The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-08
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.


diCatlve of our appreciation of tho even,
'Hii NAVY DEPARTMENT.
M ENhibit of onr Fighting Strength
nt Sea.
The work Of the navy department, aud its
rrcsnut conditions ,ro fuil,, ovht,;,i H.
,ho r,,or, -, a., ,.......
Vi WV 'V''o'''E' INC co"S'ruc-
''"0 vi Vessels lot cur new navy has been
theoretically prosecuted by the urcseut
administration upnn tho prperoI Iipo. ,rr.
,,t,,.,. ~,
' "'Vi'e'' w department hNlug
seen no necessity for radical changes In
prior methods under which the work was
found IN h, rr,,,.,s,i,,,, t., , ,,,,.,,. ,,,.,,.
,a..,.s.,. ",""'.' "''"'
'''''''''o'S' II nus peei ueclueu' however
to provide in every ship building contract
that the builder should nav nil trial OK
r,rco,, and 1, h., ,,.. $780,, ,..,.,
-''' ''V" We ''''i''" ~
p"! NO SP'eu premiums IN the future con-
tracts. The premiums recently carmel and
some yet to be decided are features a. Tho
ccr,,,,,s ,.,a,. h,,,ro Eli. a..,,.,...,.., .'.-.
'0'''' '''S No''V'us'oi was
lVScheu'
N' Harch a. 1850 there were III commits
son OUT Two ar'noreu vessels, the douhie
'uTTctod monitors Miahtohonloh ana Mon
evIeS' 9lhce inUl ua'', Oh vessels theieto-
i"'V "u'uo''~eu' 'he'e nuNe p.eh piAVeu III
we" Hrs' commission 'hree Hrs'-c'ahN ana
TWO seeoha-class batticships' TWO a'Ihoiei
cruisers, one harpor defense ram, I'VE
uuhnlc tulfcled mentors, lhtluulhg inc
Mdlhe anu 'he iutltdh just cohlp''ttu'
rieht new unn'mored cruisers and Two ne"
bunpoats nave also uetn COMMISSIONER
me IOWA another pallieshlp' VIII he COM
pleted about March l. and at least tour
early spring IL IS eratlyihs TO state ,nd'
our shirs AMI their OUTFITS are believed To
be equal TO the best mat can De manu-
iactured c'seWhere' ana ,hat SUN notnp'e
reductions nave peeh hAue III their cost as
TO justify the statement mat qule mum
ner oil N'sfe's dIt no" nt,"s eo''n" y, ,,,i,
rates as low rs those that prevail III EURO
peHn snip YARDS
Our mnnuldotutihS ''ci'i''cs urS Ut .in9
| time ample for an possible naval cont'A-
gcncics. Three OF our government navy
| yards. those at Mare Island. cal; NorloiS'
| Va. and Brooklyn, y. J., are equipped ior
ship building our ordnance piHht ~ Wasn
ineton Is equal to any III inc world anu =!
| the torpedo station we are successfully
making the highest grades Of smoheless
| yowder. Three first class private sup yards
at Newport News. Philadt lphll ahd San
| Francisco are building battleshlps; oio''"
contractors situated IN the S'atea Oh Nulue'
| Ehodc Island. pennsylvania, NeW JtiNVF'
| MARYLAND Virginia and the state oil WASH
mgton. are constructing gunhoa's or tor-
rodo boats two plants are manufacturing
| large Quantities Of first class arnor. AMI
| American factories are producing automo-
| hilc torpedo,s powder. projoctll'S. rapid
| fire guns and everything else necessary Tor
the complete outfit Of naval vessels Tnerc
have been authorized by congress .in.@
March. 1893, flve battlcships, SIX hSht ara"
runhcats. sixteen torpedo boats and one
e,,tr,ar,,,o torpedo boat. Contracts FOR
| ,bc huildiup of all of them have been let
M M ooantnrv cxpresses tho opiuion thai we
~, ,ar No nrcsent a sufficient supply Of
- n,,d fnrnboats and that hereafter
ma constrnctiop Of blttleships AMI lorpado
,na,s viii snnnly our moods.
| ,I,'oh a,t.,,tion has been given to the
,,,',SC5y ~ carrying on departmental bush
- NV i,rnortan, qualifications in the reg
,,to,io,, have becn made tending TO unity
w., ,,,,rnI NJ shinbuilding as far as may
W., Wv No. Tho bureau Of construc-
w. .n1 romoir and also to mi
n uum ,he mode of purchasing supplies
PRIV, wv a., mo b,ronu of supplies and
IoItme II" yho ,.tnhlishment under recent
ao.u"aS', o,',roeq NJ SIMPLY fund With
NJ " n,,rchnsr the supplies IN large
Mnirt ana o,her qualifications Of meth
wv" ha,,a ended materially to their cheap
Nu9 -" hct,cr quality.
~, ,.nr College has developed into an
ns'' Lie ~ Tho navy in teaching the sci
80 -, n,or az we'll as in stimulating pro-
sn',,."oi ~,aI In The navy. and it will be
,.'oIaii,, n'cf,,I In the levsing OF plans for
~ utilization In case Of necessity Of all