The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-05
QUE NAvY OF To-nxx
rts Progress ana Needs as Set ForxA Sy IA
Bureau Chan

rts Progress ana Needs =. Set rerSA BIZ IA
bureau Chen.
WASHINGTON. Dec. THE old-tirne vesss,.
are fast dropping out now. and the now steei
craft arc hurrying to TAX g their places. During
tho year which the naval authorities have
under review. the Talapoosa-the old roisters,
that 30 ofton ran aground or bumped into
merchantmen. and once went clear to tbs
bottom and was 1shed out-has been con.
demned and sold.while the Pensacola and Iro.
quois have been put out OF commission. Now
We have only eleven wooden steam vessels
Tor active cruising, tho Lancaster. Marion.
Mohican. Kearsarge. Adams Alliance. Essex.
Thets. Yantic. Alert. and Hanger. The IA GA.
small iron vessel. Ia under orders to be Sold.
and 1t seems doubtful whether the Pensacola.
Omaha. Swatara. and Iroquois will ever cruise
on station duty again.
But as an offset many new vessels were
launched during the yenr under review, in.
Guiding the armorclads New York and Texas.
the great commerce destroyer Columbia the
3.000-tonner Raleigh. the Detroit. Mont.
gomery. and Marblehead OF 1000 tons each.
the Machias and Castine OF 1000. and the
practice vessel Bancroft. To this list may 10
added tho Cincinnati. which moro recently
took to the water. whilc the now tugs Iwana
Wahneta. and Narkeeta have been not only
launched but accepted.
Thus comparison between tho new craft
launched and tho old vessels strick on from the
list Is greatly to the advantage OF the former,
but as an Offset none Of these launched vessels
have yet been accepted whereas. as has been
seen. several old vessels have been put out OF
commission. 80 that once moro the additions
Tor practical service may not yet como up to tbs
losses 10 In actual lighting strength our navy
dozen years ago. but in mum bers It Is still de-.
fciont. and the duty Of Congress to continue
about to Begin viii b. APPARENT One Q, my ths
81 tne set ~ Chs
les. while il is also believed that the minimum
fity one. as it was seven years ago N
s, seem t. say .hls VIEW
spoken Of But tho new ships are in some
cases very large. and have great quantity Of
and they need large compliments. tits known
that at present there Is sometimes difficulty
vessels 60 into commission there will BE-
great demand for crews. Every effort will
naturally be- made to hurry forward as many
for this purpose Of the last. session and the
temporary enlistments: but in addition there
e ns
which is enormous. far exceeding In proper:
iS9 the Ses! ~ 3 a ths namSss ss!sS spnTsn:
tices. These desertions were naturally mostly
in home ports. One encouraging feature is
that. as Commodore Ramsay shows. 1857 en-.
service Certificates at the end Of The fiscal yesr.
which was an increase Of 24O above tho yeaR
= In its internal admin istration the affairs Of
the navy show method and system. The Bu-
Eeau of Supplies and Accounts has become. az
clearing house, and tho business Of pur::
chasing and Disturbing Is now TRANSACTED
mSas
efforts at a reform in this. direction. but tho
full development OF the scheme on its present
armor Tor the, year have been conspicuous.
partly completed. now number over 500. and
Will all the ten-inch and five OF tho twelve
n ssd Of s big
Closures Of the ten inch and tweiSe.ineh guns.
powder on the Pacific coast. at Santa Cruz,
the improvement In smokeless powders. and
board 1i' ships a." also SHOW rroeresa The navy
magazine gun, although it Is thought that 9
Tho s' deiVsy the O. whte
head and Howell torpedoes has been delayed.
Cushing and the stiietto respectively. Tho
Baker submarine boat has been transferred to
Chicago. where new tests Of 1t will be made.
perhaps in connection with Sims Edison or
a Patrick torpedo. New torpedo defence nets
will soon be tried. The years gain in ar.
NOR and pr OF ectiles has already been noted.
Tho successes effected in steam engineer
ready heen seen. The appeals OF Commodore
FarQuhar for dry dock at Portsmouth and on
the Gulf coast should receive the favorable
notice Of Congress. as also should his plea for
doubling the corps of civil engineers making
it consist of twenty in all. OF whom eight
should be assistants. The latter could be
selected from Annapolis graduates. who would
receive a supplementary ira ming in some
school of civil engineering. The equipment
shops of the navy. as Commodore Dewey
shows. have been busy during tho year. Capt.
McNnir superintendent of the Naval Observa-
tory. recommends that naval Observing par
ties should he sent to Clava, in Brazil and
bathurst in West Africa. to watch the total
solar eclipse Of April -.
The health OF the, navy has been very good
during the year. and Surgeon General Browne
says that the vessels were remarkably free
from contagious diseases. there being no yell
low fever or cholera, and only seven cases Of
SINAI pox and twcnty-ciEht Of measles. The
whole number Of patients was smaller than
during tho previous twelve months and the
death rate was the lowest for many years.
That the general condition of the navy Is
good we may assume. and with n continuation
OF the favor which Congress has lately shown
for