New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-05

ship Is to be rcadvertiscd
IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE.
Conformity with the construction OF so many "c"
vessels great care has ben expchoed D" '''e '"P'
ment of naval ordnance. -
TIL. nrn,her Of hjglpower steel cannon for the
Navy compIeted TO present time includes two hvc
inch, forty eight sExinch. ten e'ghtihc" an" io'
teninch. During the last year con''derao'c mum
Der Of the slxinch guns have been finished al INC
Washington Navy Yard Others are in course OF con
struction The material for several guns mas oech
received from the Bethlehem Iron Company and the
Rprcau has begun the manufacture Of four OF them
for the Baltimore and two for the Charleston These
are the largest and most powerful guns ever mane
rom steel produced wholly in the United States Two
eninch guns have been completed. making three
DOW ready for the armament Of the Miantonomoh.
Designs have been made for the tweivelnch guns, OF
which four are TO be mounted on the Puritan and
two on the Texas.
Experiments continue to be made with promising
results with view to percctng carriages, fuses
primers and the various classes Of powder. In order
TO induce American manufacturers to produce better
results. proposals have been invited for prOlcciics
70 the amount OF 100000.
OF the ninety four Iiotchkss guns contracted for
eghtytwo have been delivered all of which, together
with their ammunition. have been manufactured III 'he
United States. The Maxim AUTOMATIC machine guns
have undergone a satisfactory test negotiations win
the company been entered into for the supply OF
The domestcation of this manufacture in the Ih'eo
States is now assured and thus important gain has
been made to the producing capacity OF the country
The Bethlehem Iron Works have completed theT
gun forging plant and the 120ton hammer to be USED
in forging armor plates has made good progress Inc
plant erected at the works is OF superior char-
acter The first gun forgings delivered In June
last and il is thought that every endeavor will be
made by the company to hasten all the forgings con-
tracted for.
The gun factory at the Washington Navy Yard, I'M
der the direction of Commander William NJ foiser'
recently appointed Chief of the Bureau OF ordnance
has made extensive progress during the year. IL IS
believed that when the plant is completed the United
States will have gun-factory in Washington as well
equipped and "a efficient as any in the world
The advantages that resulted from the work at
the Washington yard shown in the comparative cost
of the guns manufactured by private firms ana those
built at the yard. The oinch rifles OF the former
description cost $l7 500 each; those manufactured at
the Washington gun foundry cost $l4.6O0-a difference
of So 200 per gun. and that too, Notwithstanding the
fact that the steel in the former cost twenty five per
cont more than in the latter.
THE SQUADRON OF EVOLUTION
A marked advance in naval organization and train
ing has been made by the creation Of squadron OF
Evolution Hitherto number and character Of the
ships in the Navy have made squadron cruising III
the true sense difficult, if not impossible The ships
have been allowed to act TO a large extent lnde-
pendently, and In consequence the great advantage W
be derived from cruising in squadrons under the Gil
rectng eye Of commander-in-chlef, mas been lost'
This defect is now in fair way to be remeded lie
Evolutionary Squadron, which sailed in December iast'
has been and will be kept together, and squadron
exercises will form the principal feature OF It's cruise
The impo ance Of this step cannot be overeStimated
The new ships and new guns require new lacu'a'
arrangements, and the experiments OF the squadron
now cruising in the Mediterranean viii afford The
foundation for the tactical work OF the new Navy
The squadron is not only giving new training to
the officers and men of which it is composed II VIII
afford the substantial groundwork for the squadron
practice Of the whole of the new Navy AS Its WORK
develops may be expected that exercises on larger
SCALE and nearly assimated to the conditions OF
modern war; will be undertaken, and In time the
work OF the evolutionary squadron may be expected
to become-what it should be-the most important
practice acquired by the officers and men Of the Navy
BETTER TYPE OF ENLISTED MEN.
Great efforts have been made during the past year
10 improve the status of the enlisted men OF the Navy
and to better inducements for American seamen
of high class to enter and remain in the Navy.
With this view the Secretary made the following
recommendations in his annual report
The lenstnening Of the term of enlistment, Al
though important measure Will 4ot sec. secure a
character Of permanence in the corps OF enlisted men
In order to obtain body Of trained american seaen
upon which the Navy and the country can rely IL Is
absolutely necessary that the whole system ol tenn
p6rary enlistment should be replaced by cohuhI,,
service system the four years term Delng retica
only TO meet necessary emergencies. ms system
should be based upon the principle OF retaining the
services Of the enlisted men for life We shall nevel
get the crews that need until we make the Navy
for the seamen as well as for the officers. 10
accomplish this the continuous service man shouiu
be permanently enlisted, and he entitled to retire
ment threefourths pay after thirty years OF service
provided by law Act of February IA 1eo3) Tor the
Army and Marine Corps. There is no reason for
distinction between the Army and Navy. No alien
should be accepted for continuous service and no man
above the age Of thirty FIVE unless he has had previous
naval experience At the end Of the first four years
Of service he should have an option OF taking his as
charge or remaining. but falling to take 1t at that
time. his connection with the service should thence
it's discretion Sg grant his application for discharge
unless he should be removed by sentence Of court
fixture Of all prospective benefits OF pay and retire
ment Continuous-servce men should be entitled
granted at the convenience OF the Navy Department;
and to be cumulative up to four months, which VIII
for re-enllstment and which may be similarly com
muted, and small addition OF III per month or there
about should be made TO the pay OF the various rat
ngs for each completed term OF four years service
bill embOdying the essential features Of the
secretary's recommendations has already passed the
Senate and IS before the House. Such law
would have an extremely beneficial effect upon the ell
listed force Of the Navy.
PLANS FOR NEW YARDS.
Tho Boards appointed to consider the projects Of
4 new Navy Yard in the Gulf or the waters tributary
thereto and in the Pacific have made their reports,
the former recommending tho establishment OF
yard at Algers. opposite the city Of New-oreans
and the latter at Point Turner. in Puget Sound. NO
action has yet taken by Congress on these reports
At the existing yards numerous improvements nave
been made In the last twelve months.
IMPROVED EQUIPMENTS.
With the building Of ships Of modern type. the work
OF the Bureau Of Equipment has been gradually ex-
pending and taking forms Questions are arising
with increasing frequency relating TO the servieeaby
Of articles now in use, compared with newer
types. 1t has been necessary 20 revise In many es
sential respects tho equipment tables fOr smps q
work requir lg great labor and care.
In addition 10 Its routine duties, the Dufeau mas
had under consideration the subject OF improved gal
leys and anchors On two Of the new ships galleys
Of types in use In the merchant service are beng
tested IT having been found that the standard navy