The herald., 1896-12-06

with the solution of war problems which
comprised various portions of our coast
and frontiers. The means of defense that
could be improvised have been carefully
considered, even to the selection of ma
terial and personnel locally available.
From a combination of these problems
q scheme of defense for the coast and
frontier has been formulated. and by
continued intelligent and systematic
work. this plan of defense may be per-
fected so that at the outbreak of war an
auxiliary navy may be quickly mobilized
along the coasts and harbors, rivers and
important strategic positions may be
fortified by submarine mines, protected
by temporary batteries.
Some space Is devoted to the subject
of gunmaking, and the statement made
that the department is experimenting
with devices for firing by electricity.
The subject of armor plates receives
much consideration, the contracts for
different vessels being mentioned, as
we'll as the results of tests. The state
ment is made that the custom of giving
publicity to tests of armor, guns and
other naval appliances has been dis
continued on the ground that it furnish
es foreign nations information that may
some time be detrimental.
The supply of powder for large guns
Is said to be entirely insufficient to meet
any sudden call of war, and its manu-
facture being a process requiring time,
1t is recommended that congress make
an appropriation for liberal supply to
be kept on hand.
Mention is made of the improvements
made since 1894 at the Mare Island, Nor
folk and Brooklyn navy yards, and
more work in the same line is recon-
mended. The report says: The timber
drydock at Port orchard, Puget Sound
station, was contracted for with Byron,
Barlow & Co. in December, 1892, and was
completed in September, 1896. Though
a timber dock, it has masonry abut-
ments, the entrance being an inverted
arch, with the same curves as the great
est cross section of a battleship. The
stone abutment will be very great, if
not absolute. protection against the
ravages of the teredo. This is the larg-
est dock on the Pacific coast, its dimen-
sions being: Length on floor, sos fet .
inches; width of entrance, 80 feet inch
es at coping; As feet 1 inch on floor;
depth over sill at mean high water, 80
feet.
The present navy yards, the secretary
says, are sufficient for the work re-
quired on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
but he recommends that one be estab-
lished on the Gulf of Mexico, where ships
cruising in southern waters could be re-
paired.
Says the report: The subject of ma
val prisons has received the careful con-
sideration of the department, and no
complaints respecting the condition of
the prison at Boston or that at Mare
island have been received from any
source during the year. The prison has
been enlarged, the use of dark cells dis
continued; courts have been advised to
add a requirement respecting extra po-
lice duties to sentences involving con-
finement, under which suitable exercise
can be required; the food furnished has
been carefully inspected, and it is be-
lieved that all practical and proper pro-
vision has now been made for the health
and comfort of the inmates of the pris-
ons, while at the same time. new regu-
lations have been promulgated for the
purpose of strictly maintaining their
character as penal institutions.
1t is recommended that the law regu-
lating the retirement of army officers
be made to apply to those in the navy.
Considerable stress is laid upon the i'm
portance of the astronomical work done
by the nautical almanac office, and an
extra appropriation is asked for the COM
pletion of certain work now on hand.
The sanitary condition OF the Washing
ton navy yard and marine headquarters
is strongly condemned, it being stated
that nearly one-fourth of the causes of
malarial disease occurring in the navy
are found there.
Continuing, the report says: At the
last session of congress an act was
passed, providing for the establishment
of a training station on the island of
Yerba Buena, near San Francisco and
that a board of two officers of the navy
and one officer of the army should Sc
lect and assign so much of that island
is might be necessary for this purpose,
and that the site so selected should be