Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-12-28

H-
Secretary Herbert has left for the de-
| termination of congress, OF small gun
boats. like the Petrol of United states
navy, Great Britain has twenty-five or
thirty. and of ~gunboats slightly larger.
like the Castine and Michias, she has
six or eight.
Great Britain has the following ships
ready to be placed In commission with
in a short time, forming the flrst -re-
serve: Twenty-Five battlesbips, IA first
| class cruisers. 30 second class cruisers
10 third class cruisers, 3 screw sloops, IL
gunboats, II torpedo boat d~estroyers, ~
coast defense vessels and 3 special ser
vice ships. There is an engineer on
every one Of these ships and on the larS-
err ones at least one lire officer.
They also keep enough men on board
to keep the machinery I'm order ana usu-
| ally a gunner and a carpenter. These
vessels could be made ready for service
within a month or as soon as they could
be manned.
There are, according to a recent arti-
Gle in the Naval Gazette, $3.50 ofhcers
and men available for service In the
British navy. Uncle sam on the other
hand has at present I'm the naval service
only 13, 400 officers and men. This num-
Der could, however. be quadrupled in a
day If necessary and probably would In
case of war.
In summing up, II must be remem-
bered that Great Britain is on a war
footing and is seriously stralning her
resources to keep her navy intact,
whereas the United States is in a posi-
ton TO acquire new ships and supplies
Of war with far less difficulty. Yankee
enterprise, yankee ingenuity and yam
kee pluck overwhelmed Great Britain
on a previous occasion under difficulties
vastly greater.
Two Continents Against England
Besides that, there Is no doubt that the
fighting strength OF the South American
republics will be placed at our disposal,
and this would give as a force OF ships
nearly as great as England's. For
all practical purpose a wal etwee the
United States and Great Britain. based on
the Monroe doctrine, would probably mean
that England would have to fight two con-
%tinents.
Concerning the United States navy Con-
structor Hicborne made the following
statement as to the condition OF work on
vessels now building at the various
yards. The progress Of the work Is shown
by percetange: Indiana, 100 per cent, at
League Island. Massachusetts,. 80 per
cent at Cramps ship yard: Nashville, 60
per cent at Newport News; Wilmington,
c. per cent, at Newport News; Helena, So
capt ~ Nauppnrf NaupG. npanop QAlL
per cent, at Union Iron works; Monod-
mock, 81 per cent, at Marie Island; Pur-
itan, 81 per cent, at the New York navy
yard; Terror. 97la per cent, at the New
York navy yard; Unadilla, 80 per cent, at
the Marie Island avy yard.
A subject that is giving the navy de-
partment officials considerable uneasiness
is the lack OF docking facilities In this
country. Al the present time there Is no
government or private dock In the United
States which can be used TO dock the In
diana. The docks in course Of construc-
ton at the Brooklyn navy yard, Puget
Sound and Port Royal are large enough,
but owing TO the difficulties II delays in
their construction II would be some time
before they are in "a condition to receive
vessels. The Indiana has a foul bottom,
and II she were needed at short notice this
cOnultlOn WOuln ne Il serious lElpeNiIlent
to her speed and efficiency.
\ contract has just been closed by the
navy department for the purchase of $500
tons OF Pocahontas coal, which is to be
shipped from Norfolk shortly for Homo
lulu, where II is TO be placed In the dump
ing shed and used by naval vessels touch
ing at that port. This shipment is said to
be the largest ever made by the DEPART
menf. and will cost about 81, coo, three
fourths Of which goes for vessel hire. The
department has also recently bought 1900
tons of coal from a San Francisco firm for
delivery at Honolulu. These large pur-
chases have revived reports that the gov
eminent will at once begin active prepar-
ations for a large naval station at Hawaii,
land for which was granted by the late
queen some years ago.
ADMIRAL Walkers report on the advisa-
bility OF establishing this station has been
considered OF late. and 1t is not lmprob-
able that the secretary of the navy win
this winter authorize the expenditure Of
5000, 600 which is available for foreign coal
ing stations. Pearl harbor station is one
of the best locations for "a naval station In
the Pacific. and is easily reached from the
sea and can be fortified without great ex-
pense. There is plenty OF water there for
the heaviest warships, after a slight bar
at the entrance to the harbor Is removed,
and once inside torpedoes would render 1t
invulnerable to any hostile fleet. IL has
been recognized Of paramount Importance
to this country that a naval station be To-
Gated at Hawaii, and now that the de-
partment has both the authority and the
money for this purpose ii is not improb-
able hat the station will be established.