The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-12-04

safety. ! hope that the bill which passed the
Of notes SC equal to to the f face Value Of deposited
bonds will commend itself to the approval of
the House of Representatives.
In the expenses of the
WAR DEPARTMENT
the Secretary reports decrease OF more
than $4,000, 900, of which reduction $500 600
was effected in the expenditures for rivers
for @ % the Vusrtermasfers term % Department. m po Out.
side of that department the annual expenses
of all the Army Bureaus proper, except, pos
" fxed charges which can n n NIT be materially
diminished without change in the numerical
strength of the army. The expenditures in
be subjected to administrative discretion
and it is reported by the Secretary of War,
that as q result of exercising each discretion
In reducing the number of draught and pack
animals in the army, the annual cost of sup
plying and caring for such animals is now
$1,1G5 80 less than it was in 1852.
INDIAN QUESTION.
The reports of military commanders show
freedom from Indian outbreaks.
= In defiance of the President's prociama-
ton Of July l, 1884, certain intruders sought
They were promptly removed by detach-
ment OF troops.
PUBLIC MUSEUM.
During the past session of Congress, a bill
the Il Army Army Medical % Museum Sc @ and the Library
of the Surgeon Generals Office, received the
approval of the Senate. A similar bill re-
tstVes By one og is IS Is
ing before that body.
It is hoped that during the coming session
sfter att g mmed%ats % p sfeps may % Be taken to ss Sc
cure place of safe deposit for these valu-
able collections, now in a state of insecurity.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs:
The funds with which the works for the inn
zprovement of rivers and harbors were prose-
from the appropriations of the act of August
2, 1S72, together with such few balances as
we're on hand from previous appropriations.
sition July, /, 1883, was s1ed21, ,s4s.55.
ne and a%9s asse as
year was $S,228, ,70354, leaving balance of
$8, liz, ,5S063 in the Treasury subject to requi-
sition July I, 1884. T. The Secretary Of War sub.
the practieability of
PROTECTING ouR IMPORTANT CITIES
on the seaboard by fortif1cations and other
defenses able to repel modern methods of at
tack. The time has now come when such de-
they viii not prove abortive; and when the
possible result of delay III making such
Preparation is seriously considered, delay
seems inexcusable for the most important
cities, those whose destruction or capture
would be a national humiliation. Adequate
of Ss %ads 6s
much less than a victorious enemy could levy
as contribution. An appropriation of aboui
the work, and concur with the Secretary OF
Wai.in urging that it be granted.
The Waf Department is proceeding with
into eight-inch rifles by lining the former with
tubes of forged or of coiled wrought iron
Fifty guns ms y viii be thus converted with tn tn
necessity Of providing means for the con
struction of guns of the highest power, botl
for the purposes pc @ OF @ coast defense and Tor the
The report of the Gun Foundry Board, ap
pointed April 2, 1888, in pursuatiee of the ac'
IN a special mes message Of February % s, 1854. II Il
my message of March 26, 1884, 1 called atten
tion to the recommendation of the Board
production of private steel works of the re
| quired material for heavy cannon, and thR
two Government factories, one for the arm,
the fabrication of guns from such material
| No action having been taken the board wa,
subsequently reconyened to determin.
| for carrying out its Recommendation.
:. 1t has received Information which indicate.
| that there are responsible steel inanufa6
| turers in this country who, although not pro
vided with the necessary plant, are willing Il
| construct the same and to make bids for con
sh tine for @ sRpy
adapted to modern warfare. If q guarante,
| order of sufficient magnitude, accompanied
positive. appropriation extending over
Congress-all doubts as to the feast
bility of the plan being thus rempved-I re
| taken by Congress as will enable the Govern
ment to construct its own ordnance upon it
i own territory, and so to provide the arma
Honal safety and honor: The report of tn
progress which has been made OF
i 1,E x,Exr etc orrfl z06 h
the acts of August 8, 1885 and March 8, 1888, o
! the four vessels under contract one, tn
Chicago Of 800 tons @ is more ret than half finish
| fully launched, and her machinery Is now ht
ting; the Boston, also of 5000 tons, is read,
for launching, and the Dolphin, dispatcl
| steamer of 1,500 tons, is ready for delivery.
| Certain adverse criticisms upon the de
| signs of these cruisers are discussed by tn
| Secretary, who insists that the correctness o
Board Boz S and by the department fa M has been de
| monstrated by recent development in ship
/ building abroad. The machinery of tn
1d and amphitrite. % contraefed for under Under the ac
/ of March 3, 1888, is in process of construction
| No work has been done during the past yea
on their armor, for lack of the necessary az
| preparations. A fourth monitor, the Monad
| mock, still remains unfinished at the Nav
| Yard in California.
to complete these vessels and to provide ais
an Armament for the monitor MiantonOmah
The recommendations of the Naval Advisor
/ Board, approved by the Department, cor
| prise the construction CT one steel cruiser O
1850 tons, one cruiser of !. 600 tons, two hcavl
| armed gunboats, one light cruising CUR
| Hotehl1iss cannon, one armored ram an
three torpedo boats. The general designs
all of which are calculated to meet the exis
| ing wants of the service, are now well at
| vanced, and the construction of the vessel
can be undertaken as soon as you shall gran
| the necessary authority. The act of Con
annrnVa6 AnD1lcf Al1fhnriZnd
| removal to the United States of the bodies c
Lieutenant Commander Geo. w. DeLong an
his companions, of the Jeanette Exped
| tion.
This removal has been successfully accom-
plished by Lieutenants Harber and Schuetz.
The remains were taken from the grave
the Lena Delta in March, 1888, and were n
tanned at Yakutsk until the following winte
l the season being too far advanced to adm
arrived at New York February 20, 1884, whel
they were received with suitable honors.
THE GREELY EXPEDITION.
In pursuance of the joint resolution {
Congress, approved February l3. 1884, a nav
Lieutenant A. W. Greely, United State
Army, and of the party who had been el
gagged under his command in scientific obse
vations at Lady Franklin Bay. The fie,
consisted of the steam sealer Tbetis, pu
chased in England; the Bear, purchased
st. Johns, Newfoundland, and the Aler
British sntiS Government. GOV Preparations for, ii
expedition were promptly made by the sse
retary of the Navy, with the active cooper
ton of the Secretary of War. Commando
George w. Coffin was placed in command I
| the Alert, and Lieutenant W.. HI. Emory
command of the Bear.
The Thetis was intrusted to Commando
Winfield s. Schley, to whom also was assignt
the superintendence of the entire expeditio
Immediately upon its arrival at Uppernay
the fleet began the dangerous navigation
Melville Bay, and in spite of every obstacl
reached Littleton Island on June q, fol-
night earlier than any vessel had befo
attained that point. On the same day
crossed over to Cape Sabine, where Leute
ant Greedy and the other survivors of b
: party were discovered. After taking {
board the living and the bodies of the dea
the relief ships sailed for st. Johns, whe
they arrived on July II.
They were appropriately received at Port
mouth, N. H., on August l, and at New Yol
| on August 8. One of the bodies was 1and
at the former place, the others were put
shore at Governors Island, and with the G
I eeption of one which was inferred in the
tional Cemetery, were forwarded thence
the destination indicated by friends.
The organization and conduct of this reli
: expedition reflects great credit upon all WI
2 contributed to its success.