Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-12-12

Frntufnr cunoinon or tne pcfeonnri ur nnr
navy. Tie presents n satisfactory account OF
char ges which have been made ia the con.
sirncuon Of vcssels and makes o number Of rec
ommeudttinnA which are especially invited.
During the past six mouths the demands for
cruising vessels have been many aud most
urgent There have been rcVoiufi0nscalinr Tor
vcssol8 10 protect American Interests iu Nicar-
aqua, Guatemala, Costa Rich Honduras.
Agentina and Brazil. while the condition ~
efulrs ia Honolulu has required the constant
presence uf one or more ships. With all those
calls upon our navy, u heclrhe N ccssary IN
order 20 make Up a sufficient fleet TO patrol tho
bohrinr sea under the m0dua vivicndo asrncd
upon with Great Britain, to detail to that ser
Vice QUO geaeal from the fish commission and
three from the revenue marine.
Progress In the construction Of new vessels
has not leen as rapid as was anticipated.
There have been delays in the completion II
unarmored vessels, but for tho most part they
have boen such a. are constantly occurring
even IN count les having the largest experience
In naval ship building, The most serioug
armored shirI The trouble has been the
failure Of contractors 70 deliver armor as
agreed. The dihlcultles seem now, however,
70 nave been nl overcome and armor Is being
delivered with satisfactory promptness.
Asa insult OF the expense acquired by ship
builders aud designers and material men, IL IL
believed that the date when vessels Will 30
completed can now BE- cstimatcd with rensona-
Bile accuracy. Great guns, rapid-hr guns, tor
pedoos and powder are beins promptly sup
piled.
The following vessels Of the navy have been
NNNll A.ANu NuN Mo now NhMuN INI service =
The double turreted coust defense monitor
MiantOnOmuh, the double turretted coast de-
lonae monitor Monterey the urmOred cruiser
New York, tho protected cruisers baltimore,
Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, san Franc sec
Charleston. Atlanta and Boston, the cruiser
Detroit, tho gunbOats Yorktown, Concord,
Bennington. hacliae, Ca9tine aud Petrol, the
desyatch vessel Dolphin, the practice vessel
Bancroft and the dynamite g1uboat Nesuvius.
The bancroft, Machias Detroit and Castine
have been placed In commission during the
current calendar year.
The following vessels are In process Of c~onstruo-
second class battleships Maine and Texas. the
cruisers Montgomery and Mnrbiehead, ana the
coaet defense monitors Terror, Puritan, Amphrita
and MonadnOck, all u which will be completed
within one year. The harbOr defense ram kalah-
oln aud the protected cruisers Columbia, Mlnneap-
OILS olympia Cincinnati and Raleigh, all OF Whici
Will be completed prior 20 July 4, 1875; the hrst-
class battleshipH Iowa. Indiana, massachusetts and
oregon, which viii he completed February I. iSgi,
ana the armorcd cruiser BROOKLYN. which VIII be
completed by August or that year, II Is also ex-
pocied that the three g%unboats authorized by the last
congress will be completed Ia less than two years.
Since leH5 congress has NJ each session au-
thOrized the building Of one or more vessels
and tho secretary of the navy presents an earn
est plea Tor the continuance OF this plan. He
recommends The authorization OF at least one
battle ship and six torpedo boats. While I am
distinctly In favor Of Consistently D|ursuinC the
pc icy we have Of building up a thorough and
efficient navy, ] cannot refrain from the sug-
gestion that congress should carefully take into
account the number OF unfinished vessels on
our hands AMI The depleted condition Of our
treasury in considering the pr0priety Of an Ap-
preparation a. this time to begin new work,
The method Of employing mechanical labor
at navy yards through boards OF labor, and
making efficiency the sole test by which labor
ers are employed and continued, Is producing
the best results, and the secretary iG earnestly
d~evoting himself TO its development. Atteri-
tlOn i,inyitcd 10 the statement Of his report in
regard to the workings OF the system.