Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-20
NAVY IS In GOOD CONDITION
Facts Cleaned from the Report of Chief En-
gineer Melville,
MARE ISLAND NEEDS MORE MACHINERY
Even the OId-Timc ships Are scrv-
iccnbIc, Though tntiuuntcd-In-
crease in the Force OF Engi-
nccrs Almost Necessity.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19-The report of
Commodore Melville. chief engineer of the
navy, made public today gives a detailed
statement of the condition Of all war ships
50 far as their machinery and mechanical
apparatus is concerned. As a whole it shows
that all the modern ships are in good condi-
tion except in a few minor Instances, In
which machinery is being overhauled. The
oid-time ships are as usual, reported as
antiquated, but most of them are said to be
serviceable considering their age,
The report says that during the year the
bureau has prepared plans and specifications
for the machinery of battleships numbers
g. Z. s and ., for the Hartford and for tug
number 5. for the League island navy yard,
and plans for the machinery of the 20-knot
and 22-knot torpedo boats and for a re
arrangement of the machinery of the Atlanta
due to the fitting of new boilers in that
vessel.
Work at the navy yard on the new ma
chinery for the Chicago is progressing as
rapidly as the appropriation for that purpose
will permit. The completion of the boilers
has been delayed owing to failure to obtain
the nickel steel plates originally ordered
and to further delays subsequent on the
failure of the manufacturers to deliver
within seasonable time enough shell plates
of nickel steel of satisfactory finish to
complete one of the cylindrical boilers.
The working of the nickelsteel plate
finally accepted for one boiler has also in
volved some delay, and the experiment, as
q whole, has added considerably to the cost
of manufacturing of the cylindrical boilers.
The department having decided that entirely
new machinery should not be built for the
Atlanta the bureau has prepared a plan
for fitting her with new boilers and making
certain alterations in her present engines
which will probably make her a more eco
nomc1l cruiser but as the engines of this
vessel are not OF anything like modern de-
sign, the process of patching will probably
prove an expensive one in the end, as the
changes contemplated are only such as
will be necessary to make the engines suit
the boilers and render her engine room
more accessible.
The bureau has expended $675, ,096 during
the past year.
The New York navy yard has done tho
largest quota of work, the expenditures on
vessels being $S46,927. and the yard ex-
penses, $13O,537. The Norfolk navy yard dis
buIsed Sl22, ,32O on vessels and $40 All on the
yard The Boston navy yard spent 5000 on
vessels and S100l5 on the yard. The Mare
Island, California, yard disbursed $12S 1862
on vessels and SS34j1 on the yard. The
report says of the Mare Island yard: This
is the only repair station on the Pacific
coast, and there are now at that yard under
repair no less than seven vessels requiring
more or less extensive repairs, after several
years of continuous commission. The shops
are ill-adapted to the work, and the alb |
sence of proper tools and of a modern boiler |
making plant are severely felt. The result |
is shown in the increased cost OF work done |
at the yards beyond what it would cost If |
the proper tools were at hand and properly |
arranged for facilitating work. There are |
certain things which should be obtained |
without delay the most important being |
hydraulic boiler-making plant"
Tho report urges that a bCilermaking |
plant be provided at the Norfolk navy yards |
and the League Island yards. AS to the new !
THE completion at this station of the only
dry dock on the Atlantic coast which will
take the battleships, make 1t imperative |
that there should be facilities at hand for
doing the ordinary repair work that may
be required when one of the vessels is
docked, some of which can be done only
at such a time.
Commodore Melville points out in closing
that large number of valuable engineers
have been retired during the year for ply
steal disability owing to the helvy strain
on this branch of work and an increase of |
the force is urgently recommended. He
says: THE personal element Is one which
must enter largely into the result of any
naval engagement and If we had the NEST
powerful and the swiftest navy aholt, it
would be valueless to us in time of war If
we have not a sufficient number of trained |
men to see that the machinery of this feet |
is in condition good enough to keep it going
in action. The guns will be poweress with
out machinery, and, other things being
equal. that fleet will give the best account
of itself which has the best equipment OF
at the guns. To sacrifice the one is merely
inviting disaster to the whole"