Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-12-05
ouR vvATE r DEFENsEs.S

OUR WATER DEFENSES.
Annual Report Or Secretary whitney
Showing the Cond. tlon Of Uncle SANS
81 Navy.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 1.-secretary Whitney
IN his annual report, after presenting brief
review Of the condition of the navy ms it Will
exist on the 4lh OF March in comparison with
the Same on the 9TH OF March Of 3,5, says
that 50 fur Us armored ships arc concerned, the
subject Is yet 10 be treated In broad way
by the department. in Congress- AS q result Of
the pol,.y adopted and carried out during the
past three years tho conditions at the presena
time, the Secretary says, IRE such that every
thing necessary to o frst-class fighting ship
can be produced and furnished to the depart
ment in this country ns soon as in tho course
OF construction any element or feature is re-
CURED; but this has never heretofore until
the present time been true, and therefore
the consideration Of the subject has
been necessarily postponed by the
department. until the present me. The ef-
forts OF the department. IN ship construct on
have necessarily, since March, 1885, been de-
voted to unarmored vessels, md as to these
the department. Is able to report that when the
ships in course OF construction and those au-
thor zed shall have been completed, the
United States will rank second among tho ma
lions In the possession of unarmored cruisers
or scommerce destroyers" hav .ng the highest
characteristics Of size 5000 tons and upward,
and possessing speed of nineteen knots and up
ward. The Importance, the Secretary snys,
which has been placed upon this branch OF
naval q mament will be appreciated from the
statement that England and France possesses
sixty-fve vessels Of the class known as un-
armored cruisers. The attention OF the
world was attracted to the destructive effect
MI 01Nv uoo ,,foH, <roo -
United States by the cruisers fitted out under
the auspices OF the Confederacy in the
war OF the rebellion. The total tonnage of the
registered vessels of the United States had
risen year by year, until, in 1851, it amounted
to 2,642, 6:6 tons; and between 1861 AMI 1865 it
was reduced to 1,492,926 tons, or, in other
words, to the point which we had reached in
1o49, from which decline we have never recov
cred. The insurance war rsk upon American
vessels during the war rose in exceptional
cases to as high as Is per cent.
The Secretary quotes English authority for
the assertion that III there is ore point clear.
or than another in the history of commerce it is
this, that when State can not enectually
protect Its carry ng trade in time OF war that
trade passes from 1t and does not RETURN" and
saws:
We can not ut present protect our coast, but
We can return blow for blow, for we shall soon
be in condition to launch fleet OF large and
fast cruisers against the commerce OF an
! enemy, able to infl!ct the most serious and
lasting injury thereon.
Discussing the production of power by ma
chinery, Secretary Whitney says that an ex-
animation of the cond:t on OF the depart
ment In 1898 in this respect led to the conclu-
sion that the machinery OF naval vessels ought
to be so designed as to produce ten-horse
power for each Ton OF machinery, and It was de-
termined to make that the standard, and to
enter into contracts that were based
substantially thereon. Plans OF ma
chinery were purchased abroad, which upon
trial had Appropriated that result. dders
were author zed to bid upon the plans thus
submitted to competition or were permitted to
submit Their own plans, but we're obliged to
| guarantee tn results determined upon by the
department under severe penalties for failure
and compromising premiums in case OF attain
! ing better results. All the contracts for the
construction OF ships which have been
entered into since March, 1885, call for the
production Of power by machinery equal to the
highest standards. The efforts OF the depart
ment In this matter have been cordially Sec
onded by the bureau chiefs: and it is believed
that. at the present time, the department has
| reached the point where entire rel ance can be
| placed upon it for the production of war YES
sells equal in character to those OF any other
country.
Referring to the reduction of expenses dur
Ing the past three years, it is claimed that The
| savings OF the department are paying for the
| new navy, and on this topic the Secretary
says: 1T is gratifying to be able to report
| that, Notwithstanding the large expenditures
| Tor the new navy in the last three
! years, the reductions in other directl ons
has made the total expenditures less for the
! three years than fof the three wears
| ending June 30, 1884, the ordinary expe ses
| OF the department having been reduced over
p per cent" table is included in the report
! which shows that the expenditures Cor the
! years ending June 81, 1882, 1888 and 1884 were
&7,979,s97, and for the years ending June 30,
1886, 1887 and 1883 46, S30,630. The fiscal year
ending June 80, 1885,, is ON tied from the table
| Us not having been wholly in either admins
tration.
Discussing coast and harbor defenses Score.
tary Whitney says: In the last annual report
| of the department the considerations were
| given leading to the conclusion that it would
! be UNIV Sc for the department to follow the
course OF the European powers in build ng I'M
| protected torpedo boats. and in the present uu-
! certainty regarding the practicab'lty OF sub
| marine hoats and while wat ng the practical
| trial OF the dynamite gun.boat, 1t has been
| deemed wise for the department to build one
| ght-draught. heavily-armored, harbordefense
| floating battery or ram, for which designs have
| been prepared.
Considerable space is devoted to q discus.
sion Of the business methods OF the depart
ment. ana to the EFFORTS being made to sim
| plify, systemat 70 and improve them. Upon
| this subject the Secretary says: During the
| years of 1884 and 1885 over 50 per cent In
value OF the supplies OF the department
were obtained by open purchases with.
| out compel ton. During the last year
the proportion OF such purchases was less
| than II per cent, and in the course OF the next
! fiscal year it is believed that the open pur-
chases' can be reduced to about 5 Ter co 1T.
The naval brokers' have for the most nnrt dis.
appeared, and regular responsible dealers are
becoming more aud more contractors for these
supplies For time it seemed impossible to
d,slodge them. They would uuderbid regular
dealers, notably for the supply of
, coal. It was quite evident they
| had some advantage VIII ch did not
| appear. Careful investigation showed the
! quality OF the coal delivered to be as con-
| tracted for. Tho receiver OF the coal was
changed at the Brooklyn navy yard AID the
! weights taken by another civ employe, and
nothing suspicious was developed. Finally a
| naval officer detailed withOnt orevinna