People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-12-08
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
Facts and Figures Regarding the Naval
Strength of the Country.


Strength of the Country.
The report OF the secretary OF the navy con-
tains history OF the operations Of his de.
partment during the past year and exhibits
most gratifying condition OF the personnel Of
our navy. He presents satisfactory account
OF pro -ress which has been made in the con-
structiOn OF vessels and makes a number Of
recommendations which Is especially invited
Durins the past six months the demands for
cruising vessels have been many and urgent
There have been revolutions calling for YES
sells to protect American interests in Nicara-
qua, Guatemala, Costa Rica Honduras, Argen.
tine and Brazil, while the condition OF affairs
IN Honolulu has required the constant pres
enee OF one or more ships With all these
calls upon our navy 1t became necessary In or
der TO make up sufficient fleet. to patrol the
Behring &c under tue modus viyendi a reed
upon with Great Britain TO detail TO that SER
vice one vessel from the fish commss on
and three from the revenue marine
Progress IN the construction Of new vessels
has not been as rapid as Was ANTICIPATED
There have been delays in the comp.etion OF
unarmed vessels, but for the most part they
have been such as was constantly occurring in
countries having the lar est experience in
naval ship building The most serious DELAYS,
however. have been in the work upon armored
ships The trouble has been the failure OF
contractors 10 deliver amor as agreed The
difhcultins seem now, however to nave been all
overcome and armor is being delivered with
satisfactory promptness
The followin vessels OF the new navy have
been completed and are now ready for service:
The double turreted coast defense monitor
MiantonOmah. the double turreted coast de.
Tense monitor Monterey, the armed cruiser
New York. the protected cruisers Baltimore
Chicago. Philadelphia, Newark San Fran.
cisco Charleston, Atlanta and Boston the
| cruiser Detroit, the gun boats Yorktown. Con.
cord Bennington, Machias Castire and
!etrel. the dispatch vessel Dolphin. the prac.
tice We sci Blncroft and the dynamite gun
boat Vesuyius 0tthese the Bancroft Machias,
Detroit and CIstine have been placed in com.
mission during the current year
The followin; vessels are in process OF con-
| structiOn. The second ass battle ships Maine
and Texts. the cruisers Mont fomery and Mar
blehead and the coast defense Monitor. Terror.
Puritan, Amphrite and MOnadnock, all of
which will DC completed within one year
The harbor defense ram Katahdin and the
| protected cruisers Columbia, MINNEAPOLIS,
Oily ~ipia, Cincinnati and Rllei h, all OF which
will be completed prior TO July. l. 1895 the first
class battle ships Iowa Indiana Massachu.
sets and OREGON, which will be completed Feb
ruary |. 1896 and the armored cruiser Brook.
| lyn which will be completed by AUGUST OF that
| gN1A ~ - HAob NApsNANN tlldt lut tuItt
boats auth Jrized by the last congress will be
| completed in less than two years
Since 1856 con ress has at each session au.
thorzed the build n OF OF one or more vessels
and the secretary Of the navy presents an
earnest plea for the continuance OF this plan
He recommends the authorization Of al least
one battleship and six torpedo boats While
am distinctly in favor of consistently pur
suing the policy We have OF buildins up thor.
pu h and efficient navy, cannot re rain from
the su gestion that congress should carefully
take into account the number OF unfinished
vessels on our hands and the depleted condi-
ton OF our treasury, in considering the pro.
priety OF an appropriation at this time TO be.
| Gin new work
The method Of employing mechanical labor
at the navy yards through boards Of labor.
and maxim efficiency the sole test by which
laborers are employed and. continued is pro.
ducing the est results, and the secretary is
earnestly deyoiing himself to its develop.
ment Attention is invited 10 the statements
Of his. report in regard 10 working OF the sys-
| tenn.