Secretary of the Navy. William C. Whitney in Cleveland's First Administration Source: History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850. by James Ford Rhodes. p.439 During Cleveland's first administration, Congress authorised: Six protected cruisers. One of these was the Olympia of almost 6000 tons, 21-1/2 knots, 17,000 horsepower (the Boston had 4,000) a bunker capacity of 1000 tons, (the Boston had 500), four 8 inch and ten 5-inch rapid-fire guns, and six torpedo tubes; the contract price was $1,796,000 (the Boston's was $619,000). Two of these six cruisers were built at navy-yards, the first of the new vessels to be so constructed. Three unprotected cruisers. Four gunboats and a naval cruise practice ship which was not a success. A dynamite cruiser, the Vesuvius, which was not a success. A torpedo boat. The completion of five double- turretted monitors begun years before and abandoned. A coast-defence vessel, p.440 really another monitor. This was the Monterey, which went to Manilla during the Spanish War. Two second-class battleships, the Maine and the Texas, which, with the Monterey were the first armored ships authorized. They were built at Navy- yards, and were of about 6000 tons, 18 knots and 9000 horsepower. footnote: Steam and sails or steam only for the new navy was a much debated question throughout 1881-1897. The result of the discussion was that all the protected cruisers but two, and all of the gunboats but two, had sails and the armored ships military masts only. Whitney was Secretary of the Navy during Cleveland's First Administration. The Maine carried four 10-inch and six 6-inch guns, the Texas two 12 inch and six 6-inch guns. Both had torpedo tubes. An armored cruiser, the New York. She had a displacement of over 8.000 tons, a speed of 21 knots, 17,000 horsepower, a bunker capacity of 1,300 tons, six 8-inch and twelve 4-inch rapid fire guns. She was a commerce-destroyer but able also to fight. An armored ram. The variety of this list shows that the authorities here as elsewhere were experi- menting. WHITNEY. Whitney made an admirable Secretary. When he took office it was not possible to obtain from American manufacturers steel forgings for heavy guns, armor, second- ary batteries, torpedoes, or powder for high-power guns. The plans of the Texas were those of an Englishman. Whitney bent his energies to reforming these conditions and with the four years of his control the manufacture of all things necessary for the new Navy was accomplished or at least assured, and the country made independent of foreign supply. Delays in filling armor contracts remained for some years after this, also there was trouble over the powder supply. Whitney established the great naval ordnance plant at Washington. His successor, Secretary Benjamin T. Tracy, carried on an equally energetic policy. The most notable feature of the naval administration under Harrison was the con- struction of the first - first-class battleships. Four of these wer authorized: The Oregon, Massachusetts, Indiana and Iowa. They were given the heaviest armor then made and were classed as "sea going coast-line battleships," but the Oregon put an unexpected emphasis on the first two words. The first three of these battleships were authorized on June 30, 1890. They were of over 10,000 tons dis- placement, had a speed of about 16 knots, 10,000 horsepower, 1600 tons bunker capacity, four 13-inch, eight 8-inch, and four 6-inch guns and torpedo tubes. The Iowa was authorized two years later, and was heavier than the earlier ones, but had 12-inch guns, as it was thought then that these were better than 13-inch ones. In the experimenting that was still going on, two super-commerce-destroyers were ordered in 1890 and 1891. The Columbia and Minneapolis were only protected cruis- ers of 7000 tons displacement but had triple screws, a speed of 23 knots and a normal coal supply of 750 tons, which was double that of the other protected cruisers and equal to the New York's. Their ordnance was one 8-inch, two 6-inch, and eight 4-inch rapid fire guns. They were not intended for fighting if they could run away. No other vessels of this class were constructed; naval opinion was crystallizing in favor of battleships and torpedo-boats. An armored cruiser of the New York class, a torpedo-boat, three gunboats and a submarine completed the warships ordered by Harrison's congresses. A second torpedo or dynamite cruiser was authorized but not contructed. Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth I have an early picture of William C. Whitney and a beautiful picture of his New York home. 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