414 



NAVV 



Britain. The war of Secewiion, which broke oat in 

 i860, however, found the 1'nited Stales navy at a 

 low ebb, and although a large number of vessels 

 were built during tin- cn-ning four yeais, they were 

 mostly gunboat* for blockading purpose* and 

 MOM! for coast and iicr work. I'he const me- 

 tion of the original Jfuni/ur. however, at tlmt time 

 by Captain Ericsson, ami the goud work she per- 

 formed, in reality willed the type of the armoured 

 battle-ships of the future. The first Rt<>|> towards the 

 construct ion of tlu> modern navy were taken in 18H3. 

 Since that time every priK-css necessary to the con- 

 struct ion ami e<jnipment of tin- mo-t i-Micicnt ves- 

 sels of all classes, their armour-plate, ordnance, 

 and ammunition, lion been |icrfcct-d in tin- I mt.-d 

 States. The naval foreo on June 30, 1809, com- 

 prise*! 236 vessels built, building, ami projected ; 

 of these, 60 were in construction, 'JO were being 

 planned, and 17 were unlit for service, leaving 149 

 vessel* of all classes for active service. This num- 

 ber included 5 first-class little-shi|>s, of great dis- 

 placement, heavily iirmoiired and armed ; 1 second- 

 class battle-ship; 2 ariuoured cruisers, of great 

 (mixing capacity, with heavy armour and ord- 

 nance ; 1 armoured ram ; 6 dotible-turreted moni- 

 tor-, with heavy batteries, and iron single turrets! 

 monitor-.; l.'i protected cruisers; 4 unprotected 

 cruisers ; 20 gunboats, and 19 gunboats under 500 

 ton* displacement, mainly on service in the Philip- 

 pines; 1 dynamite gunboat; torpedo boats, tugs., 

 despatch Uiats, .V<-. ( if tin) VWMW under const ruc- 

 tion and being planned (1900) there were 1'J first- 

 class battle-ships, armoured cruisers. '.I pmt,-, i,-,l 

 cruisers, 4Hingle-tiirreiediiionitorH, 1(1 torpedo -U.at 

 di-striiMTx, 15 tor|M do lioato, and 7 Huhmarine tor- 

 pedo rloiita. Some of the Spanish vessels captunil 

 or sunk during the Spanish-American war I 



are in service. The jtcrstmncl of the navy in 1899 

 comprised 1340 commissioned ollicers, ntid 177 war- 

 rant and 4370 petty officers, 10,131 enlisted men, 

 and 2-A'l uaraattM) total, lx.-j:t. In i 



en^inr'T and CM-CHI ivcl.ram-lirs were amalgamated. 

 Tin- marine corjis has 201 officers and MM Hi men. 



The accompanying table will give a fair estimate 

 of the comiutrative glrenglh of the dilTerent navies 

 of the world in 1890. 



THE ItitiTisii NAVY. Alfred the Great was the 

 founder of the Knglish navy, having perceived the 

 necessity of a fleet to protect the coasts from t he 

 swanim of pirates in the northern seas. A slight 

 advantage gaimil by some ships of his over the 

 Danes in H76 induced him to build long ships nnd 

 galleys, which, as his countrymen were not com- 

 petent to manage them, he* manned with such 

 iiiratirnl foreigners as he could engage. After 

 ne had driven out the l>:m.-- he applied \\~\- 

 talents to improve hU shins, and built vessels 

 liiuli-T. longer, and swifter than liefore, some row- 

 ing more than thirty pairs of oars. Under his 

 Kuccewor* the number of vessels increased, and 

 iN.th Kln-ard the Klder and Athelstan fought many 

 naval battles with the Danes. Edgar asiiircd to be 

 lord of all the northern seas, and had from three 

 to live thousand galleys, which he divided into 

 three fleet*, on the western, southern, and eastern 

 coast* respectively. Kthclrcd II. emu-ted that 

 every owner of 3111 hides of land should build and 

 fiiini-h on<- vessel fur the service of his country. 

 William the ('oni)ueror established the Cinque 

 Ports, and gave them certain privileges, on condi- 

 tion of their furnishing fifty two ships for fifteen 

 days, carrying twenty four men each, in case of 

 emergency. Richard I. took one bundled large 

 hi|in and fifty galleys to Palestine. King .lolin 

 claimed for Kn^land the sovereignty of the seas, 

 and rei|iiini| all foreigners to striki< to the Knglixh 

 flag, an honour which was exacted by the English 



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