River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-12-06
ouR WATER pEEENsEs.
Annual Report Of Secretary whitney
shoWi & the Cond tion of Uncle Sans
Navv

WASHINGTON Dec 1.-Secretary W iiiney
in his annual report after preseut4.g - br4sI
review OF the condition OF the navy as it will
exist on the 4ih OF March in comparison with
the same on the sth OF March OF 1885, says
that so far as a-mOred ships are concerned. the
subject is yet 10 be treated in broad way
BY the department in Congress As a result OF
the policy adopted and carried out during the
past three years the conditions al the presena
time, the Secretary says, afe such Ia It every
thing necessary 20 first class fighting ship
can be produced and furnished 70 the depart
ment - this country as soon as IN the course
% constructor any element or feature IS re-
CURED; but this has never lheretOf ? until
the present time been true, and y 5refore
the consideration OF the subject has
been necessarily postponed by the
department until the present me The ef
/ forts OF the department IA ship construct on
4 have neeessar. Iy, since March. lSsi, been de-
{ voted 70 unarmored vessels. aHd T. these
I the department is able TO report that shea the
+ ships in course OF construction and those au-
( thor zed 81 II have been completed, the
Z United States vii rank second among the ma
I ttons in the possession OF uuarmored cruisers
i or commerce destroyers' hay ng the highest
{ characteristics OF SIZE 3,O0o tons and upward.
I and possessing speed Of nineteen knots aud up
| wand The Importance. the Secretary says,
which has been placed upon this branch Of
naval mament viii be apprec ated from the
Y statement that England and France possesses
+ s.XTy-tve vessels Of the class known as M
armored cru sa-s. The attention Of tne
world was attracted TO the destruct We effect
Which was rrodu ed upon the commerce OF the
/ UuitcI states 10y the cruisers fitted out uzeer
the auspices OF the Coniederacy in the
{ y ar OF the rebellion. The total tonnage OF the
T registered vessels OF the United States had
risen year BY year. until. ia 1861. It amounted
10 2642 6aS tons; AM between 1851 ami ls65 IL
/ reduced 10 i4929s6 tons, or. IL other
words 10 the point which VIC had reached IN
1919, from which decline we have never recov
cred TIE insurance war RISK upon American
( vessels during the war rose in exceptional
cas- Is 10 as high as . per cent.
Tnv Secretary quotes Faglish authority for
J tie assertion that II there IS point clear
{ e. than another in the history Of commerce il is
I this. that when a state can not efectually
protect its carry ng trade IN tine OF war that
4 trade passes from II and does not return" and
saws:
We can not at present protect our coast but
2 we can return blow for blow, FOR we shall soon
7 be in condition TO launch feet OF large and
fast cruisers against the commerce OF an
enemy, able 10 iufiiet the most Serious and
I lasting injury thereon.
I Discuss -ng the production Of power by ma
chinery, Secretary Whitney says that an ex-
+ animation OF the cOnd on OF the depart
ment IN 1885 in this respect led TO the oonclu-
sion that the machinery OF naval vessels ought
TO be so designed as to produce ten horse
z power Tor each son OF machinery. and IL was de-
termined TO make that the standard. and 10
4 enter ihto contracts that were based
substant ais thereon. Plans Of
I chinery were pa-chassd abroad. which upon
I trial had approxiu .ted that result B dders
we're authorized 10 bid upon the plans thus
. submitted 70 competition or were permitted %
submit the own plans, but we're obliged 20
. guarantee the results determined upon by ths
/ department under severe penalties for failuI
( and oompensating premiums IN case Of attaii.-
ing better results. All the contracts for the
! construction OF ships which have been
I entered into since March 1885, call for the
( production Of power by machinery equal 20 the
highest standards. The efforts OF the depart
( ment IN this m after have been cordially sec
onded by the bureau chefs: and It is believed
thai. al the present time, the department has
reached the point where entire rel ance can be
placed upon it for the production % war YES
sells equal IN character 10 those OF any other
+ country.
Referring TO the reduction OF expenses dur
ing the past three years, IL is claimed that the
. savings OF the department are paying Tor the
. new navy. and on this topic the Secretary
I saws; 1t is gratifying 10 be able 20 report
that, Notwithstanding the large expenditures
for the new navy IN the last three
years, the reductions in other directions
has made the total expenditures less for the
three years than for the three years
ending june 40. 1854, the ordinary expe ses
of the department having been reduced over
% per cent A table is included IN the report
which shows that the expenditures for the
years ending June 81, 1851 1888 and 1884 were
I s47, g79 S97. aud for the years ending June 90
1876 1887 and 1855 so s30, Go The fiscal year
ending June 90. 1875, Is omitted from the table
as not having been wholly ia either admins
/ tration.
Discussing coast and harbor defenscs Secre-
tary Whitney says: In the last annual report
I Of the department the considerations were
given leading 10 She conclusion that Il would
be UNIV Sc FOR the department TO follow the
course OF the European powers IN building I'M
protected torpedo boats. and IN the present IN
certainty regarding the practical lily OF sub
marine boats, and while wa NJ the prar teal
trial OF the dynamite gun-boat II has been
deemed wise for tie department 10 build one
( lght-draught lie vily-armored bar Dor defense
floating battery or ram, for which designs have
been prepared.
Considerable space is devoted u discus
sion OF the business methods OF the depart
( ment. and 10 the efforts being made 70 sim
pity. systemat ze and improve them. Upon
this subject the Secretary says. During tho
+ years OF 1884 and 1885 over % per cent. in
value Of the supplies OF the department
were obtained by open purchases with
cut compel ton. During the last year
4 the proportion OF such purchases was less
than II per cent. and IN the course OF the next
+ dscal year 10 Is believed that the open pur-
/ chases can be reduced 20 about er ceat-
The naval brokers' have for the most part dis
! appeared, and regular responsible dealers are
DtEDuA4AE mort anu AfNt" Nb8tft 4os tiANsH
! supplies For time % seemed impossible 20
+ slOdge them. They would underbid regular
dealers, notably for the supply Of
I coal. Il was quite evident they
/ had some advantage which did not
! appear Careful investigation showed the
: quality OF the coal delivered to be as con
+ :ractei for. The receiver OF the coal was
/ claUged at the Brooklyu navy yard and the
+ weights taken by another civ emp'Jge, and
/ nothing suspicious was developed Finally a
( naval officer was detailed, without previous
notice, TO weigh personally barge load aad
IL was found sixteen tons short The
gentleman disappeared "A bidder for the de-
partment at that time There was 20 evidence
OF fraud on his part. but inference can readily
be drawn. The system OF property accounts
/ for The navy referred % In the last annual re-
port has been in successful operation since
July !. The cxserience OF the first quarter
shows that IL is simple and that there Is no dif-
fcUlty in keeping pace with current work at
/ the largest stations.
TIE report says that by careful watching OF
+ the disbursement on foreign stations. and
I calling the attention Of pay officers % the sub
I jects Of their drafts by which greatly improved
f rates have been procured the department is
able 20 report that on the items Of comm ssion,
interest and exchange, whereas a net loss OF
SOB 3a3 was made in the two years and ten
months cndiug Apr %. 1sS5 for the three
years ending june 81. ISIS, net gain OF F703
was made.
{ AA4ualug 70 naval progress at nome anu
abroad during Tie past year the Secretary
says the necessity for increased numbers OF
( fast protected cru sers whether for purposes
T Of protecting or Destroying com merce or for
& service with a feet as scouts. has been EN-.
{ phasiZed nR the naval maueuvers 81 the
I year and & fully RECON ID by all naval pow
ers. Bat witt the increase Of the number OF
cru iscTs il las been recog .zei. in view Of the
recent Introduction Of high-eXD l0sive pro
iecties and the increase OF power and rapid
] Ity Of FIRE OF Tapdfre and other guns. that
: renewed attention must be given 70 tie
, moUr feet and the prevailing Ouiuion IN En-,
gland. France, Italy, Germany and Russia is
strongly in favor Of addit oHal armOred ships
{ 10 Be built at early date In these new YES
sells the armor viii be much widely dis.
/ trlbuted and will certainly protect the battery
chinery The destFGctiFeness of high explosive
she'll fire against unprotected >ides empbas zes
[ the peculiar advantages OF the mon tor type
+ for Coast -defeuse service.
The Secretary cons ders the subject Of ina.
T proving powder pfoieetlles aad torpedo boats.
saying IN regard 90 the latter that the recent
l naval maneuvers abroad have shown that they
must stu be regarded as most useful for coast
and harboF def euses.
The est II ate for the navy and marine corps
Z for the next fiscal year is 81, 165 CO.. and in
cludes q. 717.00J for increase Of the navy. con
struct on aud armament: s2,2i4, 24s for improve
ments az navy yards. and l2i0,L00 for a new
naval observatory. The aupropriaffons for the