The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-27

washington, Nov. 26.-The annual
report OF the secretary of the navy
states that the present effective fight
ing force of the navy consists Of four /
battleships of the first class, two bat
tleships of the second class, two ar I
mored cruisers, 16 cruisers, Is gun
boats. six double turreted monitors, |
one ram, one dynamite gunboat, one
dispatch boat, one transport steamer
! and five torpedo boats. There are I'M |
der construction five battleships Jf the |
! first class, 16 torpedo boats and one |
submarine boat.
There are Ga other naval vessels, in |
GLIDING those used as training, rec civ |
ing and naval-reserve ships, tugs dis
used single-turreted monitors and |
some unserViceable craft.
There is, further, the auxiliary fleet. !
| This consists, first, of more than 20
subsidized steamers which comply
with the requirements of the postal
act of March 8, 1891, with regard to
| their adaptability to naval service, and
to an armament of main and secondary
| batteries; second, of a very much
greater number of large merchant ma
rine steamers, which can be awaited
of at any time of need
These auXilaries, ranging from 2.O0O
to 1900 TONS will, if occasion requires,
form a powerful fleet of ocean clris-
ers, capable of swift and 'ormidable
attack upon an enemy'S commerce.
Their great coal capacity will also en-
able them to remain a long time ct sea
in search of the whereabouts of hostile
vessels.
The country is to be .,ongra .ulated
upon the results obtained in the re
building of the navy. While its ships
are not as maryland it is not neoeS-
sary they should be-as those f some
other great powers, they are, class for
GLASS; in power, speed, workmanship
and offensive and defensive qualities,
the equals of vessels built u lyWEere
else in the world.
The vessels under construction should
be completed during the coming year,
except the five battleships, which will
probably not be ready for service be
fore the latter part of 1899. Of the
latter the kearSarge and Kentucky are
nearly half completed. About three
quarters of their armor has been de-
livered, a part of which has been Sc
cured in place on the ships. The other
three, the Alabama, Illinois and Wis
cOnsin, were begun subsequent to the
last annual report With the exception
of q small amount of diagonal caSemate
armor which the ship contractors have
; law, it will be necessary to preliminar-
lily accept them without armor, in ac-
cordance with the terms of the contract
for their construction.
The most striking feature of naval
, progress abroad is that of the Japanese
government She already ranks next to
England and France in the extent OF
her naval building. She has added dur
ing the past year TO ner fleet two first
class battleships, built in England, and
her programme for the future will rem
der her By the year 1902 the strongest
naval power in the Pacific ocean.
ORDNANCE
Progress has been made under the
2 bureau Of ordnance in aiming our YES
sells in keeping with their increase in
, number. 1t appears from its report that
= all the guns, SAT in number required
for the main batteries Of the modern
= ships of the navy, have been completed
except those for the five battleships
! now under construction, and for the
Hartford. These guns, however, win be
= completed far in advance Of the battle
S ships.
During the past year IS guns of var
ious calibers, from to 13 inches for the
main batteries OF vessels, have been
completed at the naval gun factory,
: and 1853 are now in process of manu-
facture
For secondary batteries for naval
( vessels the department has ordered 9GS
4 guns. One hundred three-inch guns
t guns nave been manufactured. The
4 manufacture of 100 heavy one-pounder
n automatic, Quick-1ring guns has been
Y undertaken. q number Of six-inch
K guns CT ordinary type are under con-
d version into rapid-fring guns.
= Contracts have been made during the
= past year fer a quantity Of CONNER.
e and piercing shells for one
r, FOUNDER and six-pounder guns, and for
S guns OF from 60 13-inch cahber.
PERSONNEL.
It IS q pleasure to report the high
character and fine sense of duty, the
= professional attainments, and patriotic
u spirit of the great body of officers OF
e the line and staff of the navy and ma
Y rine CORPS. The whole impulse, from
e their entrance into service at the naval
academy, is to develop not only effici-
ency in the performance OF duty, but
70 variety and breadth of ability and cul-
- tuTe. They have the liberal education
Of extended foreign travel Their en-
ployment recessitates the study, not
only OF international and commercial
relations, but also of modern scientific
= forces and their application to The prac-
6 teal demands of q great department OF
n the national life
n Naval service IS not limited TO the
cr sailing of a ship and the firing of q
: gun. a modern man-of-war is a com
p pendulum of industrial. inventions and
- appliances; a business and manufacture
- ing plant as well as fighting machine
A large part of its crew is engaged il
skilled labOr-the running of engines
and the movement of machinery. Al
officers duties, and the demands uDor
~ his professional resources. whether il
le the movement of ships or in the worl
it Of the mechanical departments connect
s ed with their make, and repair, involVe
Is problems of construction, the use Of
N the dynamic forces of air, water, steam
q and electricity, and the nice adjustment
~ of batteries, guns, and gear of enor
nous tonnage, yet moved on hair lines
- and by = touch of the finger.
~ All this calls for advanced require
J. ments on the part alike of those VIII,
command and direct. and of those whS
construct and operate The RESPONSE
bility that attaches to the captain of
single battleship, or to the admiral VIII,
w commands q fleet, aecessitates TIL
lie greatest resources Of skill, prudence
IN discretion. and education To these de
mands the navy Tises. Whether servin.
TO on shipboard, or in the important worl
rc of instructing our naval youth. or o
I'd studying war problems, it's officers il
every line of the naval establishment
" deserve the public confidence.