MODERN WAR VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES. 167 



abreast of the progress being made in shipbuilding, marine engi- 

 neering, and naval artillery, and were thus enabled when the 

 opportunity was given by Congress to promptly take up the 

 work of rehabilitating the navy, and carry it forward success- 

 fully. Congress in its appropriation had stipulated that the 

 new vessels were to be constructed of steel ; this meant a consid- 

 erable outlay in 



capital to the metal j 



producers of the 

 country, who, with 

 the exception of 

 some firms making 

 a specialty of tool 

 steel, had been en- 

 gaged mainly in 

 the manufacture 

 of wrought iron. 

 However, having 

 full confidence in 

 the determination 

 of Congress to give 

 the country a new 

 navy, they did not 

 hesitate to at once 

 install plants capa- 

 ble of manufactur- 

 ing steel suitable 

 for shipbuilding 

 and boiler con- 

 struction, of steel 

 of a higher grade 

 for the construc- 

 tion of high-pow- 

 ered built-up guns, 

 and of producing 

 steel for armor 

 plates weighing 

 from thirty to forty 

 tons each. It is 

 worthy of note that 

 these industries, built up within a decade under the stimulus 

 given by the rebuilding of the navy, to-day challenge the world 

 to produce better material. So rapid has been the progress of our 

 manufacturers, and so fully have all demands upon them been 

 met, that one of our shipbuilding firms is now constructing two 

 mammoth steamers for the Inman International Line, whose ves- 



FiG. 3. Iowa. Midship Section. 

 C, C, C, coa] ; P, P, P, passages. 



