The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-06
The PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Concluded from First Page.

personnel Of our navy. He presents
satisfactory account of the progress which
has been made in the construction of YES
sells, and makes number of recommended
tons TO which attention is especially in
vited During the past six months the de-
mands for cruising vessels have been
many and urgent There have been revolu-
tons calling for vessels to protect Ameri-
can interests In Nicaragua, Guatemala.
Costa Rica. Honduras, Argentine and Bra
I'll, while the condition of affairs in Homo
lulu has required the constant presence of
one or more ships. With all these calls
upon our navy IL becomes necessary. in
order to make up a sufficient fleet to patrol
the Bering sea under the moduS vivendt
agreed upon with Great Britain, TO detail
10 that service one vessel from the fish
commission and three from the revenue
marine
Progress in the construction of new YES
sells has not been as rapid as was antici-
pated. There have been delays in the
completion of unarmored vessels, but for
the most part they have been such as are
constantly occurring, even in countries
having the largest experience in naval ship
building. The most serious delays. how
ever. have been in the work upon armored
ships. The trouble has been the failure or
contractors TO deliver armOr as agreed.
The difficulties seem now, however to have
been all overcome and armor Is being de-
livered with satisfactory promptness, AS
a result of the experience acquired by
ship-buiders and designers and material
men, il is believed that the dates when
vessels will be completed can now be
timated with reasonable accuracy. Great
guns. rapid-fre guns, torpedoes and pow
der are being promptly supplied. The fol-
lowing vessels of the new navy have been
completed and now ready for service:
The double-turreted coast defense moni-
tor MiantOnomah, the double-turreted
coast defense monitor Monterey, the ar
mOred cruiser New York, the protected
cruisers Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Newark San Francisco, Charleston, At
lanta and Boston. the cruiser Detroit. the
gunbQats Yorktown, Concord, Bennington,
Machias Castine and Petrol. the dispatch
croft, and the dynamite gunboat Nesuvius.
OF these the Bancroft Machias. Detroit
and Castine have been placed in commits
sion during the current calendar year.
The following vessels are in process Of
construction: The second-class battleships
Maine and Texas, the cruisers Montgomery
and Marblehead the coast defense mont
tors Terror. Puritan, Amphitrite and Mon
adnok. all Of which will be completed with
in one year; the harbor defense ram Kat
ahdina. and the protected cruisers Column
bia, Minneapolis, Olympia, Cincinnati and
prior to July l. 1895; the frst-class battle
ships Iowa, Indiana. Massachusetts, and
oregon. which will be completed Feb /.
1896, and the armored cruiser Brooklyn,
which will be completed by Aug. /. of that
year. II is also expected that the three
gunboats authorized by the last congress
will be completed in less than two years.
Since 1856 congress has. at each session,
authorized the building of one or more
vessels. and the secretary of the navy
presents an earnest plea for the cOntinu-
ance of this plan. He recommends the
authorization Of at least one battle ship
and six torpedo boats. While 1 am dis
tinctly in favor of consistently pursuing
the policy we have ;naugurated of building
up thorough and efficient navy. / can
not refrain from the suggestion that the
congress should carefully take into ac-
count the number of unfinished vessels on
our hands. and the depleted condition of
our treasury i'm considering the propriety
Of an appropriation at this time to begin
new work
The method of employing. mechanical
labor and making efficiency the sole test
by which laborers are employed and con-
tinued. is producing the best results, and
the secretary is earnestly devoting him.
self to it's development
Attention is invited TO the statements OF
his report in regard to the workings of
the system.