Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-22
THE NEW CRUISERS.
THE CONDITION AND PRESENT STATUS OF
THENEw NAVY.
The Appropriation Will Not Be Sufficient And An
Additional Sum Asked Por-The Old Navy in
Bad Condition and Many Of the YES
sells Beyond Repair

WASHINGTON, ID. c., November a.
The Chief of the Bureau of Construction
and Repairs, in his annual report states
that the steel cruisers Atlanta and Boston
are at the navy yard, Brooklyn, n. Y.
They have been docked and their bottoms
cleaned and painted and independent Of
work which bad To be done by the Gov
ernment to fit them for sea, alterations
and additions have been and are being
made to them, rs called for from time TO
time by the advisory board. The Chicago
is still at Chester and the work on her is
now being pushed rapidly toward compile
tion. The Chief Constructor says
THE APPROPRIATION
OF 500, SCI made under the act of July 26,
iss6, will not he sufficient 10 complete the
work on these vessels, and in order that no
delay in its prosecution may be occasioncd
by lack Of funds, he has asked for an addi-
tional appropriation of $50, 900, which IL is
expected will complete the vessels, provid-
ed no further alterations nor extra work,
involving any considerable expenditure Of
money and time are recommended by the
Advisory Beard.
The lackawanna, now nj the Mare
Island Navy lard, California, while not
yet condemned, cannot be repaired for ac-
tive service, and il is suggested that she
be converted into receiving ship, to re
place the old line of battle ship lndepend-
encc, which is now unfit for further use as
receiving ship. The Tennessee, the
only iirst-rlte wooden vessel in active ser
vice, can he kept in service but few
months longer. She is undoubtedly in
very bad condition. The Shenandoah
also has been surveyed and found 10 bc
beyond repair
The number of scryiccable vessels in the
havy has thus been reduced TO two tirst rate,
ten second rate, twenty third rate, and
seven fourth rate vessels. The latter class
including two torpedo rams, The Frank
lin, Wabash, Minnesota and New York all
first rate vessels are set down ~ requiring
extensive repairs. In addition 10 these
vessels the naval list comprises l3 tugs
ond II wooden sailing vessels used for re-
cciying and training ships.
THE SEW VESSELS
completed, building or authorized Ia be
built, are summed up as follows: One
the Dolphin complete; two lthc Boston
and Atlanta armament incomplete; five
the Chicago and the monitors) incom-
plcte; five, (thc Baltimore, Charleston and
Newark and two gunboats) under adycr-
vertiscment, and four an arm0rcd cruiser,
battle ship, a pneumatic dynamite boat,
and torpedo boat mot yet been signed.
To the list of iron and steel vessels can ba
added the Alert and the Rangers -four
guns each The Monaccy paddlc-whecl
gunboat, six guns; Michigan paddle
wheel gunboat, four guns; Alarm, one
gun; Intrepid. yet Ia be oomplctcd) gun
boat. two l3-inch guns.
THE REMAINDER
of the iron built vessels now in the service
consists of l3 river and hnrbor monitors
with single screws rated as fourth rates.
They could not be got ready for service,
without an expenditure of 500, 900 under
this bureau alone.
OF the second rates, the Trenton. Omaha
and Nandalia can probably be continued
in service ten years longer. the lancas or
and Brooklyn, six years; the Hartford,
Richmond and Pensacola, five years. On
the third rates, the Mohcan can bc contin-
ued in the service for ten years; the Adams,
Alliance, Essex, Enterprise, Tallapoosa,
lantic and Nipsic for six years; the Ju-
niata, Ossippec, Quinncbang, Swatara,
Galcna, Marion, kcarargc aud lriquois,
five years longer Plans and spcciiica-
tions have been completed for two compo-
site built fine modelled vessels to be used
as training ships and they could he COM
mcnccd AT once, if an appropriation was
made for them The Board appointed Ia
design plans Tor the completion of
THE DOUBLE TURgETED MONITORS
has nearly finished the specifications. The
chief constructor recommends that In
event of only one of the large vessels provid-
cd for at the last session of congress being
built at navy yard il should bc built nj
the Brooklyn yard, ~ that yard IL now in
condition 10 commence any such yes-cl and
carry on the work with some rapidity.
Great necessity exists for better
docking facilities In all our
navy yards. This il rendered more i'm
portant on account of the frequency with
which the steel unshcatbcd vessels will re-
quire 10 he docked 90 clean and paint
their bottoms. In the event Of foreign
war this great deficiency would be serious
ly felt, perhaps more 10 than any other
of our present wants. il II therefore
worthy Of grave consideration, whether
immediate steps should not be taken 10
place our navy yards in this respect In tho
most thorough condition Of effectiveness.
THE devil wonld persis. in botbering
Martin Inther until the b,ldhead monk