The morning call., 1891-12-02
OUR new NAVY.
Recommendations Suggested by the Chief
Of the Bureau Of Construction.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-Commodore Will
son, Chief of the Bureau of Construction of
the Navy Department, in his annual report
recommends that the Gaiena be sold, as
useless to the Government and source of
expense. Touching the old wooden navy the
report says: "rhese vessels are rapidly dis.
appearing from active service. Only twelve
are now available for cruising purposes, and
they within five or six years will be mustered
out" Concerning the new construction the
report speaks of the usefulness of torpedo
cruisers, such as engaged and sunk the
Blanco Encalado In the Chilean war, and
after recounting the fact that the depart
ment was unable to secure bids for the con-
struction OF such vessels within the limits of
the appropriation of the last Congress.
recommends that the appropriation be lim-
lted to S5l2, 2,0G0 At this price a vessel OF
75O tons may be obtained capable of running
twenty-five knots an hour and keeping at
sea. Stress is laid upon the significance of
the contract made for the construction of
Iorpedo-boat with the Iowa Iron Works,
as 1t indicates the possibility of building these
valuable craft at a safe inland point. The
report states that contracts have already
been made for H. 210 tons of the IL, 945 tons
OF armor required for the vessels now build
ing.
Attention is called to the fact that with
the pressing necessity for large increase in
the machine departments of the navy-yards
to make the unavoidable repairs. To this
END the following appropriations are recon-
mended: S25, 600 for the Portsmouth Navy
yard. S150,000 Tor the New York Navy-yard,
$4,000 for the League Island Navy-yard,
5000 for the Norfolk Navy-yard, and
100000 for the Mare Island Nayy-yard.
SelZlng the opportunity afforded by the un-
fortunate experience of our steel cruisers
no nnrf at
length OF the necessity for sheathing the
bottoms of steel vessels. 1t says: 1.-THE
Importance of the preservation OF the bot
toms Of steel vessels from corrosion and
1ouling can hardly be overestmated, and is
continually emphasized by the reports of
loss OF speed and Increased consumption of
coal received from our new unsheathed
steel vessels now in commission. Unless
we are willing to admit that the role Of our
cruisers III time OF war shall be entirely
confined TO cruises of short duration in the
nelghborhood of our own ports, it would
appear that they are deficient in almost the
most important Quality--namely, ability to
maintain high speed ut sea for long
periods of time"
Reference is made to the valuable data
bearing on this subject collected by Naval
constructor Hichborn, and an earnest
recommendation is made that Congress
adopt his conclusions, which are summar-
lZed as follows: All the cruising vessels n-
tended for general service in foreign waters
should be sheathed, if above 1000 tons dis
placement Second-Vessels of less than
1000 tons displacement intended for general
service as cruising gun-boats, etc, should
be of composite construction, viz, with
steel framing, wood inside. with plapklng
and copper sheathing. Figures are given to
show that Great Britain has adopted these
ideas in her new naval construction; that
rs per cent of her new ships are to be
sheathed and that all of the gun-boats built
since 1856 are of composite construction,
enabling them 10 keep at sea for long periods
without docking.