The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-11-14

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE first ship
of the new navy was put in commission
over nine years ago, and according to
Chief Constructor Hichborn the de-
mands for ordinary repairs on the
earlier vessels for the preservation and
for the main tenance of their equippage
in a proper state of efficiency are year.
ly becomhsg more serious, and congress
must he,fafter make larger appropri-
ations fVr this purpose Com. Hich-
born, in his annual report, declares that
modern steel ships, with their extreme
subdivision and elaborate systems
of ventilation, drainage and mechan.
ical auxiliaries of all kinds, require
much greater care, both when in com.
mission and in ordinary, than was
formerly the case with the old wooden
ships; neglect is followed by much
more serious and far-reaching deterior.
alton and it is absolutely essential
that the most careful supervision
should be exercised at all times and
remedies applied in order that the ef
ficiency of the vessels as men-of-war
may be properly maintained
For several years past the construc.
ton bureau has been compelled to
economic nearly to the danger point,
being limited by a repair appropria.
ton of less than three per cent. of the
original cost of vessels, while in the
British navy the figure varys from
four to nine per cent. the lower fig.
ure applying to heavier armored yes.
sells. Constructor Hichborn insists
that a million and half dollars
are needed for this year, where,
only 100000 was secured from con.
gress for the current year. A signif.
cant feature of Com. Hichborn's report
is that he officially recommended the
construction of only two new vessels
to be authorized by congress at the
next session instead of the great in
creases to our force of heavy battle
ships which was unofficially suggested
by his paper read before the naval
architects in New York three days age
as being promptly needed by the navy
The vessels he recommends are two
small composite sailing vessels of 1,0Ot
tons displacement, to cost only $3.50,
600 each. These, if authorized by con
gress, will be the first two vessels with
out steam power that have been placed
in the naval service for many years
No argument regarding these recon
mendations is submitted by Construc
tor Hichborn.
Com. Hichborn devotes considerable
space to pointing out the necessity fol
greatly increasing the number of dry
docks at the navy yards, the efficiency
of our cruisers being seriously affected
by the difficulties encountered in clean
ing their submerged portions. He rec
ommends new dry docks at Ports
mouth, N. H., Boston, Mare Island
Cal. and Norfolk, Va.
Until the indefinite time in the fu
ture when the big dry docks at New
York, Puget Sound and Port Royal ar
available for deep draught vessels, tn
new battleships must remain un
docked. Chief Engineer Melville ant
Constructor Hichborn concur in tn
estimate that S1,s59,s69 must b.
provided for disbursement next yea
on account of the vessel
authorized by the last congress TO
which, however, no appropriation
were made. For repairs on the Chica
| go $500, 900 is required and for the Hart
ford $17O,OOO Constructor Hitchborl
renews with emphasis the request fire
quently made to congress the expert
which it is proposed to use to tes
models of ships before the vessels them
selves are built