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II. Navy
The following table shows the state of the United States Navy on June 1,1891:- In Commission.
Building.
Armored battle ships, Armored cruiser, Armored ram, Steel cruisers, Coast defence ships, Torpedo boats, Dynamite cruiser, .
Total, • Ist rate, . 5 Ist 66 I 2d 66 I Ist 66 5 2 2d 66 3 5 3d " • 3 2 4th 66 I I Ist 66 2 2d ८८ 4 I - I 14 23 Besides these there are 13 old monitors, 26 old-type wooden and iron vessels, 12 sailing ships, 13 tugs, etc.
Vessels are rated according to tonnage, as follows:-1st Rate, over 4,000 tons; 2d Rate, 2,000 to 4,000 tons; 3d Rate, 1,000 to 2,000 tons; 4th Rate, under 1,000 tons.
The term "protected" indicates that a vessel has a complete deflective steel deck of over 1 inch thickness (generally 22 to 4 inches); "partially protected" indicates that the deflective deck exists only over a portion of the ship's length protecting machinery, or that the deck protection is complete and less than I inch in thickness. Of the five armored battle-ships under construction, (June, '91) the Maine and Texas are partly completed. The Maine, launched in November 1890, is a twin-screw armored turret vessel, of the belted cruiser type, with protective deck. Its displacement is 6,648 tons, and speed 17 knots. It has four 10-inch and six 6-inch B. L. R. The 10-inch guns are mounted in the turrets, protected by 10/½ inches steel armor, and the turrets are in echelon, so that all four guns can be fired ahead or astern. The Texas is a twin-screw armored turret vessel of 6,314 tons displacement, with two 12-inch and six 6-inch B. L. R. Its speed is 17 knots. The vital parts of the vessel are protected by a steel armor belt 12 inches thick, terminated by 6-inch steel breastworks, extending diagonally across the vessel. An armored protected deck, 3 inches thick, is worked over the armor belt. The turrets are plated with 12-inch steel armor, and have their lower parts enclosed in redoubts, also 12 inches thick. One 12-inch B. L. R. is mounted in each turret. Both ships are fitted with secondary batteries and torpedo-tubes.
The three other battle-ships have been named Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Their principal characteristics are as follows:-Armament: four 13-inch and eight 8-inch B. L. R. and four 5-inch R. F., besides 24 light R. F. G. and 7 torpedo tubes. Protection: a water belt 18 inches thick for about 3/4 of ship's length amidships; side armor 5 inches thick above belt; turrets 10 to 17 inches thick; diagonal bulkheads 14 inches; redoubts 17 inches; tubes 7 inches; protective deck 2.7 to 3 inches. Estimated sea speed 15 knots. Displacement 10,231 tons. The armored cruiser New York (No. 2) has been safely launched. It has a protective curved steel deck, 2½ to 6 inches thick, extending from stem to stern, the edges of which amidships are five feet below the water-line, and the top has a rise of about one foot above the water at the centre of the vessel. The machinery and boiler space are protected by a belt of 34-inch armor. The ship has displacement of 8,150 tons; its length over all is 380 ft., breadth of beam 64 ft. mean draught 24 ft., speed 20 knots, with calculated I.H.P. of 16,000. It carries six 8-inch B.L.R. and twelve 4-inch R.F.
The armored ram is a vessel of 2,050 tons displacement, carrying a light battery of rapid-fire guns as an auxiliary armament, but depending on the ram as her principal offensive weapon. The protection consists of a heavy protective deck and side armor from 3 to 6 inches thick and 18-inch armor on the conning tower. Estimated speed 17 knots. Of the steel cruisers building, the largest is No. 12, of 7,400 tons displacement, with the following armament :-one 8-inch B.L.R., two 6-inch B.L.R., twelve 4-inch R.F., 28 small R.F., and six torpedo tubes. Protection: complete, steel armored deck 22 to 4 inches thick; 4-inch armor about engine room hatches, and 4-inch shields over guns. Motive power: three triple-expansion engines which are expected to give 21,000 I.H.P. and 21 knots speed. Dimensions: length 412 ft., beam 58.2 ft., mean draught 23 ft.
Cruiser No. 6, of 5,500 tons displacement, with four 8-inch B.L.R. and ten 5-inch R.F. It is fitted with a protective deck. The length over all is 340 ft., breadth 53 ft., mean draught 21/2 ft., and a calculated speed of 20 knots and I.H.P. 13,5000.
Nos 7 and 8, with complete protective decks, will have 3,183 tons displacement, speed, 19 knots, I.H.P. 10,000. Each will carry one 6-inch B.L.R., and ten 5-inch R.F. No. 7 has been named Cincinnati and No. 8 Raleigh. Nos. 9, 10, 11, with partially protective decks, will have displacement 2,000, contract speed 18 knots, and I.H.P. 5,400. They will carry two 6-inch B.L.R. and eight 5-inch D.F. The Bennington will have displacement 1,700 tons, speed 16 knots, and will carry six 6-inch B.L.R. and four R.F.
Of the steel cruisers in commission the largest is the Chicago of 4,500 tons displacement, speed 15.3 knots, with four 8-inch, eight 6-inch, and two 5-inch B.L.R.
The Baltimore has 4,400 tons displacement, speed 20.1 knots, and carries four 8-inch and six 6-inch B.R.L. The Philadelphia, 4,325 tons displacement, and 19.7 knots speed; the Newark, 4,083 tons displacement, and 18 knots speed; the San Francisco, 4,083 tons displacement and 19.6 knots speed, are twin-screws protected cruisers, carrying each twelve 6-inch B.L.R. and seventeen R.F. The Newark is barque-rigged, spreading 9,486 square ft. of canvas; the two others have schooner masts, spreading 5,400 ft. of fore and aft sails.
A new cruiser provided for by the last Congress will displace about 7,400 tons, and be similar to No 12. She is now known as No. 13.
The coast defence ships, with the exception of the Monterey are old monitors under reconstruction. The Puritan, 6,060 tons displacement and 13 knots speed, will carry four 12-inch B.L.R. and six 4-inch R.F., and will be protected by 14-inch steel armor on the sides and on turrets. The Monterey, 4,483 tons displacement and 16 knots speed, has two 10-inch B.L.R., two 12-inch B.L.R., and twelve R.F. Four other coast defence vessels building will have each 3,815 tons displacement and 12 knots speed, and will carry four 10-inch B.L.R. and twelve R.F.G.
The dynamite cruiser Vesuvius is a steel ship of 725 tons displacement, 250 ft. over all, and 26/½ ft. beam, speed 21.6 knots. In the forward part of the ship are 3 15-inch pneumatic guns, 70 ft. long, made of thin cast iron. The full size shell for each gun is 15 inches in diameter, about 7 ft. long. It weighs loaded about 600 lbs., and the charge is 400 lbs. of dynamite. The ship is steered by steam, and all her operations are directed from a conning tower protected by light armor. In firing, the guns have a fixed elevation, the difference in range is effected by greater or less air compression; in short, the hull is nothing but a gun carriage, on which are mounted these pneumatic guns. The calculated range is about one mile.
The United States possess ten navy yards and stations - namely, Portsmouth, Charleston, Brooklyn, League Island, New London, Washington, Norfolk, Pensacola, Mare Island, and Port Royal. Portsmouth, Brooklyn, Norfolk, and Mare Island are used as construction yards. At Washington there is a gun factory for the completion of high-powdered breech-loading cannon.
The navy of the United States is commanded by 1 admiral, 6 rear-admirals, 10 commodores, 45 captains, 85 commanders and 74 lieutenant-commanders, 325 lieutenants, and 180 ensigns. There are 7,500 enlisted men and 750 boys, besides a marine corps of 2,177 officers and men.