesapeake it was found that heavy weather was prevailing, but the ship was pointed out to sea and ran direct to the east for eight miles beyond Cape Henry light, where it was deemed inad- visable to proceed further on account of trouble in making out the land- marks. The Kentucky was run back and forth over this course at a speed of 13 to 14 knots, turning in the rough sea with marked facility and slight motion. The battleship pitched easily with a maximum dip of but 3 de- grees, and rolled in turning in the trough of the sea generally with only 8 or 9 degrees heel, and once to,a maximum of 16 degrees. While forced draft was used to a pressure of 34-inch for the space of half an hour, the conditions did not afford an opportunity for a speed trial, but it was esti- mated from a patent log that the Kentucky made about 15 knots on about 103 revolutions of the engine. For a short time they worked up to 106. In general the results were very satisfactory. The cruiser Atlanta, which is expected to be put in commission next week, will be the first vessel to be equipped with the metal furniture de- signed for vessels of the navy. The innovation ts the result of experience in recent naval engagements and is another step in the direction of doing away with the liability of fire on shipboard during an engagement by the removal of as much of the woodwork as possible. Considerable interest attaches to the result of this experiment on the Atlanta. It is expected that the cruiser Albany, which is now nearing comple- tion at the ship yard of the Armstrong's, in England, will be turned over to the United States authorities in January. Numerous changes have been made in the cruiser to correct defects found in her sister ship, the New Orleans. It was at first proposed to send the Albany to the Philippines direct, but it has now been deemed advisable to bring her to New York, in order to fit her out for naval service.