, 1889-11-28
UNITED STATES NAVY.
A Statistical Report by Theo-
dore Wilson.
MONITORS UNFIT FOR SERVICE.
After a Few More Years There
Will Be No Wooden Vessels
in the Naval Service.

WAsHrNGroN, Nov. 2l.--Theodore Will
son, chief of the bureau of construction
and repairs, has submitted to Secretary
Tracy a voluminous report of operations
under the supervision of the bureau dur
ing the year ended June 80, 1889, and
submits estimates for the coming fiscal
year ending June 30, 1901. The latter
included balance in the bureau $2l $50 I;
preservation and completion Of vessels
on the stocks, purchase of materials and
stores of all kinds and labor in the navy
yards etc., 81 900, 900; clerks, etc, In
pavy yards, S10,072; improvement plant
at New. York navy yard, S25, 900; Norfolk
yard, $4,000; Mare Island yard, San
Francisco, $4,000; on account of hulls
and Quits for new ships heretofore au.
thorlzed by congress, 100000; i'm
provements of the plant ut Portsmouth
navy yard, $3.50, 900; at the Boston yards,
$3.50 900, at League Island, Philadelphia,
$780, 900; construction of two tugs, $50, :
600; construction of one freight boat,
$3.50 CO.,
During the year 1885, 80 the following
expenditures were made: Repairs on
vessels at New York 1878, 1884, construc.
ton and repairs s770,043, labor at navy
yards and stations and material $l4O,oo5,
civil establishments $l79,935, steel
cruisers S45, 2S4 repairs of vessels $l2O,-
164, increase of the navy $74S, l27.
The commissioner presents lengthy
argument in favor of increasing the efii-
| cheney of navy yards as indicated In the
estimates, saying that this great nation
should not close any navy yards. The
report says that after eight or nine years
there will be no wooden vessels remain.
ing in active service. A deficiency ap-
proprietion will be necessary in order to
work. Construction and repairs may be
carried on during the remainder OF the
present. fiscal year without interruption.
The single turret monitors are said
to be now In a worse than useless
state, and the report recommends that
something be done with them. To put
them into condition for efficient service
In harbor and coast defense will cost, it
is estimated, S45O,0O0. There are thir.
teen of these monitors. Commodore
getting satisfactory bids for the con.
struction of vessels when the cost is linn
tied by the acts authorizing them to be
built, and recon mends that in the future
the bureau be not crippled by such leg.
islation.
| With the completion of vessels now
building and appropriated for, the
| united states VIII possess ten armed
vessels, thirteen turreted monitors, twen-
ty-one steel cruisers or gunboats, two
dynamite cruisers, u practice
cruiser for cadets, one armed ram,
one first. class torpedo boat and seven
iron steamers. The work of rebuilding
the navy is progressing very satisfac-
| torily and the results accomplished dur
ing the past six months are sufficient
guarantee of the purpose of the depart
ment to advance the work with the
utmost rapidity, and of its energy and
success in the performance of the task.
| The vessels already under contract
and building at the navy yards are pro-
crossing favorably and some are rapidly
nearing completion. Progress made
upon the armored cruiser Maine at the
navy yard In New York deserves special
mention, and Is very crsditable 70 that
yard. 1t will thus be seen that so far as
lies within its power the department is
vigorously endcavoring to satisfy the
popular demand for establishing navy
worthy of the United States and COM
mensurate with its importance as q
maritime power