National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-13
SHIPS OF WAR.
This Senate Committee on Naval Affairs
Make Report on the Rehabilitation
OF the Navy.

This Senate Committee on Naval Affairs
Make n Report on the Rehabilitation
OF the Navy.
Senator Hale reported favorably yesterday,
from the committee on naval affairs, with
amendments, his bill to authorize the con-
struction Of additional steel vessels for the
navy. As amended the bill provides for tho
construction of one cruiser Of 1900 tons and
one of 5000 tons, one dispatch vessel of
1900 tons, two heavily-armed gunboats of
1900 tons each, one gunboat of 900 tons, and
one Of $50 tons, 10 DO built on plans and
specifications to be furnished by the ad-
miral of the navy and under his supervision
and directions subject TO tho approval of the
secretary of the navy. lt also authorizes the
President so direct tho construction Of ono
steel ram, as recommended by the naval adj
visory board Of 1881; one cruising torpedo
boat, whose construction was advocated by
that board and the present advisory board,
and Of two of the harbor torpedo boats recom-
mended by the first advisory board and i'm
the report from the bureau OF ordnance in
1888. Tho committee in its report s9ys that
in nddition to the reports of the advisory
boards and Of the secretary of the navy, and
the recommendations of the President. which
IL had before it, it had been deemed advisable
to ascertain with all possible fullness the pre-
else views ofthe navy department and of vari-
Gus experts upon the requirements of tho pro-
posed vessels, and especially upon the plans
adopted by the advisory board for the vessels
now under construction, and accordingly bad
called for aud received oral and written state
meuts from the secretary of the navy, the
admiral of the navy, members of the adj
vsory board, the principal chiefs of bureaus,
aud other officers of the navy. These state
ments the committee submits with its report,
4 A.
developed some difference of opinion upon
certain special points connected with the new
cruisers.
Tho committee says, however: "While il
may be worthy of consideration whether it is
dcs rabe to follow the plans adopted for the
vessels now under construction, in all IN mute
details, about which diversity of opinion
might reasonably be expected to exist among
experts, nothing has appeared to show that
the confidence of the navy department and
of tho advisory board in the success of those
vessels Is misplaced" The committee thinks
that the advisory board, in executing the du-
ties devolved upon IL by the acts of Aug >,
1882, and March 3, 1883, has proceeded with
care and Judgment in the direction marked
out by the first advisory board, and that
to ii may safely be entrusted the task of
designing and constructing the additional
vessels now recommended. Referring to a
statement submitted to the committee and
presented with its report, showing the rapid
deterioration of the vessels comprising the
present heot, the committee says that "this
deterioration makes it necessary that the
work of reconstruction should he carrier
forward constantly, and as rapidly as the
demands Of proper economy and experience
will permit, in order that as the old ships
are condemned and withdrawn from service,
new ones may be available with which to
replace them
The committee says further that no time
should be lost in building new ships TO pre-
won't the United States being found Mt an
early day practically without a navy. Tho
old ships il says represent types and models
that have been abandoned by the naval
powers of the world, and the committee does
not think that q single year should pass
without material addition to the navy of
new ships, built after the fashion of the best
approved modern navy construction. The
report says, alluding to the cost of maintain
ing and keeping wooden fleet in repair: "The
committee bell sves that policy which expends
money in adding new and enduring ships
to the navy is far preferable to that which
expends it in keeping in service old and
rapidly decaying wooden vessels" The
documents presented as appendices. to the
report are: Statements made to the commit
tee by Secretary Chandler, Admiral Porter
Rear Admiras Shufeldt, Jenkins, and Rodgers,
Commodore Semmes, Chief Constructor vii
son, Chief Engineer Henderson. and other
officers, and by the naval advisory board; n
recent communication from the secretary Of
the navy to congress, showing the original
cost and total expenditures for repairs of all
vessels of the navy, and a list of vessels in
the navy available at the present time, with
the probable duration Of the serviceability.