The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-11-28
OUR NAVY.

important Recommendation concerning
the efficiency of the navy will be made in
the Forthcoming report of Secretary Rob
eson, predicated in part upon reports of
the Chiefs of Bureaus of that Department.
1t has been found that more money has
often been spent in the repair OF old yea
sells, as authorized by Congress, than.
would serve in the construction of new
ones OF greater strength and improved
model and appurtepaaces. Asa instance
OF this, the Pensacola cost 1925 900, and
repairs more than twice as much, namely
$76O,OOO AS to other vessels of the navy,
including the Guerrero, Nevada. Iowa
and Vanderbilt,to put them into thorough
ly good condition would require an
amount CT money far exceeding their
original cost. Their timbers are much
decayed, the ships having been built of
unssund white oak The necessities Of
the situation, however, have required ex-
pendltures upon them to meet emergencies
| without permanent benefit. Congress. at
| the late session, authorized the Secretary
OF the Navy to sell WORKOUT vessels and
useless material at several navy yards. 1t
| IL known that there are such accnmula-
tons there which originally cost millions
OF dollars, and which were for the most
part never applied to practical purposes.
Several of the worn our vessels are soon
| "a sold at nd -
| character will be afterwards offered T. the
highest bidder. The opinion Of naval Of.
fcers Is that there should be at least 90
good, active steam vessels always in con-
! dltl)n to be immediately used About a
year ago, when there was such an xcite-
ment at Havana as induced the Consul
Grneral at hat city to telegraph our Gov
eminent to send vessels thither for the
protection of American citizens, it was
difficult 10 immediately find vessels gu l.
able for such emergency, and the So creta-
~ was, therefore, obliged to dispatch an
iron-clad from Key WesE, together with
four other vessel not of formidable nro.
portions, 70 that locality. Spain at The
time to which reference is made, had "a
vessels in the Gulf and vicinity of the
Island OF Cuba. Our vessels, owing tt
this disparity of force, would have been
unable 10 contend with those of Spain in
case OF hostile movements on her part.
The Chief of the Bureau of CONSTRUCTION
and Repairs win, it is understood, recon
mend that the compound engines be pal
Ell in all our vessels, both as to economy
of fuel and increase in speed, and that he
viii support his views by careful argu-
i II
val officers that not more than ten of the
fifty lron-clad vessels can be rendered
useful for naval purposes; therefore the
Cover eminent will dispose of the rema nder
Of them. The twenty lIght-draft moni-
t re, built during the war at cost of
$l6,0OO,O00, never fred gun, not having
been called into active service. A bill IS
now pending before the House of Repre-
se0tatives appropriating three million
dol ars for building ten sloops of var. Tn
view of the facts concerning the intffi
cheney OF the navy, efforts will be made
at the approaching session of Congress to
completely reorgdnize the navy. A part
o Secretary Rdbeson's report will be de-
voted TO tbis subject, ami he will repeaS
the Tecomm, ndatlons in his last annual
report to supply the places Of vessels
which nave become useless with those of
good and sound construction, and urge
that unless something is done ia this d.
Eec.lon our cruising navy, now by o
means powerful, indeed Scarcely respecta-
Die for II MAJ ion of our tank and response
htlties, will soon almost whollY pass oct Of
existence as an arm of national power.
St Louis, Mo, Nov 24-Some appre
tension having been felt that the build
ing OF the tunnel. which is now in pro.
cess of construction from the fridge t.
the probable site OF the grand union depot,
Will damage building and unnecessarily
obstruct business several large owners Of
property on the route have held meeting
| to CONSIDER the matter Resolutions were
aoopT' d recognizing the Importance and
nccesslty OF the work, nut declaring that
the interests Of the business men and
pr perty owners along the line should lie
properly protected. A Committee was
appointed charged with the duty of re-,
curing be Tunnel Company to use great
care and precautiou in the prosecution nt
tlelr work, and also to require of the c.ty
government a rigid supervision of The
construction ST the tunnel under such con-
ditlonS as shall prevent the unn cessarv
interruptions Of business or injury to per
son or property.
CAPTAIN Eads, the engineer of the
Bridge Company, who was present. as
sured the meeting that foundatinn wall,
aloug the line of the tunnel would NOT he
injured by the excavation, nor Womb
buildings be harmed blythe vib atisn oc-
cassioned by he running of trains. The
tunnel VIII lta run Up Washington avenue to
S'Xtth, street, curve thence to Eighth and
Locus, and follow Eighth street 70 Clark