The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-12-01
UNCLE SANS BIG SHIPS
Annual Report Of The Secretary Of The
Navy.
CoNDITloNoF OUR DEFENSE
improvements Made During the
Past Year-Enormous Ex-
penditures In Naval
Armament.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O.-In his annual
report, OF great length, Secretary of the
Navy Tracy gives much interesting IN
formation about the new navy. Among
the uncompleted crafts, special mention
Is made Of the armored cruiser New
York. as a vessel in which has been al
talned the unusual combination Of great
offensive and defensive power with extra
ordinary coal endurance and high speed.
Her armament is unequaled by any ship
OF the cruiser iyPe in the world, and Il
gives her chances not 10 be despised,
should she be driven TO an encounter
with battle ship.
Three battle ships now building. one in
San Francisco. are declared TO be vessels
whose equal as fighting ships does not
exist to-day. There are others Of greater
size, but none of greater power or effici-
ency.
Much space also Is devoted 10 the triple
screw protected cruiser which has formid-
able armament, enormous horse power,
speed faster than any ocean greyhound
now in existence, and coal endurance
which, With ordinary cruising time, gives
her en- lurance l08 days, OF a radius Of
action Of 2S,50 knots. Six ships
like her would exterminate the
commerce Of any country under the
present conditions Of commerce
protection. Regarding the srmor
the Bethlehem Iron company Is still dis
appointing the department in getting the
plant completed. Ttr time is nov fixed
for completion in July, lSe1, nearly two
years after the contract time. Another
contract has been made with the Car
neeie Arm To begin the delivery Of ar
NOR In Dune next, and deliver 500 tons a
month thereafter. II both firms come up
70 expectations IL will take two years from
July, 1891. TO complete the arrnor for the
ships now authorized.
Tue report deals at length with the ex-
periments with the compound nickel and
steel plate. Before entering upon extern
sive purchases, the department though, il
wise TO make further tests, and limited
quantity OF nickel amounting in value 10
about fifty thousand dollars has been pur-
chased. No more will be procured until
complete and exhaustive experiments
demonstrate the success of the plate be-
yond a doubt. In discussing ordi-
nance matters the secretary particularly
calls attention 10 the reduction in the cost
OF making guns and carriages which the
Washington gun factory has accom-
plished. To take q single instance, the
government, under the old contract, paid
$500 per gun for the manufacture OF
| aichs- rtN.a .sfda fror, th. ,..s -
forgines, The Washington gun factory
In 1888 manufactured them for s5.1ea and
this year for s., 272. The armor-piercing
projectiles hitherto received from private
firms in this country having proved un-
satisfactory. a contract has been made
for a quantity Of foreign process TO be
manufactured in this country, while the
department will still endeavor to bring
about arrangements 10 secure satisfac-
tory American projectiles. The diversity
OF rapid firing guns has led the depart
ment to look with favor upon the plan to
limit the smaller rapid firing pieces 20
six FOUNDER and one FOUNDER calibre. and
abandon the three FOUNDER and a. aud "a
minimeters as soon as practicable. The
Hotchkiss company not having been able
yet to produce satisfactorily Howell tor
pedoes, arrangements have been made
with the white lead company whereby an
American company will shortly be en-
abled 10 supply the navy with a number
of their torpedoes. When Hotchkiss
perfect theirs. they will be given tests. OF
the torpedoes none others than the auto
morible, Patrick torpedo, electrically di-
rected from the shore have undergone a
successful test.
Regarding the personnel Of the service,
the secretary reports the recommenda,
tons Of Chief Engineer Melville and the
other heads OF the bureaus for the increase
OF the number Of some Of the officers and
the equalization OF others.
Considerable space is given 10 the na.
val militia, which Is declared to be one OF
the most vital defects OF our system. Ref.
erence is made TO the active interest on
the subject in some Of Of the eastern states
aud the Pacific coas, the pas,
two years and the secretary says all that is
needed is such action on the part of con.
gress as will put the naval militia on the
same footing as the land militia. There
is every reason TO believe that with proper
encouragement, the creation OF a naval
militia will be assured.
The general estimates for the support
OF the navy. including public works aud
marine corps the next fiscal year, show 9
total of 81, 80 .S9i less than last year, and
sl5s,0OO less than the current year appro-
priation. The estimates for the increase
of the navy isis, Al 600, against s.. 81, ,o0
for last year. The largest part
Of this increase. however, is for payment
on outstanding contracts. The secretary
draws especial attention TO the necessi.
ties OF the most vulnerable points alons
our coasts for the adequate protection oil
for foreign fleets. No land force. how.
ever resoluie OF numerous could be ef-
fectiye. Even when all the ships now als
thorifed are completed, we should not
have fighting chance our line Of defense
being so long and its ports so divided and
remote. Nothing short of force OF bat
tie ships numerous enough TO be
distributed in separate fields of attack
and able 10 concentrate on any threatened
point within their own field will prove a
!, complete protection. The type of shir
the department suggests for harbor de
Tense purposes is the enlarged Puritan
Of not more than fourteen TO sixteen feei
draught, aud with heavy armor and Arma,
ment.
He Took the Hiatt