The record-union., 1894-11-28
Special to the REcoRn-uS1ox.

the Navy Herbert has submitted his an
nual report to the President. In part hs
says:
The following vessels have been CON-
pleted and tried since the date of my last
report: Marblehead, 1914 knots per
hour; Columbia, 22.S0; Olympia, 21.60;
Montgomery, 1906; Minneapolis. 23.O76.
Inc last Naval Appropriation Act con-
tanned provision authorizing the con-
struction of three additional torpedo
boats. The department has carefully
considered questions relating to the de-
Velopment OF this type of vessel, both st
home and abroad, and has finally do
clded upon the construction of torpedo
boats of the general type of the Ericsson,
with a slightly greater displacement, and
TO attain an average speed Of not less than
2f.5 knots on the acceptance trial.
VESSELS IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION.
y reference to the report of the chief
constructor will show that work on new
vessels now in course of construction has
advanced quite satisfactorily during tho
past year.
Work on the first-class battle-shio
Iowa is progressing as rapidly as the re-
qulrementS OF good workmanship will
permit, and it is expected that the vessel
will be completed during the latter part
of 1896.
The first-class battle-ships Indiana,
vanced toward completion, and will be
in condition for acceptance by the Gov
ernment within the coming year.
The Second-class battle-ship Maine will
be ready Tor commissioning before the
end OF this fiscal year. She is being built
at the New York Navy Yard, and her re-
cent machinery trial at sea indicates th;ss
she is to be gratifying success.
The second-class battle-ship Texas is
practically ready for her machinery trial
and should be completed and ready for
commissioning a few months later.
w Ork on the armOred cruiser BROOKLYN
is progressing t&vorabIy, and it is ex-
pected that this vessel Will be completed
during the early months of 1896.
Rapid progress is being made on tho
double-turreted monitors Puritan and
Monadnock, and these vessels will prob
ably be ready for trial before the end Of
this fiscal year. Work on the dou ble-
turreted monitors Terror and Amphitrite
is SO well advanced, that in case of an
emergency, these vessels could be pre-
pared for service within few months.
The armored ram katahdiu Will prob
ably be completed during the early part
of the next fiscal year.
The progress of work on the three gun
boats, Nos. 7. s and 8, now being built at
the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company's works, is such as to in
dicate that they will be completed within
the contract time.
VESSELS OF THE NEW NAVY.
The progress thus far made in the de-
velopment of our new navy is as follows:
First-class battle-shi ps-Iowa, Indiana.
Massachusetts, and Oregon.
Second-class battle-ships-M Maine and
Texas.
Armored cruisers-New York and
Brooklyn.
Coast defense vessels-Puritan, Amphi-
trlte, Terror, MonadnOck, Monterey and
Miantonomah.
Harbor defense vessel-Katahdin.
Protected cruisers-Minneapoli Olym-
pia, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Columbia,
Newark, San Francisco, Charleston, Bos-
ton, Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati and
Raleigh.
Cruisers-Detroit, Marblehead and
Montgomery.
Gunboats-Benningto Concord, Cas-
tine, Yorktown, Machias, Petrol, Gun
boat No. Z, Gunboat No. s and Gunboat
No. 9.
Dynamite gun vessel-Vesuvius.
Dispatch boat-Dolphin.
Cadet practice cruiser-Bancroft.
torpedo boats-Cushing, otiletto, Err
lesson, Torpedo Boat No. 3, Torpedo Boat
No. and Torpedo Boat No. ).
LOSS OF THE KEARsARGE.
OF the old wooden vessels of the navy
winch were IN active service at the date
OF my last report, one, the kearsage. was
wrecked III February last, and her name
mas since been regretfully stricken from
the navy list.
There is still a feeling, deep-seated.
widespread and fully shared by the Nayv
department that kearsarge is a name
that ought not to be permitted to die out
OF the navy list l respectfully suggest
that you recommend Congress TO author
lze the construction of battle-ship to
NOR 7 nNt fn hi J.
1t is true, approves the policy heretofore
adopted OF naming our battle-ships for
States-the pillars OF the Union: but the
proprlety OF making an exception to this
rule in favor of the kearsarge would. /
believe, be universally recognized.
THE CONSTITUTION.
Under the provisions Of the Act for the
furnishing of vessels of war to State gov
ernments for the use of the naval militia
the department has lately been requested
TO loan the old Constitution for such pur-
pose. L or many years past this vessel
has been used as a receiving ship at the
navy yard at Portsmouth, y. H,. has
been housed over and only such repairs
put upon her as would render her habit
able and i'll condition to float. Her pres
ent state is such that if this famous old
vessel is to be longer preserved as a me-
mento OF our glorious past larger sum
of money than that Appropriated at tho
last session Will be necessary. In view
of the memories which are inseparably
connected with this vessel, the depart
ment believes that it would be wise for
Congress to authorize that she be re-
paired and put in such condition as Will
preserve her indefinitely. Should sucn
an Act be passed, the old ship might then
be brought 20 Washington and kept al
the navy yard as an object of interest to
the many thousands of patriotic Amer
leans annually visiting the Capital of the
Nation.
WOODWORK IN VESSELS.
During the past year | personally WIS.,
tied and carefully inspected many of our
new vessels, obtaining always, as far as
possible, information in detail in relation
to these ships from commanding and
other officers. My attention was called
during some of these inspections to the
belief on the part of some of the officers
that much unnecessary woodwork has
been heretofore placed in our now ves-
sels. The opinion was advanced that this
was not only expensive and unnecessary,
| hut that it made difficult the thorough
| inspection and repairing of piping, etc,
and, above all, that it would render naval
vessels liable to take fire in battle, while
the flying of splinters would be danger
Gus in the extreme.
CONTINUED on SIXTH PAGE.l