UNITED STATES NAVY. 



The Patrick torpedo, of the controllable 

 type, is made of copper, fusiform, 40 feet long 

 and 24 inches in greatest diameter. It is held 

 at a depth of nearly 4 feet by means of a float 

 46 feet long and 18 inches in diameter, filled 

 with cotton or lamp-black. The motive power 

 is carbonic-acid gas, contained in liquid form 

 in a flask near the center of the torpedo. From 

 the flask the gas passes through pipes about 

 which an intense heat is obtained by the action 

 of sulphuric acid on quick-lime. The gas 

 thus expanded passes to a six-cylinder engine, 

 which drives the propeller. The range is one 

 mile, and the explosive charge carried 200 

 pounds. The torpedo is controlled by an elec- 

 tric cable paid out as it runs. It has been tried 

 by a naval board, and upon its report three tor- 

 pedoes have been ordered by the Navy Depart- 

 ment, at a cost of $55,000. The contractor 

 guarantees a speed of 20 knots. This torpedo 

 is intended for harbor-defense, and is operated 

 from the shore or from a stationary vessel. 

 Undoubtedly it is the best of the controllable 

 type. The French Navy Department has pur- 

 chased it for coast-defense. 



Torpedo-Boats. The United States occupies a 

 most singular position in regard to torpedo- 

 boats. All nations agree that these are most 

 efficient for coast and harbor defense, and all 

 possess them in large numbers. England has 

 145; France, 131; Germany, 75; Italy, 120; 

 Spain, 13; Brazil, 15; Chili, 10; Japan, 12; 

 China, 26 ; the United States, 2. 



The " Stiletto " is the single torpedo-boat 

 (unworthy of the title) yet possessed by the 

 United States, although a new first-class boat 

 is being built by Messrs. Herreshoff, at Bristol, 

 R. I. This boat will compare favorably, it is 

 thought, with those built abroad (see table of 

 ships for description). The Fortification Board 

 placed the number of torpedo-boats at 150. 



Submarine Boat. The latest device in naval 

 warfare is the submarine boat, intended to dive 

 beneath the surface, to be there manoeuvred 

 and discharge torpedoes. Submarine boats 

 have been used in naval warfare since 1776, 

 but with unsatisfactory results. Recently they 

 have again come into notice in Europe, and 

 several have been built there. In 1888, the 

 Navy Department published a circular contain- 

 ing its views of the requirements for a subma- 

 rine boat, and invited proposals for the con- 

 struction of such a boat under guarantees. 

 After considerable delay in finding any one to 

 undertake this, bids were received in February, 

 1889, from the Columbia Iron- Works, of Balti- 

 more, in which a very good performance is 

 guaranteed. The dimensions of the boat are : 

 Length, 85 feet; greatest diameter, 10'9 feet; 

 displacement, submerged, 120 tons, with com- 



partments empty, 98 tons. The hull is to be 

 of steel ; the engine, triple-expansion, driving 

 a single screw ; the fuel, petroleum. Diving is 

 to be effected by horizontal rudders. The great- 

 est surface-speed guaranteed is 12 knots, and 

 the speed submerged, 9 knots. The boat is 

 cigar-shaped, and is capable of being operated 

 under three different conditions; first, above 

 the surface, with nearly halt' of the boat above 

 water; second, awash, with only a few inches 

 of the upper deck exposed ; third, completely 

 submerged. The armament consists of a tube 

 placed in a horizontal axis, from which are dis- 

 charged, either by pneumatic power or pow- 

 der, 8-inch projectiles, giving a range of several 

 hundred feet, or, if desired, some form of auto- 

 mobile torpedo may be ued. In addition to 

 this, there is another 8-inch tube fixed at an 

 angle for over- water fire to a range of about 

 1,000 yards. The contract for the boat has not 

 yet been awarded. 



Personnel. The personnel of the United States 

 ' Navy consists of 7,500 enlisted men, 750 ap- 

 prentices, and the following officers: Admiral, 

 1 ; vice-admiral, 1 ; rear-admirals, 6 ; commo- 

 dores, 10 ; captains, 45 ; commanders, 85 ; 

 lieutenant-commanders, 74; lieutenants, 250; 

 lieutenants (J. G.), 75 ; ensigns, 181 ; medical 

 directors, 15 ; medical inspectors, 15 ; sur- 

 geons, 50 ; parsed assistant surgeons, 55 ; as- 

 sistant surgeons, 23 ; constructors, 7 ; assistant 

 constructors, 14; professors of mathematics, 

 12 ; civil engineers, 10 ; pay-directors, 13 ; pay- 

 inspectors, 13; paymasters, 43; passed assist- 

 ant paymasters, 23 ; assistant paymasters, 14 : 

 chief engineers, 70 ; passed assistant engineers, 

 78 ; assistant engineers, 68. 



Besides these, there are allowed one naval 

 cadet for each congressional district, and ten 

 at large. The course for naval cadets is four 

 years at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, and 

 two years in cruising-ships. At the end of 

 the six years a number of cadets pass into the 

 service, equal to the number of vacancies in the 

 line, engineer and marine corps; usually from 

 20 to 25, never fewer than 10. The marine 

 corps is composed of 82 officers and about 

 1,900 enlisted men, under regimental organi- 

 zation, a colonel-commandant commanding. 

 The number of enlisted men and apprentices 

 allowed in the navy is too small, in view of the 

 fact that the fleet is being rapidly increased. 



Not more than 50 per cent, of the enlisted 

 men are native or naturalized Americans, and 

 the present small number of apprentices, who 

 are American boys, is not sufficient to give tlie 

 desired tone to ships' companies. The officers, 

 as a body, are highly educated, well trained, 

 and efficient; but slowness of promotion, by 

 keeping them in subordinate grades to an ad- 

 vanced age, threatens seriously to impair their 

 efficiency. Promotion in the navy is altogether 

 by seniority. The system presents few ad- 

 vantages and affords no incentive to energetic 

 effort and no reward for hard work or distin- 

 guished service. 



