The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-12-04
NEEDS OR THB NAVY.
Secretary Herbert Makes His
Annual Report.
PROGRESS OF HIS DEPARTMENT.

PROGRESS OF HIS DEPARTMENT.
New Vessels Comp1eted-Smokcless Pow
der rAbaodoped-The Dock at Port Royal.
Movements of Warships-Purchase OF
ditional Land ut Key Wcst-Live Oak
Timber Reservations.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-In his annual
report, Secretary Of the Navy Herbert
says:
The following vessels, built By con-
tract, have been completed, accepted
and commissioned since the date Of my
last report: Olympia, Minneapolis and
Indiana.
The ram Ketahdin, completed under
contract at the Bath Iron works, was
tried over a designated coErse upon
Long Island sound, making an average
of 16. OIL knott; an hour The contract
requirements, excepting, perhaps, some
slight finishing touches, had ali been
complied with, save only that speed
| of II knots was not reached upon the
trial, and for this reason the depart
ment refused to accept the ship. In the
contract the company guarantees this
speed. There IS no provision authoriz-
| ing the acceptance of the ship if she
fails to attain II knots. The company
earnestly insists that as the vessel and
its machinery were constructed upon
the departments plans and specifica-
tions, that as these plans and specifca-
tions were faithfully followed aud the
! work well done, the ship should be ac-
cepted. In the view Of the department,
however, whatever may be the equities
of the contractor, the question as to
what shah be the final disposition of
the matter, is one properly belonging to
congress.
The following vessels have been COM
pleted at navy yards and put in comrnis-
9on: The Maine, Texas and Anphitrte.
Docks Too Small.
The department has been recently
somewhat inconvenienced fo- want of
dock large enough to take the larger
class Of our naval vessels. The Texas,
it was believed, could not be safely dock
ed at the Norfolk yard, and it was there.
fore decided to send her to the Brooklyn
yard, where, though the dock was Of
the same size as that at Norfolk, the
higher tides permitted the ship to enter
it with greater assurance Of safety. By
taking advantage of high tide the ship
was docked without touching. This
want of larger docks has not been un-
foreseen, and if builders had fulfilled
their contracts we should now have two
docks on the Atlantic coast ready and
able to take at any time any ship in SER
vice or now building.
The large dock at Port Royal, S. O.,
was to have been finished according to
contract on April %. 1893. There were
many delays in the work, but it was re-
ported as ready for use some time since,
and the Texas might have been docked
there instead Of being sent to New
York but for interuptmg certain work
now being done on the dook which the
department decided upon for the pur-
pose Of further strengthening this struc-
ture. This dock, it is believed. will be
turned over to the government within
the present calendar year.
Labor at Navy Yards.
-Four years ago the registration sys-
tenn Of employing laborers and mechan,
les at navy yards was inaugurated, and
1t has now come to be generally under
stood by applicants that it IS necessary
to register with the labor boards IN or
der to be employed, that after register
ing, workmen are taken on in the order
Of registration, that political or other
influence plays no part in securing en-
ployment as laborer or mechanic, and
that the department. does not interfere
in the matter Of employing or discharg-
ing worhnen at navy yards unless the
rules have IN some way been violated
AS result there are few requests made
upon the department. for the employ
ment of laborers and mechanics at navy
wards, whereas much time was for
merly consumed in hearing and an
swering applicants and their friends.
Movements OF Ships In Commission.
The situation during the past year
has required the vessels Of the navy to
be constantly cruising:
The North Atlantic squadron, COM
posed Of FIVE vessels, under the COM
mand Of Rear Admiral r. W. Meade,
cruised during the past winter in the
West Indies and the waters adjacent
thereto. In May, Rear Admiral R. W.
Meade was relieved of the command at
his own request, and Rear Admiral T.
NJ. Bunce was ordered as his successor.
This squadron at present consists Of
the New York (fagshpl, Columbia,
Amphitrite, Cincinnati, Raleigh, and
Montgomery, and will il short time
be enforced By the Maine and Texas.
The Minneapolis has recently been de-
tsched from the North Atlantic squad
ron and sent to Turkish waters.
Live OAK Timber Beserrntfons.
Congress, By special act approved
March 3, 1895, authorized the secretary
Of the navy to certify the whole or such
portion or portions Of the several tracts
Of land in the states Of Alabama and
Mississippi heretofore set apart and re-
served for naval purposes, as are no lon
ger required for the purpose for which
they were reserved, or for any purpose
connected with the naval service.
/ have the honor to report that IN pur
suance Of this act the several tracts Of
land so held in reserve IN the states of
Alabama and Mississippi were, March
IL, 1895, certified to the secretary of the
interior for restoration to the body Of
the public domain, the department be-
ing satisfied that it no longer had any
use for the retention Of these reserva-
tions.
Steel Inspection.
1t is believed that 10 naval establish
ment demands higher classes of mate
rial for ships or exacts more rigid in
spection than ours. The work of in
spection, as done by ourinspectors, COM
prises chemical analysis of every heat
| Of metal, numerous analysis of drilhngs
and, for each piece of finished material,
conformity to required shape and size,
freedom from surface defects, uniform
soundness, and the determination Of its
| tensile strength and ductility.
Torpedo Boats.