Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1894-12-07
WASHINGTON.

Secretary Gresham has asked Great
Britain to explain her occupancy of the
Mosquito reservation.
In his report Comptroller Eckels advises
q change from n bond to safety fund Sc
curity as n basis for bank circulation.
Both Houses of Congress were called
to order at noon Monday for the regular
winter session. The Senate was ready
for business, but the House had no quo
rum. Interviews with Il large number
of the Senators and Representatives de-
velOped that the session would probably
include little or nothing beyond the regu
lar appropriation bills. Representatives
and Senators say that while nothing is
in sight on the tariff or the currency on
which the majority can agree, something
must be done to provide work outside of
the appropriation bills. The Nicaragua
Canal will receive early attention, as
well as the bankruptcy and anti-optiOn
bills, besides which the free silver men
will have number of measures.
In connection with the strong presen-
tatiOn by Secretry Herbert of the neces-
sity for the procurement of a number of
new torpedo boats, n proposition has
been made to him whereby the navy may
be made very popular in the vast inter-
ior of the United States, where it is now
almost unknown, and, more important
still. the navy may hold at its disposal
a large force of trained sailors, particu-
larry expert in the torpedo service, which
there is now no adequate opportunity to
develop. The plan in brief is for the
Government to build Il large number of
torpedo boats, and to lend them to the
States naval militia TO be used at any
point on the river, lake, or even canal,
where water may be found, TO navigate
them. There are very few States where
the smaller boats of this kind may not
find some water to navigate, and with
the inducement of the free use of such
craft 1t is not doubted that naval mill
tiamen will be forthcoming in States
where there is no other means of drill
ing them. Competent engineers and ord
nance officers would be detailed to in
struct the militia in the use of these
boats. and the men would be free to
avail themselves of them for drills and
even for excursions, with the understand
ing that they should employ no outside
help. but would perform every Office on
the boat themselves, steering, firing and
running the engines.
Washington dispatch: The cost of main
tenance of the life-saving service during
the fiscal year was 81 .2JS, 221. The num-
Der of disasters. 594. was greater and
more destructive of vessel property than
in any previous year since the introduce
ton of the present system. This fact Is
due to the large number and extreme vio-
lence of the tempests which rayaged both
the sea and lake coasts. The following
is summary of the statistics of the ser
vice from the introductionof the present
system in 1871 TO the close Of the fiscal
year:
Number of disasters. 1925
Value of vessels. .........S S4.922,OIo
Value of cargoes. - 3S,o3o,fI4
Value of property involved. 122,W1 ,S49
Value of property saved. IS 81, 155.o 22
Value. of property lost. s. 29.SO6,:}27
Number of persons involved. I'll ,422
Number of lives lost. $50. 724
Number of persons succored 11,221
During last year the telephone lines of
the service have proved more emphaticai
ly than ever before their indispensable
value as an aid to prompt and efficient
life-saving operations, and the lines have
been extended and improved as much as
possible. The system continues TO attract
foreign attention, and during the year
the details of its operation have been ex-
amined in person by the representatives
of a Royal Commission of Great Britain
who treats of it in his report with warm
commentator and recommends its adop-
a: 4.