Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-01
EAST OF THE ROCKIES.
Interesting Report by the Secretary
Of the navy.
CONGRESS- TO CONVENE TO-DAY
No Material Change in the Indian
Situation at Pine
Ridge.
tsfRcIAL DISPATCHES To THE REooRD-us1os1
OUR NEW NAVY.

lsfECIAL DIsPATCaES TO THE REC0RD-UEIOS,l
OUR NEW NAVY.
Lengthy Report of Secretary Tracy on
the Subject.
WASHINGTON, November 3Otb.-In his
annual report, which is of great length,
Secretary of the Navy Tracy gives much
interesting information about the new
navy. Among the uncompleted craft,
special mention is made of the armored
cruiser New York, as a vessel in which
has been attained an unusual combina-
tion-great offensive and defensive power,
with extraordinary coal endurance and
high speed. Her armament is unequalled
by any ship OF the cruiser type in the
world, and it gives her chances not to be
despised, should she be driven to an en-
counter with battle ship.
Three battle ships are now building
one in San Francisco-which 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 efficiency.
Much space is also devoted to the triple.
screw protected cruiser, which has form.
idable armament, enormous horse power
faster than any ocean greyhound now in
existence, and coal endurance which, with
ordinary cruising time, gives her endur-
ance for 103 days, or a radius of action of
%, $40 knots. Six ships like her would
exterminate the commerce of any country.
under the present conditions of commerce
protection.
Regarding armor, the Bethlehem Iron
Company is still disappointing the Depart
ment in getting its plant completed. The
time now fixed for completion is July,
1S9l-nearly two years after the contract
time.
Another contract has been made with
Carnegie, binding the firm to begin the de-
livery of armor in June next, and deliver
500 tons month thereafter. If both firms
come up to expectations, it will take two
years, from July, 1891, to complete the
armor for the ships now authorized.
The report deals at length with the ex-
periments with compound nickel and steel
plate. Before entering upon extensive
purchases it was thought wise to make fur.
ther tests, and nickel amounting in value
to about $780, 900 bas been purchased. No
more will be procured until the completion
OF exhaustive experiments demonstrate the
success OF the plate beyond doubt.
In discussing ordnance matters the Sec
retary particularly calls attention to the
reduction in cost of making guns and car
riages which the Washington Gun Factory
has accomplished. To take single in
stance, the Government under the old con-
tract, paid IS 500 per gun for the manu-
facture of eight-inch rifles, aside from cost
of forgings. The Washington Gun Factory
in 1883 manufactured them for S., 1853, and
this year for S2772. The armor piercing
projectiles hitherto received from private
firms of this country having proved uusat-
lstactory, contract has been made for a
quantity of foreign process to be manufact-
ured in this country.
While the Department will still endeayor
TO bring about arrangements to secure satis-
factory American projectiles the diversity
OF rapid firing guns has led the Depart
ment to look with favor upon a plan to
limit the smaller rapd-fring pieces to six
pound and one-pound caliber and abandon
the three Founders and forty-seven and
thirty-seyen millimeters as soon as practi-
cable.
The Hotchkiss Company not having
been able to yet produce satisfactorily
Howell torpedoes, arrangements have been
made with the Whitehead Company
whereby an American company will
shortly be enabled to supply the navy
with number of their torpedoes. When
the Hotchkiss Company perfect theirs they
will be given tests.
Regarding the personal service, the Sec
retary repeats the recommendations of
Chief Engineer Melville and other heads of
Bureaus for an increase in the number of
officers and marines.
Considerable space is given to naval
militia, the want of which is declared to be
one of the most vital defects of our system.
Reference is made to the active interest on
the subject in some of the Eastern States
and on the Pacific coast the past two years,
and the Secretary says that all that is needed
IS S.Inh hn ~ Ofn
will put the naval militia on the same foot
ing as the land militia. l have every rea-
son to believe, with proper encouragement,
the creation of naval militia will be
assured.
The general estimates for the support of
the navy, including public works and the
marine corps, for the next fiscal year, show
a total of 81 ,352, ,594 less than last year, and
$156,0G0 less than the current year appro-
priati0n. The estimates for the increase to
the navy are SIS. 271 900, sgoinst S9, ,3S6,00
for last year. The largest part of this in
crease, however, Is for payments on out
standing contracts.
The Secretary draws especial attention
to the necessities of the most vulnerable
points slong our coasts for adequate pro-
lection from foreign fleets. No land force,
however resolute or numerous, could be
effective. Even when all the ships now
authorized are completed we should not
have fighting chance, our line of de-
tense being SO long, and its parts so di-
vided and remote. Nothing short of a
force of battle ships numerous enough to
be distributed in separate fields of attsck,
and able to concentrate Oh any threatened
point within their own field, will prove
as q complete protection.
The type of ship the Department sug-
! gests for harbor defense purposes is an
enlarged Puritan, Of rot more than four
| teen to sixteen feet draught, and with
heavy armor and armament. These ships
would be exclusively for local purposes,
| and have stations from which they would
never be absent They would stay the
entrance of the enemy until the battle
ships could arrive. This type is less ex-
penslve than sea going ships, and answer
as no other type can, the requirements OF
| the American harbors.
Furthermore, the movement toward the
creation of a naval militia would receive
| additional strength and encouragement
| from the creation of this national force for
| local purposes. The harbor defense ship
would be rallyipg point drill hall, and
naval school for young men who have
shown an earnestness in the organization
of naval militia. 1t should be their priv.
ilege to become the principal source of sup.
ply for the complement of both officers and
men of their local ship, and the result
would be the addition of an incalculable
strength to the naval resources of the
country. If such plan were adopted il
is reasonably believed that Boston, New
York, PhiladeIphia, Baltimore, New Or.
leans, San Francisco, and cities on Puget
Sound would become centers of naval
strength, instead of being, as they are to-
day, conspicuous examples of maritime
weakness and inviting attack.
UTAH TERRITORY.
The People Have Quit Knocking for Ad-
| ,Rfssion tn sfatehood.