The Portland daily press., 1885-12-05
OUR NAVY.
Secretary Whitney Presents His An
nuaI Report.


WASHINGTON Dec. 4-The annual report Of
Secretary Whitney Of the Navy Department was
presented today. He gives the war vessels in
commission as follows:
North Atlantic Squadron-Tennessee (hag
ship. Brooklyn, Galena, Swatara, Alliance and
Yantic.
South Atlantic Squadron-Lancaster alag shipl
and Nipsc.
,Asiatic Squadron Trenton alag ship, Omaha,
Marion, Ossipee, Alert, Monocacy and Pal0s.
Pacific Squadron-Hartford (1ag ship Shenan-
doah, Mohican. Iroquos, Adams and Pinta.
European Squadron-Pensacola, Quinnebaug
and KearSarge.
On detached service-Powhatan and Despatch
on the Atlantic coast, the Michigan on the lakes
on the coast of California.
BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS.
The chief of this bureau says that the navy
yards, docks, wharves, buildings, &c., in its charge
aggregating in value some fifty millions of dollars
are falling rapidly into condition of.extreme de-
cay. Buildings are falling or about to fall roofs
leakln6 to such an extent as to involve the de-
struction Of property stored underneath; wharyes
so rotten that persons cannot walk over them in
safety; stone dry-dockS which are required to be
shored up with timber; bad roadways, defective
water pipes, and in general such an extent of de-
cay and dlapldatlon as to imply general destruc-
ton.
If it is the policy of Congress to maintain the
navy yards as ship-yardS, workshops or depotS of
supply it is manifest that the work of putting the
@ @DuliuingS, Wnalyes anu otneT appurtehances III
proper repair f pe unoeftaken az once @ ana anu
alternative must be the abandonment of all the
property to waste and ruin.
IDLY ATssoo i1 Saiu u, FL, 10 oM II = ~ "
open the yard, an estimate of S232 900 is present.
It nI III @ j "a III e. AZ ; aT snS ~
ships, Simpson dry dock will be a necessity. 1t
WIN cost apo9I Stoo,ooo, 'hu VIII require t"o
years " coilipiele.
BUREAU OF EQUIPMENT AND RECRUITING,
The chief of this hureau describes in detail the
: III, s..-1 ~ :. !, ~
operations ol tle bureau IN tne purchase, manu-
facture, and supply of coal, sails hemp, cordage,
chains. anchors. galleys. and other articles of
- - 49,.
eauipmeat under It's charge. Tables are presented
mannfaetuTed Al the yonesIT N the FL ' Rostpn
navy yard over that furnished by private dealers.
Ile aeqqlsillon oI modern plant 1or the rolllng
Wasbmeton nayv ward Is recommended as fhe
nlant has undergori1e M irnnrovemenf for twenty
1--WE wears
The number of annrentices received in tbe navy
during the mast vear was 759 II is Recommended
| that two comn1site vessels he conSfructed of
modern type, embodying the latest improvements
in engines pllns and tornedo annarafus for nse in
the tTaininp service 'ii '''''S'
The average number of seamen and annrentices
has not exceeded the legal quota. The cost of
M @ w te a, 4o5 ie ailoweu 70 te & eoaSt P s5I
These men should be provided for independenfly
of the quota for the navy. Certain other changes
fh lSooeueu nrh snS oSt lporthnS la shnl peis
allowed to elect a home on board re-
eelylng-ships during the three months allowed by
laM 70 ieeiitst, iie Ssasuce Ieiatg 70 te ao
, Nil III ~ ~ "a 0 III tlo e.
ad any a,,thorfy Sh0nid ha " ;J, 20 oonSSoned
ofeerS of ths navv to annster the oath Sf ale
oiance 10 u the nen be racr,,;t nnon enstmcpt
shid sL1d ~ @ eS 6 5i ,tbjn 9pO % t
ment instead If hecomina ss at nresent ~ sdehtor
to fbe nvernmept 10 the o,n+ no ,,S Of fre,
nav nnrnnriation shonid he made for the nnT
ch3se of readino nattar for tho crave Provission
shonId he made for the retrement f saamen After
fh;rt ves f Sarlca 0 Il , do N ga tb &
and ySn STs ~ SSi % az 70 t u aov III s1 @
fem introdnced in the army by statufe in 1915.
VIII evceent resnlts shoiid he apnlied to the na
~ prppAr ~, ,c4y,o AT,ox
-, :, = -
me ehlel u liie bureau ol Naslsa'lon' reports
house bos haa, hao,,n ard n oo,,,ass s+a+ior fo7
@ ~
the accurate determnaton OF deviation mas been
establlshed IN Narragansett Bay. Inc report
dwells upon me urgeut Necessity OF estaDnshlng N
compass stIlons 4. tne paiiiclpal Sep4rts noI ie
Denelb ol tle efTldnt iilIine uueI tile uIectlo
Oh naval olcerS; III eounecGon Wltl tne suplect o.
ocean surveys u Is reconnelaed tlaI tIle ihetls
De employeu N eAaIlas sle nnpeiIlSclly-SuI
Vsyea y ~ eoasts III tlie ldcllc ilequehteu ny hleI-
oN'NO 'e''e'9
oni-ao az, ~ ~. o,spt' 49, ~
io 49, ''e 0u - ~ =.
Aie'.iee w !. wy -
- s'i'' "l'e ~ CIV ~ ''Ae
| Improvements IN gunpoWder, gun-cotton, gas
| tinos ammunition for tbe uotcbl,iss onn and
eIactrr;naI annaratne fo, firino oraat oIIns 9' W
Worlx Of aII kinds has heens nSnshed forvard ran
dv Of tba ord,anca dana rtraart of tl,a Wasb;npt,
ton tS navT ,sT wv srd If viii rennira
nuantity yof modern mach9nerv to Mace tbs ~
| nneTfma55+ on sntahIe foofipg ~ ps W W
1 Satisfactory progress has been made in the ord
| nance of the new cruisers, five 6-inch and two s.
| inch Dreech-0adlng hlgh-pOWer steel guns having
on Of he env sets df ~ orgng o
| 6-inch guns ordered from the Midvale Steel Com
| Pany nineteen nave passed inspection and beer
| aerVeIeu. aV e.-,..
ne W9Ik ld u anu asSeniDnhs
doI s siSs nas Laue 4 9aIslact9rS prOgieSs aI lht
West Pnint Fonodrv Association amd eI 81 ~ q
inch guns will shortly be finished. The forgngs
ior o-lnch guns nave 1nst arrived from England
shows The mporta4ee of having 6eayyv ~arlTl apn
| forging plant in the United States.
| Designs have been made for the batteries of the
session IF ConDTess and estimates have been nre
| pared for modern armament for six of the pre-
| sent tnlrdrate shlpS OF tne navy.
mamenf Of fhe donhie t,irreted Monitors oi '''o ~
r,rprAtr ~, ,,I,,ySnr,, ,Tc,r,o>r Avn prp.rp
4 - - -
| Inc report oI the Chlel recommends
| the purchase of supplies by annual schedule, pre-
sents with some detail his va,vs ae to tho raonire
| r =, !,
=. W ~ =
sSHnid he 5e nocy m @ ,T t
tain one large navy yard, and advocates League
Island as the most advantageous site. In the
seel sims M fhe brepn Homes tat At least one
half Of the ships may be built in our navy yards
| and it dwells with Emphasis upon the serious OBJ
stacie existing at the present time in the want o
| docking facilities
| cam on o1n vEsspre Ann covrRNTN,E,yT ppop
| '1A"'4 ~ TpTY ~
EHiA.
Inc only condemned vessels sold during th
| mast wear were the huIk Niaoara at BOSTON, an,