Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-10
PROPOSALS FOR NEW CRUISERS.
Naval-Pay NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
Establishments.
By telegraph to the Dispatch.I


WAsHrvGToS, November 9.-Proposals
were received few days ago at the Navy
Department for materials for use in the
construction of the machinery of the two
8. OO0-ton cruisers TO be built at New York
and Norfolk navy-yards, and they have
been referred TO the Chief Of the Bureau
of Steam Engineering for examination. re-
port, and recommendation. Tho bureau
officers before the bids were opened esti-
mated that the totals would be about
$500, 900 but the lowest bids offered aggre-
gated nearly $500, 900.
Fourth-Auditor Lynch in his annual re-
mort 10 the Secretary of the Treasury says
there is a deficiency Of 1888, AGA in the
appropriations for the pay OF the navy
and marine corps for the last fiscal
year. caused partially by the pay
Inent out of that fund Of claims for
longevity and for service on board the re-
ceiving-ships under the recent decisions by
the Supreme Court. The Auditor makes
an earnest Recommendation for an increase
in the clerical force of his Office.
This afternoon Captain Il. i. Pythian,
president of the BOARD recently appointed
| 10 consider and report upon the question
of consolidating several naval establish
ments at Newport, X. l.. submitted the re-
port of himself and colleagues to Secretary
Tracy. 1t is signed by Captain Pythian,
Commander ". X. BrldCman, Lieutenant-
| Commanders A. s. Snow and b. +. Lilley,
| and Lieutenant j. i. MeIgs. The report
saws the board heard the statements of
| Captain Mahan. the first commGndant OF
| the torpedo station: of CommodOres Hlg-
glnson and Goodrich, OF present in com
mand of the training station and OF the
TORPEDO station and the war college, and
other officers at Newport, and OF Admiral
Luce. The report then says:
The board believes that the best good OF
the naval service at large viii be reached by
consolidating the naval torpedo station
and war college and the nayal-trainlng
| college into one esta blishment, 10 be called
| the Naval School of Application, andto be
under command Of an officer OF hlgh rank
whose Headquarters shall be on Goat island
| the present site of the torpedo station and
war college. At this school Of application
| the use. care. and tactics of naval weapons
| and all other equipments should be studied
and practically illustrated naval strategy,
1 science of supply, or naval lOgistlcs should
| he fully treated; and, IN short every
means should be exhausted IN the way OF
| both practice and study to prepare the OH
GERS as far as may be IN the familiarity with
| war.
The board makes the following specific
recommendations
! I. That the $4,000 now appropriated
for the war college building on Goat
| island be expended in erecting a building
that may serve for q new school OF appll
cation. 81,
2. That the proposed school be under the
| Bureau Of Navigation.
| The board was also instructed 10 report
| upon various other matters to DO investi
gated at Newport and recommended as
! follows on these:
l. That the boys removed from the train.
ing ship New Hampshire because Of epi.
| demic among them should 90 aboard
again as soon as possible, or if the ship be
permanently infected another ship should
| be sent to Newport to replace her.
2. That two small sailing-vessels be built
| for tenders to the training-ship at cost OF
| $50, 000
3. That the gunnery-ship Lancaster
! should be attached TO the School OF Appll-
cation.
4. That there should be no further de.
velopment Of the manufacturing part OF
| the torpedo station, and that the plant fol
the manufacture of gun-cotton be removed
to some more suitable place, because il
would be very liable to destruction IN case
| of war.