Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-03
vALUABLE NAvAL LEssoNs.

/
river is the absolute necessity Of main
tanning the navy yards, repair shops
and store rooms in readiness for instant
service. According to the cable reports
both of the fleets engaged at Yalu sus-
tanned great damage. True, the Chinese
lost many vessels entirely, but they
still had formidable force afoat, while
scarcely q vessel of the japanese fleet
escaped without severe damage, mainly
from the murderous fire of the machine
guns. At the conclusion of the fight
each side withdrew to their nearest re-
spectlve dock yards for repairs. Upon
the efficient equipment and manage
msnt Of these dock yards very much
depends in just such a case as the pres
eat. Each feet is we'll nigh disabled
for further operations. If the Chinese
| yards, which are notoriedsly i'll equipped
and mismanaged are unable to complete
the repair Of their feet for six weeks,
WuACu - aDOuh LuU hlLuC 0llOWSA ANAS y
naval experts, while the Japanese put
their vessels in shape for service In two
weeks, as they count on doing, they
will be masters OF the Yellow sea and
can inflict enormous damage on China,
landing troops from transports at the
very door of Pekin, the Chinese capital,
and ravaging the coast. All OF which
demonstrates the great value Of good
dock yard system.
Naturally this has turned the attsn-
ton Of naval officers TO a consideration
Of our own resources in that line, and |
there is ssen to be pressing need for
radical reform in system at some points.
A few OF our yards are we'll equipped |
with modern plant for ship building |
and for excessive repairs, New York
and Norfolk for instance, bat in almost
every other place, the yards are filed
with Anticipated tools and lumber and |
ship houses, all very useful in the old
days Of wooden ships, but now posi-
tive encumbrRncs to work. 1t has been
urged that the navy could have recourse
TO private ship building firms for repair
and CONSTRUCTION work in time Of need.
But on the other hand these establish
ments may be crowded with private or
ders necessitating their absolute confs-
cation by the government IN order to
control their works, and besides there
are only very few private plants able
to undertake the heavy work of over
hauling one OF our great battleships.
They cannot be provided in an emer-
gency as was done In our civil war, for
the compiler and>expsqsLye plant needed !
for modern naval works requires years
instead Of days for its construction.
These facts have strongly Impressed
naval officers with the be-
lief that something must be done to put
all of our navy yards and stations IN
good condition, to moderDize them and
eouip them so that they shall be availa-
bile at short notice, for in these days
war may come like lightning from
summer sky, the actual declaration fell
lowing instead of preceding hostilities'
as witness the sinking Of the Kow Shing,
and the nation in superior readiness
takes quick advantage Of that fact.
Probably the Boston navy yard will
be the first to feel the effects Of this
policy of rehabilitation Of the yards,
and others will follow as fast as con-
eress can De induced by urgent repre-
sensations to appropriate the necessary
funds.
Another subject, it is said, germane
to the first mentioned, which has al
ready been pressed upon the attention
of the Navy Department by some Of the
brightest lights in the service, is an en-
tire change in the system OF supplying
and commissioning our ships. The
idea comes from Germany where 1t has
been practically applied with most
promising results. There would be no
difficulty in its application to our navy,
though some slight change in detail |
might be necessary in order to give 1t
sufficient elasticity for q country with |
two widely separated coast lines.
1t contemplates the division of the
vessels OF the navy into four classes.
The first would include vessels in actual
service; the second those lying in port
and ready for sea at days notice; the
third those vessels in need Of limited
repairs, and the fourth, vessels needing
extensive repairs. o. each station,
North Atlantic. Pacific, European,
Asiatic and South Atlantic fixed
number Of vessels must be maintained,
and Of this number not less than a
fixed percentage must be in classes one
and two thus ensuring an absolutely
reliable force at any given point at
any time.
AT the Unitarian national conference
at Saratoga last week one of the con-
spicuous features was the reading Of
pspers by Romsn Catholics, both priests