San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1893-12-15


The report of tho secretary of the navy con
tsins history OF the operations OF the depart
ment during the past year, and exhibits most
gratifying condition Of the personnel OF our
navy. BE presents e satisfactory account Of
changes which have been made in the coll
struction OF vessels and makes number OF rec
concentrations, which are especially invited.
During the past SIT months the demands for
cruising vessels have been many and most
urgent There have been Notwithstanding for
vessels to protect American interests in Near
aqua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras:
Argentina and Brazil, while the condition or
affairs in Honolulu has required the constant
presence of one or more ships. With all these
calls upon our navy. it became n cessary in
order to make up a sufficient feet to patrol the
Behring sea under the mOdus viviende agreed
upon with Great Britain, to detail 10 that scr
vice one vessel from the fish commission and
three from the revenue marine.
Progress in the construction OF new vessels
has not been rapid as was anticipated.
There have been delays in the completion OF
unarmored vessels, but for the most part they
have been such rs are constantly occurring
even in countries having the largest 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 TO deliver armOr as
agreed. The difficulties seem now, however,
TO have been all overcome and armor is being
delivered with satisfactory promptness.
As result Of the expense acquired by ship
builders and designers and material men, II is
believed that the date when vessels Will be
eUmnlete0 can NOW De estimated Win rthsOlA
BILE accuracy. Great guns rapid lire guns tor
pedoes and powder are being promptly sup
piled.
completed and are now ready for service
The double turreted coast defense monitor
MiantOnomsh the double turretted coast de
tense monitor Monterey the armored cruiser
New York the protected cruisers laltimOre,
Chicago Philade phia. Newark. San Franc SEQ,
Charleston. Atlanta and Boston. the cruiser
Detroit, the gunboRts yorktown, Concord
Bennington. MachiaH, Csstine and Petrol, the
despatch vessel Dolphin, the practice vessel
Bancroft and the dynamite g1nbOat NosuytuA.
The Bancroft Machias Detroit and Castine
have been placed in commission during the
current calendar year.
The following vessels ere in process Of eoustrue-
ton.
cruisers Montgomery and MErblehead, and the
coast defense monitors Terror. Puritan, AmphrttR
and MOnadnock. al Of which will be completed
within one year. The har0or defense ram iNHlAh-
din and the protected cruisers Columbia, Minneap-
oils, Olympia Cincinnati and Raleigh, all Of which
will be completed prior 20 July !, ls.5, the trst-
class battleship- Iowa. Indiana Massachusetts snd
Oregon which will be completed February !, 1891,
and the armC ed cruiser Brooklyn. which will be
completed by August of that year II Is also eX
pected that the three gunbuats bvthe last
congress will be completed in less than two years
Since 1856 congress has al each session Hu-
thorized the building OF one or more vessels
aud tn seer tary Of the nav presents an earn
est plea Tor tn continuance OF this plan. He
recommends he AUTHORIZATION OF al least one
battle ship and six torpedo boats. While l am
distinctly in favor Of consists ntly pursuing the
po icy we have Of building up a thorough and
efficient navy, I cannot refrain from the sug
gestiou that congress should carefully take into
account the number OF unfinished vessels on
our hands and the depleted condition OF our
treasury in considering the propriety Of an ap-
preparation at this time TO begin new work.
Tie method OF employing mechanical labor
az navy yards through boards OF labor, and
making efficiency the sole te-t by which lsbor-
erS a'e employed and continued. Is producing
the best results. and the seer, airy is earnestly
deyOilng himself TO It's der-iO ment itten-
tion Is invited 20 the statement ut his report In
regard TO the workings Of the system
The Interior Department..