Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-05
OUR ALLEGED NAVY.
The Concise and Incisiye Report OF
Secretary Whitney.
he TALKS PLAINLY TO CONGRESS
An Interesting and Important Document
Reports of the War Department
and the Land Office.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. December 4.-Ih
annual report Of Secretary Whitney, OF tn
; Navy Department, was issued to-day. !
is short, sharp, incisive document, merci
lessly criticising the alleged United States
Navy and definitely pointing out to Con
gress the method to pursue in giving to tn
country a navy worthy Of the name and b
to sail in the same waters with the navie
of other and some lesser nations. Tn
Secretary reviews the work Of the Depart
ment during the fiscal year ending Jun
| 80, 1885. and summarizes the reports o
its bureaus, which is familiar reading
Under the head Of
EXPENDITURES,
the Secretary says:
The amount Of appropria tions apphca
BILE to the current expenses OF the first SIX
months of the fiscal year was 81 255, ,283 AZ
the amount for the last six months OF said
year ending June 80, 1885, s6.2SO,25385,
making the total amount Sl3, 3,485, ,5S7 33,
in which is included $l7, 1862 transferred
from navy yard Brooklyn, n. Y, 1884, to
that appropriation 1885 per appropriation
warrant No. 383, $4,000 from machinery
double.turrsted monitors indefinite, to
steam engineering, 1885, per appropriation
warrant No. $50, and 2,l9l.87 pay mis-
cellaueous 1885, appropriated to supply
def iencies for said fiscal year per sppro'
priation warrant No. 39l.
The total gross amount VIII ch was avail
able for the year was $l4, 425 .942.8l, being
| SI,50t,523 % less than the amolnt avail
able for the fiscal year ending June 80,
| 1884
The net amount drawn from the Treas
ury By warrant during the las. fiscal year
was Sl3, ,337 ,867.72, as shown by the books
of the Department, which leaves balance
uudrawn Of 81 ,058,O7 o.; to this should
| be added the net amount uneXpended 10
the hands of pay officers on the said June
80, 1885, as shown by the office OF the
Fourth Auditor. 1855 5,570.64. leaves au
aggregate balance unsxpsuded OF 81 .313,-
645. 73, which stood TO the credit Of the
Department at the begiuuiug OF the pres
ent fiscal year. That is, the total ne. ex.
peuditure for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1885, was that much less than the sp
preparations.
The appropriations available for the
present fiscal year, commencing July l,
1885. are $l359O,704 95. The amount
/ drawn By warrant from the Treasury from
July |, 1885, to November |, 1885, deduct
ing that refunded, is 81, 285, ,16O 80. The
amount drawn by warrant during the same
period oflast year was S4,3S3,244 80.
ESTIMATES
! The estimates for the Navy for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1887, amount to
$35, ,l0l.695 Is, in which sum are embraced
estimates for new objects, not those ordi-
nsrily for the service. amounting to Sl6.-
O69, $50 %, leaving for the customary pur-
poses OF the service Sl9,0347449l. They
embrace for increase of the Navy $40 ,j03,-
ITO; for the completion and armament Of
the double turreted monitors $4,202, ,656;
and for public works aud Improvements at
the yards aud stations S4,268 ,337.4l.
Under the head Of additional new cruis
ers the Secretary says:
Within the next thirty days it is believ-
ed that the plans will be sufficiently sd
ysnced as to Justify the commencement Of
the advertisements for the submission OF
plans by engineers and mechanics Of es
tablished reputation, naval constructors,
and Others, within q period, not less than
sixty days, to be named. And it is per,
hsps we'll that attention should be called
TO the fact that the ships are likely to be
finished at period long prior to the prob
able completion Of their armament
There is q growing interest in the mat
ter of Government work, and the field Of
the bidders will. think, be larger than
ever before. Several large builders oI
engines and machinery have expressed q
desire to be permitted to compete for the
construction Of the machinery for the new
ships, and it may be decided to separate
the hull aud her fittings from the Machine
~ in the advertisement, as is som mstime
doae in other countries: Ia that event
the field Of the bidders would probably bc
greatly increased.
THE DOLPHIN, BOSTON, ATLANTA AND CHI
4 CAGo.
Under this head the Secretary exten
sively reviews the contracts of the Govern
ment with John Roach and the subsequen:
familiar developments. In critieising the
Dolphin he says:
The Dolphin, as she now is, should b.
regarded as pleasure boat rather than as
a dispstch boat. TIE absence Of the most
ordinary and approved devices for protec
ton against hostile FIRE in her design take
her out of the category of war vessels. The
use, for instance, of vertical engines, ex
posing her machinery above the water line
in a vessel without srmory protection, il
far from being good practice at this time
In fact, she does not bear favorable com
psrisop with similar vessels built at sbou
the same time by other countries.
The Surprise, built by the English Gov
erunent contemporaneously with the con
struction by Us ofthe Dolphin, has horlzonts
engines placed below the water line, will
horizontal steel protective deck and will
coal protection fn addition. She has Il
wster-tight compartments as against tht
Dolphin's 6. Her machinery weighed II
Der cent. less than the Dolpbin's andpro
du:ed 20 per cent more power, and hei
speed is from two to three knots bette
than that Of the Dolphin. The vital partl
of the Dolphin are 30 exposed that unde
Ere she would be quite useless; yet her de
sign is chsrg'sbls to the Government
ORGANIZATION OF TIE DEPARTMENT.
1t must be evident says the Secretary
that there is something radically wronl
With the Department The universal dis
sAtissactiou Is the conclusive proof Of thls
Itis expressed to me- by influential mem
bers oe both political parties, and quis
, universally By the naval officers, couples
with the hope and expectation that SOM
. remedy may be found and speedily sp
8 Piled. .-
BE suggests and says that the naturs
: division Of the work of the Department i
into three branches:
E..t Tha Denartmant having To d