The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1888-12-07
THE NAVY.


ney, in his annual report, after presenting
brief review of the condition of the navy
/ as it will exist on the 4th of next March in
/ comparison with the same on the 4th Of
/ March, 1885, says that so far as armOred
ships are concerned the subject is yet to
be treated in broad way by the depart
ment and Congress. As a result of the
| policy adopted and carried out during the
/ post three years, the conditions at the
present time are such that everything
necessary to a first class fighting ship can
be produced and furnished to the depart
ment in this country as soon as in the
| course Of construction any element or
| feature is desired; 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 times
The efforts of the department in ship
construction have necessarily, since
| March, 1885, been devoted to unarmOred
| vessels, and as to these the department
I is able to report that when the ships in
course of construction, and those author
| lied, shall have been completed, the
| United States will rank second among the
| nations in the possession of unarmOred
cruisers or commerce destrOyers,' hav
ing the highest characteristics of size
5000 tons and upward-and possessing
| speed of nineteen knots and upward. The
importance WDlCu mas D66n pldCoQ upon
| this branch of naval armament viii be
appreciated from the statement that En-
gland and France possess sixty y-fve ves-
| sells of the class known as unarmored
cruisers.
The attention of the world was attract
ed to the destructive effect which was pro-
| duced upon the commerce of the United
States by the cruisers fitted out under the
auspices of the cOnfederacy in the war of
the rebellion. The total tonnage of the reg
istered vessels of the United States had
risen year by year until, in 1861, it amount
| ed to 2,642, 1913 tons; and between 1861 and
1866 it was reduced to ,492, ,126 tons, or in
| other words to the point which we had
| reached in 1849, from which decline we
! have never recovered. The insurance war
| risk upon American vessels during the
war rose in exceptional cases to as high
as twenty-five per cent.
| Discussing the production of power by
| machinery, Secretary Whitney says that
| an examination of the condition of the
department in 1885 in this respect, led to
the conclusion 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 determined to
| make that the standard, and to enter into
no contracts that were not based substan-
| TALLY thereon. Plans of machinery were
! purchased abroad, which upon trial had
! approximated that result. Bidders were
! authorized to bid upon plans thus submit
ted to competition, or were permitted to
! submit their own plans, but were obliged
| to guarantee the results determined upon
| by the department, under severe penalties
for failure, and with cOmpensating pre-
miunls in case of attaining 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 department
in this matter have been cordially second
| ed by the bureau chiefs; and it is believed
! that at the present time the department
has reached the point where entire reli-
| ance can be placed upon it for the prOduc-
ton of war vessels equal in character to
! those of any other country.
Referring to a reduction of expenses
! during the past three years, it is claimed
| that the savings Of the department are pay
| ing for the new navy, and on this topic
| the Secretary says:
It is gratifying to be able to report that not
| withstanding the large expenditures for the
new navy in the last three years, the reductions
! in other directions has made the total expendi-
ture less for the three years than for the three
| years ending June 30, 1884, the ordinary
| penses of the department having been reduced
| over twenty per cent.
A table is included in the report which
! shows that the expenditures for the years
! ending June 80. 1882, 1888 and 1884 were
| S47,979, 1897, and for the years ending June
30, 1886, 1887 and 1888, SAC, 800, $50. The fis-
cal year ending June so, 1885, is omitted
| from the table as not having been wholly
IN either Administration.
| Discussing coast and harbOr defenses,
| Secretary Whitney says:
In the last annual report of this department
| considerations were given leading to the con-
| aIuSiOn thnt il would he nOViSn for the
ment to follow the course Of the European
powers in building unprotected torpedo boats,
| and in the present uncertainty regarding the
! lmprGcticability of submarine boats, and while
| waiting the practical trial of the dynamite gun
boat it has been deemed wise for the depart
| ment to build hght-draught, heavily ar
| mored harbor-defense floating battery or ram,
for which designs have been prepared.
Considerable space is devoted to a discussion
! of the business methods of the department,
! and to the efforts beng made to simplify,
| systematic and improve them. Upon this
! subject the Secretary SAYS: During the wears
! of 1884 and 1888 over fifty per cent. in value OF
| the supplies OF the department were obtained
by open purchases without competition Dur
| ing the last year the proportion of such pur-
chases was less than eleven per cent, and in
! the course OF the next fiscal year it is believed
| that the open purchases can be reduced to
about five per cent. The naval brokers have
/ for the most part disappeared, and regular re-
! sponsible dealers are becoming more contrac-
tors for these supplies. For a time it seemed
impossible to dislodge them. They would
underbid regular dealers, notably for the sup
! ply of coal 1t was quite evident they had
some advantage which did not appear. Care
full investigation showed the quality OF the coal
/ delivered 10 be as contracted for. The reeeiv-
er Of the coal was changed at the Brooklyn
/ Navy-yard, and the weights taken by another
! civil emplOye, and nothing suspicious was de-
/ veloped- Finally, a naval of1cer was detailed,
| without previous notice, to weigh personally 4
| barge load, and it was found sixteen tons short.
/ department from that time. There was no evil
dence OF fraud on HIS part, but inference can
/ readily be drawn. The system of property ac-
I counts for the navy, referred to in the last
! nual report, has been in successful operation
! since July l. The experience OF the first quar-
ter shows that it is simple, and that there IS no
difhculty in keeping pace with current work at
the largest stations.
/ The report says that by careful watch
ing of the disbursement on foreign sta
| tions, and calling the attention of pay Off
/ GERS to the subjects Of their drafts, by
I which greatly improved rates have been
/ procured, the department is able to report
/ that on the items of commission, inter-
/ est and exchange, whereas a net loss
J of Sl03, ,493 was made IN the two years and
I ten months ending April 24, 1885, for the
! three years ending June 30, 1883, a net
/ gain Of SOB was made.
Abiding to naval progress at home and
abroad during the past year, the Secre-
! tary says the necessity for increased num-
I bers of fast protected cruisers, whether
/ for purposes of protecting or destroying
/ commerce. or for service with d fleet as
scouts. has been emphasized during the
naval maueuvers OF the year, and is fully
/ recognized By all naval powers, but with
j the increase ot the number Of cruisers, il
has been recognized, IN view Of the recent
Introduction Of high-explOsive projectiles
. and the increase Of power and rapidity Of
r FIRE ard other guns that renewed affau-