The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-12-03

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and that upon their present bond deposits u |
| larger circulation than is now allowed may |
DC granted with safety. / hope TINT the bill |
which passed the Senate at the last session
| permitting the issue OF notes equal to tho |
| face value Of deposited bonds win commend |
| sentativos.
REDUCTIONS IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT
| In the expenses of the War Department the
| Secretary reports decrease of more than
$gOOOOOO, OF which reduction $5,GOO,OO was
erected In the expenditures for rivers ana
| harDors, and $2,7O,000 In expenditures FOR
| the Quartermasters Department Outside OF
| the Department the annual expenses of all
| the Army bureaus proper Except, possibly,
the ordnance Bureau), are substantially hxed
charges which cannot be materially di.
| minishcd without change in tho numerical
strength Of the army The expenditures In
| inc Quartermastcr's Department can well be
| subjected 10 administrative discretion, and II
| is reported by the Secretary Of War that as n
| result OF exercising such discretion in re-
ducing the number of draught and pack
animals In the army the annual cost of sup
plying and caring for such animals Is now
| Sl,lUS,OSj.y0 less than II was in lSs2.
| inc reports OF the military commanders
| show that the last year hus been notable for
its entire freedom from Indian outbreaks
In defiance of the Presidents proclamation
OF July !, 1884, certain intruders sought 10
make settlements In the Indian Territory.
They were promptly removed by detach-
PRoTECTrNd sEABoARD CITIES.
The Secretary of War submits the report of
the Chief of Engineers as to the practlca-
bility of protecting our import1nt cities on
the seaboard by fortlfcations and other do
fenseS able to repcl modern methods OF at
tack, nnd the time has now come when such
detcnses can be prepared with confidence.
When the possible result of delay in making
such preparation Is seriously considered the
delay seems inexcusable, for the most i'm
portant cities arc those whose destruction
orcapture would be National humiliation.
Adequate defenscs, inclusive Of guns, may
DO plpdc by the gradual expenditure OF SVO,-
OOO,UOO, Il sum much less than victorious
enemy could levy as Il contribution, and an
| appropriation of about onc-tcnth of that
, amount is asked to begin the work. | con,
cur with the Secretary Of War in urging that
1t be granted. The War Department is pro-
ceedng with tho conversion of teninch
, smooth.borc guns into oight-inch rifles by
lining the former with tubes of forged or of
cOilcd wrought iron. Fifty guns will thus be
converted within the year. This, however,
, does not obvlato the necessity of providing
means for the construction of guns of the
: highest power both for the purpose of coast
defense and for the armament of war YES
sells.
THE REPORT OF THE GUN FOUNDRY BOARD
appointed April ., 1883 in pursuance to the
( act of March ., 1888, was transmitted to Con
grcss In special message of February &
1884. In my message of March 20. 1894, called
, attention TO the recommendation OF the
, Board that tho Government should encour-
! age the production In private steel works of
the required material for heavy cannon, and
that two Government factories, one for tho
D Army and one for the Navy, should be estab-
lished for the fabrication of guns from such
4 material. No action having been taken, the
Board was subsequently reconvcned TO de-
! terinlne more fully the plans and estimates
, necessary for carrying out It's Recommended
: tons IL has received information which in
dcntes that there are responsible steel man
| ufacturers In this country who, although not
I provided at present with the necessary plant,
q are willing TO construct tho same and to make
d bids for contracts with the Government for
the supply of the requisite material for the
heaviest guns adapted to modern warfare.
O THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
exhibits the progress which has been made
on the new steel cruisers authorized by the
A acts of August 3, 1882, and March g. 1893, of
the four vessels undOr contract. One, the
Chicago, of 1900 tons, is more than half fn-
ished; the Atlanta, 5000 tons, has been sue
o cessfully launched, and her machinery Is
now htting; the Boston, also of 5000 tons, is
p ready for launching, and the Dolphin, Il dis
q patch steamer of l,J00 tons, Is ready for dc.
n livery. Certain adverse criticisms upon the
/. designs of these cruisers nre discussed by
4 the Secretary, who insists that the correct
a ness OF the conclusions reached by the Ad'
Il vlsOry Board and by the Department have
q been demonstrated by recent developments
= IN ship building abroad. The machinery of
q the double-turretcd monitors Puritan, Ter
n ror and Amphitritc. contracted for under
n the act OF March g. 1873, Is in process of con.
!, struction. No work has been done during
y the past year on their armor for lack OF the
Il necessary appropriations. A fourth monitor
: the MonadnOck, still remains unfinished al
. the Navy Yard In California. IL Is recon-
n mended that carly steps be taken to com
!. plete the vessels, aud TO provide also an
r armament for the monitor Miantonomah.
Q The act OF Congress approved August Z,
o | 1852, authorized tho removal TO the United
z States of the bodies OF Lieutenant Com
mander George w. DeLong and his compan-
e ions of the Jeannotte Expedition. This re,
Z moyal has been successfully accomplished
= by Lleutonants Harber and Schultzc. The
remains were taken from their grave In the
3 Lena Delta In March, 1873, and were retained
= ut Yakutok until the following winter, the
season being too far advanced TO admit Of
2 their immediate transportation. They ar
!. | rived ut New York February 70, 1891, where
!. they were received with suitable honors.
Q In pursuance Of the Joint resolution Of
/ Congress, approved February III, 1881, naval
4 expedition was fitted out for tho relief OF
! Lieutenant A. W. Grcely, United States Army,
, and of the party who had been engaged
+ under his command In scientific observation
1 OF the steam sealer Thctis, purchased In En-.
/. gland; tho Bear, purchased at 81. Johns,
!. Newfoundland, and the Alert, which was
4 generously provided by the British Govern
/; ment. Preparations for the expedition were
4 promptly made by the Secretary OF the Navy
Z with the active cooperation of the Secretary
: of War. Commander George W. Coffin was
a placed in command OF the Alert and Lieu.
Bear. The Thetis was intrusted 20 Com
mander Winfield $. Copley, TO whom also was
p assigned the suporlntcndence of the entire
| expedition. Immediately upon Its arrival nj
= Upernalxk the feet began the dangerous
. navigation of Melville Bay, and, In spite OF
!. every obstacle, reached LittlctOn Island on
I June %. a fortnight earlier than any vessel
had before attained that point. On the same
, day Il crossed over TO Cape Sabine. where
l Lieutenant Greedy and the other survivors
. | of his party were discovered. After taking
. on board the living and the bodies of the
4 dead the relief ships sailed for st Johns, where
! they arrived on July II. They were nppro-
, printcly received at Portsmouth, N. H., on
= August !, and at New York on August g. One
: of the bodies was landed Mt tho former
y place, the others were put ashore at Gov
: : ernor's Island, and with the exception OF
= one, which was inferred In the National
!. Cemetery, were forwarded thence 10 tho
1 destination Indicated by friends. The organ
: | reflects great credit upon all who contrib
: uted TO It's success.
STRENGTHENING THE NAVY.
: In this, the last OF the stated messages that
!. | I shall have the honor 20 transmit to the
| Congress of the United States, / cannot too
4 strongly urge on It's attention the duty OF re-
y storing our Navy ms rapidly as possible 10
I the high state of efficiency which formerly
characterized IL. As the long peace that has
: lulled us into sense OF fanclcd security may
at any time bo disturbed, II Is plain that the
policy of strengthening this arm of the sorv-
leo II dictated by considerations OF use,
! economy, of Just regard for our future
: tranquility and OF true appreciation of tho
$ dignity and honor of the Republic.
= THE REPORT or THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
acQunints you with the present condition