The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-04
THE NAVY,
Secretary WhitneyS Forth
coming Report.
VIEWS on THE NEW CRUISERS
His Timely accommodations for the
improvement OF the Service
The dCea Case
The Navy.

The Navy.
WAsHIEsros, D. c., D scemb r 3.-The
report OF Secretary of the Navy
Whitney, given out tonight, opens
with q renewal of his former recon-
mendation of a consolidation of the
bureaus so as to insure responsibility
in the purchase and care of supplies
and so far as his power extended, he
had consolidated in one bureau the
general purchases of the department,
The care and custody of stores, creating
q system of bookkeeping by which the
responsibility for the care and DISPOSE
ton car be had. The report says:
There is, at present. no real response
bilitv for the care and disposition OF
property. In one bureau q property
account is kept. and in others, none.
Property lost, misused or stolen, cannot
be traced or accounted for, and no
person can be held respons bic. The
fourth auditor, in his report Just Is
sued, calls attention 10 this remark
able circumstance, which was also re-
ferred TO in my asst annual re-
port. The inventory shows 4 very large
and unnecessary accumulation Of stores
and supplies by the different Oure Jus,
aggregating over S20lOO0,OO0 IN ap-
praised value. The board reports be
tween IS. 900. 600 and 81 600 600 IN value
20 be absolutely useless at the present
time. only entailing expense for the
keepers and constant care TO preserve
them in condition. Among these
accommodations some very absurd facts
appear. At eighty navy yards there
have accumulated altogether Of
NJ
1924 have been lying Tor several years
at closed yards, where no work has
been done, or Is likely TO be done.
REeAEOISG TIE YEw CRUISERS,
The report says: The experience of the
department in its first attempt at the
creation OF modern vessels Of war has
been such As to excite the greatest con
Germ aud disappointment. The eXami
nation Of facts with reference 70 them
demonstrates that an entirely new de
parture was necessary IN undertaking
further similar construction. One
characteristic which an unarmorsd
cruiser must possess is great speed.
This IS determined by the funcuOu
Whicu she Is expected 10 perform in
~ dern warfare. Ii she Is q CON
merce destroyer she must be able
to escape from iron-clads and
out. run, SO IS TO overhaul, merchant
men. Il slower than the iron clads,
she could not keep there, and If slower
than the merchant men, she might as
well stay IN port. This division OF ships
by the functions which they are ex-
pected 70 perform Is one Of the things
which has come about Of recent years
When IL became impossible to cOncea-
trate IN one ship both the greatest
speed, strongest armament and the
highest defensive power without reach
ing tonnage displacement, which is
wholly out OF the question, the digis' on
into classes according 70 the work which
they were expected TO perform came
about. UnaTmOured cruisers have be-
come distinct classes. and q character
lstic absolutely indispensable 10 this
class Is very great speed When the
Dolphin, Boston, At'Enta and Chicago
were projected and contracts for their
construction entered into, II was well
known what speed ought 10 De ootsined
snd what weight and character OF
machinery per ION OF displace-
ment was necessary TO obtain IL.
commercial vessels had at that time
attained SPEEDS ranging between sixteen
and nineteen knots, and cruisers were
built IN other countries attaining the
same speed. The Secretary compares
the trial trip Ct the Dolphin and the II
lInid with those of the English and
french boats only recently COMPLETED,
70 the disadvantage Of the former. The
Dophin was designed for 800 indicated
morse power, and developed less than
z,J1y, while Aldcrify and Surprise. the
English boats, Of 5000, DEVELOPED SI7S
and 500, respectively. The Auaata
was designed to attain 3, 500 horse power.
put her engines develop less than that.
Inc report says: These facts are stated
Hltnout the intention OF locating .the
responsibility or blame upon any person.
II Is impossible 70 ascertain where IN
SnOula De placed. But they indicate
me simple abandonment on the part of
I1e deDartment Of any attempt to reach
Sue CONDITIONS which should have been
Stalneo- and failure on the part OF
1t contractor 70 reach the limited re-
c5ns;s11p ected oy the department. In
40, as the matter of the construc-
Co.. oluonal vessels authorized by
Ss-,s.iSs II March, 1885. il was
6s-s, oY the department TO ex.
81 -. Effort 10 avail itself
rr4 -, most advanced rhought
49, L9-7e attained by Our ov-n
oL-lT countries ON The S;,b;a.,
ec--,..,--T1e - sAs : he department has
to-, 49,. : ar e amount OF iuforna-
s. g Nc, a WI WI ee utilized in the con
HE report gives -al,-,, ll
@-4E1s or t. NV --1!sers and ssvs
i:55aIalls cruiser 10. l. for which y,o
S.lS We're received within ~ -,
- -!Is oy congress. Orders have bean I
So $50 . REFUGE her size Tor the pur-
80 81 arrging out the inteDtio5 ~
S-sie>>. II possible OF h-irr-i,,-. ~
expense u her construction wins t5s
So, a5i.-, q. p 10000 It requires 4 re-
= .llent 81 az Weights. and. in fart
ne GeSlgn'ng OF q new vessel. wIicb
- Isss :. lakes some months. Mean
80 80 i Il hoped the limit fixed bv
N0neress may be removed "a a. ~
-S-leE available the present pIans
N--t1 nave been the result of MANI
IoaNhS labor on the part Of the ofFicsrs
" - department. The report treats
% ne armor sud guns for monito-s
14lA iron elau- A. n-aa@ T.-.kL