New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-05
CONDITION OF THE NAVY.
SECRETARY WHITNEY MAKES HIS REPORT.
TIE CASES OF THE DOLPHIN AND THE CRUISERS
1.n>.-,1..rn1- -IAlpEnNE.IENTs N LIE sEKElCE.

c. Whitney Secretary OF the Navy has made pubic the
annual report Of Navy Department for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1888 Under the head OF Expcndl-
lures the Secretary say that tno amoanto appropa
lions ap caJle the current expenses Of the year was
Sl442J,9i2 81, being $l,5G4,s25 03 less than the
amount available for the fiscal yeir ending jane 50
1854. The uuexpended balance IA $2,353,645 49,
The APPROPRIATIONS available for the present fiscal
year. commencing July |. 1875. are Sl3,o9O,7ol 9o'
The amount drawn by from the Treasury from
July l. 1885, to November l, 1882 deducting that re-
funded, Is Si.235,761 49, The amount drawn 10y war
rant during the same period OF last year was
S43s3,2It 90. The estimates for the fiscal year
ending June So 1857, amount to $35.lOi,G0o 10,
ia which embraced estimates Tor new
objects not those ordinarily for tho service,
amounting 6O6995O "a, leaving for tho customary
purposes OF the service $l903i744 OIL. They embrace
for increase OF the Navy no; for the completion
and armament OF tho double turreted monitors
81 2O2 $685. aud for public works ana Improvements al
Inc yards a0d stations Sl,26s,537 Al. a..
Considerable space devoted TO IA account OF the dls
turbances at Panama and the energetic action Of che
Navy in establishing the treaty rights OF the Unltel
states. The officers and men,, says Secretary W mt
ney charged with restoration OF the freedom OF transit
on the ihmhs accordance with the provisions VI the
treaty 1916, discharged their duty In highy satlsac
tory manner The action OF me Department was en.e
to res1ect the autonomy OF Colombia and our inter
ference ceased the moment the object had been accom-
psed aud the freedom OF transit had been securely re
Referring to the construction Of the additional
cruisers and two gunboats authorized by Congress ~ us
days # is relieved thai the lans Will be sufficiently al
vance Justify the commencement OF the advertise
ment aud It Is perhaps well tfHt attention should ne
called 10 fact that the ships are koy to be finished
period long prior to tho probable completion OF ther
armament
THE pulrnIN, BOSTON, ATLANTA AND CHICAGO
"Uron my accession to oce" continues the Secretary.
the Department had In process OF construction, under
contract with Mr. John Roach, three modern steel
cruisers and dispatch boat They constituted the
r, attempt Of the Navy department for many years to
construct vessel mp To the modern requirements
They should be looaod upon and judged rs such As
such they WILL trust found in the main croditIbe 10
those who have been engaged in tnoir creation. They
Will certainly II they have been we'll built be an I'm
prOvrmcn upon the previous work Of the Department.
but IL i, not profitable 10 consider them standards OF
excellence for future work. it to be expect OF
mai tncy would he. 10 is be regretted Il think All will
accrle ~ tins gr,tOn That greater elaboration
va, not mad over the preparation Of tho plans. it
that The pans hd not been prepared when the pubhca-
ton OF the advertisement Tor proposals Tor Dls wa HF'
made In fact they passed upon and approved
ny Advisory Board aud finally settled lutll about tho
dly when the Dds were Ia be submitted From the com
plants OF the contractor Oargey an Inclined Ia thluk
JUST long delays t01k place IN settling details after the
contracts were entered into.
Upon the 18Th OF March last paper WAS presented
10 Tor examination ad signature, constituting an hO-
eel lance OF the Dolphin on behalf of he Government
Having been then lees than tsO weeAa IN ONCE TOOK
the papers Tor examination From t4e,e paPerS AZ
peaIcd she had not upon her trial fulfilled one Oi the
tons requisite under the contract for her accept
aDc"; namely, nhe had not developed ana maintained
$500 indicated horse power during Tue trial required ny
the contract Ia That event tie 'n''i,l p''I NO III
a serious responsibility. 10 said: Provided that IN
failure OF the DEVELOPMENT o I'm, over th'
vessel snail accrct n 1c shown To- the -at-iAo
ton Of the naval ADVISORY Board ana thc sec ciry o
the Navy that tn- iaare wa, due neither 10 detective
wothunn'hlp n"i ii trii' b' N', i''i., o., -,
lcrrng this ii Irr on hci part sail: IN E'hrl II %
100 rc1,li.,.I by the contract FOR six consecutive
hours was not dur 10 defective Workmanship nor ma
ginctr force result viii bc exceeded From this II
nplcrc6 that thcy pass her somewhat ro1i'tonay; at
Ir..L Ift Ia ID
it wa, quit easy IN ta,t"
An acrIIt 0l tie additional trial trips of tho Dolphin
aud the curresI Dllerrc RELATING thereto follows Upon
the 10th Jny." says the -e'r,tll, The Exam lining
Board reported tne res llt' oi or c>th'ntl'h s 20
tort was rep r o. hy the AI-'ry NpIri upv tr l3th
OF July which 90 turn ewcd hy the bo1rt a. tx
n,,1'.l'n "1 ' g - r.',-r an il =. lpl.r he
conceded having been tlIl'tuA Ot course CON
plotted snip can ou, Judged To her character ~
what can bee II :, too it- p'-, any 'c} slI,
factory Judgment upon her merits ava t7 iict is 'rch
commented upon n tlc report o. iAe Examining Hoard
on. surface Indications available as indicating the
character oi her PROM these reports 10 appear.
tho Board proceeded {, remedy de- cots which we're ap-
pareut 90 hcr construction.
The decision of the Department wa. that under Tia
circumstances go point coId properly pr u'tr "lUi r'
Gcic,. no., were cit hU to p9nt- 10 ie case ."r
,trru.th Tie results Of Tue t.a. ha shown that -uo
hal not the speed contemplated uf congress m Li+tlif
tempurau Dusty elsewhere were given. and question
r.is. although no positive st-t"weat "a' IA .e'
crcnm, lance. considered b. them with reference To her
strength and state that nothing short " irai ~ rca
,.,r,, M, +, w. !, mere, matter OF op.nIIn WITH
out such test. Under the crcum7lduc"s the Depart
mcut decided % submit the question 10 One attorney
General, wcthrr under the contract, ana a" he CON
tractor on-ho for the speed ANA strength ~ She
vr--c The opinion -anurNcd I'M other papers, the lie
c.iuu being that he repon-ibe 10th FOR tne specd
paper vh c purppred To be- foi the oonstruc-
ID
10 tli- Time had be,"ne aware 81 tho circun
staco that the officers ~ the Department had hurrtn-
deIed The contractor the reservations upou all ui -
pending contracts, with the exception Of small sum Of
about r2j0Op winch reservations mai pco provided Tor
the srcuty VI thc Government ior Tue faithful per-
fornance oi the work At TN, time there Ayc
tracts pending ani lncompic'r, namely thc contracts
upon three cruisers aud the dispatch boat and for tho
machinery IN the Puritan II TIC ease 81 me Puritan
the contract hl Hprch'hy Provided mat the rc'riFa
tons should not be paid until The contract was com
pcted ia all ~ part, pnd the machinery should have
been three months. ~ also provided Tor
trial twenty four hours before tho tenth last pay
mcut upon the contract should he made In December,
1881 many nOnta- prior to tho completion OF the
tract iu view oI the fact that trial po.s
nccr 90. chief; ami thcreuppn, In January, l~-j when
considerable amount Of work. estimated at probable
cost T2GJZ7. remained o be- done order cte
the requirements o the contract the sum of S1G22J a.
.tutne TIE reser' atons uron the contract paid
10 the contractor In violation Oh The specific provisions Of
Tg rircustlnccs under which tho re- eryatou. had
been surrendered upon the other four contract. were a.
Iuid he uro,idcd WIN steel refr The nf't NJ tl.e
placed the Dolphin broke uIOn her trial trip. Il had
ire, ou-y been condemned 10y the Advisory Board upon
the made under their direction aud had pui
ueycrtelr-s upon In" responsibility of the contractor
At his suggestion modification Of the contract, and
specifications itde by which sIb- ltutcd
steel iu the shafts %. Tie ior boats. Upon the sup
position. them that This change ~ plan had delay
In tine CDu,truron an opinion WAS obtained from the
Attorney General that the contract. could be modified 80
as surrender the reservations to the contractor with
reference 10 the Boston, Atlanta ana Chicago In point
OF fact serious delay In the final completion OF the
chips could properly have been attributed 10 this cause
Nevertheless, the reservations were. with the exception
! OF about $4,000, surrendered 10 tho contractor
By these processes something tie of
100000 OF Government moneys had been advanced to
and all or the yo contracts -ubstlu
tally stripped OF the security which 10y term. OF the
contracts was provided. These acts produced an mn
favorable impres sion upon me- inasuuch was unable
that the grounds which these inOncy4 were
surrendered were substantial At the same time IL "A
PROPER for mo that believe the part cipntiou OF
the officers of the Department therein had iu good
fifth and vi kpCctalun that tho Interest. al be