The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-02

the House of Representatives by of its
committees, is still pending before that body 1t
s hoped that during the coming session the
measure may become law and thereafter imme
iiate steps may be :aken to secure place of
safe deposit for these valuable collections now
in a state of insecurity.
The funds with which the work for the i'm
provements CT rivers and harbors were prose-
cuted during the past year were derived from
the appropriations of the act of Aug. ., 1882
together with sueh few balances as were on hand
from previous appropriations The balance in
the Treasury subject to requisition, July l.
1882, was $40 Cpl, 649 80. The amount appropri-
ated during the fiscal year 1884, was 81 3l9634.
62, and the amount drawn from the Treasury
during the fiscal year was S. DDS, 103 81, leaving
a balance of So, ~ $50 63 in the Treasury sub
ject to requisition July /, 1854,
The Secretary of War submits the report of
the Chief Of Engineers to the practieabiity
of protecting our important cities of the sea
board by Notifications and other defenses able to
repel modern methods of attack.
The time has. come when such defenses
can be prepared with confidence that they will
not prove abortive and when the possible result
of delay in making such preparations is seriously
considered, delay seems ineXcusable. For the
most important cities, those whose destruction
and capture would be a national humiliation,
adequate defenses inclusive of guns, may be
made by the gradual expenditure of $50 600 900
"a sum much less than victorious enemy
would levy a contribution An appropriation
of about one-tenth of that amount is asked to
begin the work, and concur with the Secretary
of War in urging that it be granted.
The War Department is proceeding with the
conversion of the ten-nch smooth bore guns into
eght-ineh rifles, by lining the former with tubes
of forged or of cUied wrought iron. Fifty guHs
will be thus converted during the year. This
however. does not Obviate the necessity of pro-
vldiug means for the construction of guns of the
highest power, both for the purposeof coast de-
Tense and for the armament of war vessels,
The report. of the gun foundry board APP
pointed April 3 1883, in pursuance Of the, act
of March 2 IkS} transmitted tO FOrtpreSS
a special messHge of February s, 1884. IN my
message,of March 26 1884. L called attention
to the recommendation of the board that
the government Should encourage the
production by private steel works, of the re-
quired material for heavy cannon, and that two
government factories, one for the army and one
for the navy, should be established for the fabri
cation OF guns from such material No action
having been taken. the board was subsequently
reeunvened to determine more fully the plans
and estimates necessary for carrying out Its re-
concentrations. 1t has received information
Which indicates that there are responsible steel
manufacturers in this country who although not
provided at present with Unnecessary plant, are
willing to construct the same, and to make bids
forcontracts with the governneutfor the supply
of the requisite material for the heaviest guns
adapted to modern warfare. If a guaranteed or
der of sufficient magnitude, accompanied by a
positive appropriation extending over a series of
years. snail be made by Congress-, all doubts as
to the feasibility Of the plan will thus be re-
moved. renew my recommendation that such
action be taken by Congress as will enable the
government to construct its own ordnance upon
its own territory, and so to provide the. arm
anents demanded by considerations of national
safety and honor.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
Tile report of the Secretary of the Navy ex-
hibits the progress which has been made on the
new steel cruisers authorizedby the acts Of Aug.
s. 1882, and March 3 1888. Of thelfour vessels.
under contract, one, the Chicago, Of 1880 tons,
is more than half finished; the Atlanta, 1000
tons. has been successfully Launched, and her
machinery is now fitting; the Boston, also of
3, 600 tons is ready for launching, and the Dol,
phin, a dispatch steamer of l, 800 tons, is ready
for delivery. Certain adverse criticisms upon
the designs Of these cruisers discussed by
the Secretary. who insists that the correctness
of the conclusions reached by the advisory
board and by the department mas been demon
stFated by recent developments in ship-buildiug'
abroad. D..
The machinery of the doubleturreted mont
tors Puritan, Terror and Amphitrite, contracted
for under the act of March g. 1883 is in process
of construction. Nc work has been done during
the past year on their amor for lack of the
necessary appropriation. A fourth monitor, the
MOnadnock still remains unfinished at the navy
ward in California 1t is recommended that
early steps be taken to complete and to provide
also, an armamentfor the monitor Miantonomoh.
The recommendation of the naval advisory
board, approved by the department, comprises
the construction Of one steel cruiser Of 4, 500
TONS cruiser of $1,000 tons, two heavily
armed gUuboats, one dispatch vessel armed with
HetchSiss cannon one arTHored EaIn and three
torpedo boats. The general designs, all of which
are calculated to meet the existing wants Of the
service, are now we'll advanced and the con-
struetion Of the vessels can be undertaken as
soon as you shall grant the necessary authority.
The act of Congress, approved Aug. Z 1882,
authorized the removal to the United States of
the bodies of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS George w.
belong and his companions Of the Jeanette eX-
petition This removal has been successfully
accomplished by LTeutenants HARDER and
Schuetze The remains were taken from their
grave, in the Lena delta, in March, 1883 and
were retained at Yakutsk until the following
winter, the season being too far advanced to ad-
nit Of their immediate transportation. They
arrived at New York Feb. 90 1884, where they
were received with suitable honors.
In pursuance of the joint resolution Of Con
gress, approved Feb. 13 1884, a naval expedition
fitted out for the relief OK Lieutenant A. W.
Greedy, of the United States Army and of the
party who had been engaged under his command
in scientific observations at Lady Franklin bay.
The fleet consisted of the steam sealer Thetis,
purchased in England; the Bear purchased at
St Johns, n. F., and the Alert, which gen
erously provided by the British government.
Preparations for the expedition promptly
made by the Secretary Of the Navy, with the
active cooperation of the Secretary of War.
Commander George w. Coffin was placed in
command of the Alert and Lieutenant w. H.
Emery in command of the Bear; the Thetis was
ntrusted TO Commander Winfield 5. Schley, to
whom, also, was assigned the superintendent
of the entire expedition. Immediately upon its
arrival at UppernaviK the feet began the dan
gerous navigation of Melville bay, and. in spite
of every obstacle. reached Littleton island on
June pa fortnight earlier than any vessel had
before attained that point On the same day it
crossed over to Cape Sabine, where Lieutenant
Greedy and the other survivors Of his party were
discovered. After taking on board the living and
the bodies of the dead, the relief ships Sailed for
St. Johns, where they arrived on July II. They
were appropriately received at Portsmouth, n.
H., on Aug. l, and at New York on Aug. 8 One
Of the bodies was landed at the former place, the
others were put on shore at Governors Island,
and. with the exception of one, which was in
Tanned in the National Cnmet erN Mera forwarled