The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-27


president his annual report, which is
volumrnouss and exhaustive in data re
ferring to the navy of the United States
government.
Fighting Force of the Navy
The Introductory deals with he eff laey
of the navy in time of war, and is as fol-
lows:
The present effective fighting force of
the navy consists of four battleships OF
the first class. two bastlesshdps of the
second class. two armored cruisers, fif-
teen gunboats. SIX double turre ted mont
tors, one lam, one dynamite gunboat,
ON dispatch boat, one transport seams T
and five torpedo boats. There are u-dar
class, sixteen ,orpedo boats and one sub
marine hoagt.
There an sfxty-four ether naval YES
sells, including these used as training,
receiving and naval reserve Ships, tugs,
disused sl-gle-iturrst moni .ors and
some unsarvic- able craft
There lis, further, the auxiliary fleet.
Thfts consists, first, of more than twenty
subsi1lz ID steamers which comply with
the re1uirems of the postal act of
March 8, 1891, with regard to their adapt
ability ito rnval service, and to an arma-
ment of main and secondary batteries;
second, of a very much greater number
of -larg's merchant marice steamers.
which can be awaited of at any time of
need
These auxiliaries, ranging f.om 1000 to
1900 tons, viii, if occa sion require, form
a powerful fleet of ocean cruisers, cap
able of swift ard formidable s5tack upon
an eneny's commerce. Their great coal
capacity will also enable them to remain
a long time AIT sea in search of the
wher. abouts of hostile vessels.
Vessels Accepted and Ready For Acceptance
The following vessels have been ac-
cepted since the last annual report was
issued, toga her with those awaiting
final acc ptance:
Acc, ptei-Oregon, seag Ding battleship;
Brooklyn. armored cruiser; Win ngton,
Helena, Annapolis, gunbo-Its; Porter,
torpedo boat.
To Be Aocepted-Iowa, seag sing battle
ship; Nashville, vicksburg, Newport,
Wheeling and Marietta, gunboats Foote,
torpedo boat.
Vessels in Course of Construction
The following vessels are in course of
construction: Kearsat ge, Kentucky, I'LL
nois, Alabama and Wisconsin, first-class
bIttle5h1ps; Princeton, gunboat; Rodgers,
Winslow, Rowan, Dahgr-n, T. A. NJ.
Craven, Farrlgut, Davis, Fox, Morris.
Talbot, Gwin, Mackenzie, Mckee,
p d.1 I'd Pa
torpedo beats; Plunger, subma rine tor
pedo boat.
The vessels under construction should
be completed during the conf+ng year,
except the five batt'esh.ps, which will
probably not be ready for service before
the latter part of 1892 OF THE lattsr the
Kearsarge and Kentucky are nearly
half completed About three-quarters Of
their armor has been delivered, a par; of
which has been secured In place on the
ships. The ether three, the Alabama,
Illinois and WISCONSIN, were b. gun & lb-
sequent Ito the last annual report. With
the exception of small sinoun; of dag
onal casemate armor which the ship
contractors have agreed to furnish at the
pria= fixed by law. it will be necessary
to preliminarily accept them without
armor, in accordance with the terms OF
the contract fer their construction.
Ships in Commission
The North Atlantic Squadron under
command of Rear Admiral Bunce until
May 1. 1897, and since then under Rear
Admiral Sdcard, is compoS d of TIE New
York first rate), flagship; Massacau-
setts FIRST rate), Puritan (first nate, In
diara (firsi rate), Iowa Qirs1t rate, Texas
Second rate) Maine (irst rate), Brooklyn
(fast rate), Terror Second rate), Mont
gomery (sscond rate, Marblehead (third
rate), Wilmington 0third rate), De rot
(,hird rate), Annapolis 0fprd rate), Nash
Vile (thiid rate), Fern Fourth rate, We
suvius Fourth race).
This Pacific squadron, Rear Admiral
Miller commanding, consists of the
Oregon first rate), Philadelphia Second
rate, fiagship), Monterey (scond rate).
Bennington (thlrd rate) Wheeling (ulli.d
rate, Alert (third rat) and Marietta
Chird rate).
The Asdatic squadron, Rear Admiral
McNair, commanding, consists of the
Olympia first rate, fiagship), Boston
(second rate) Yorktown (th.rd rate),
Monocacy (third rate), Machaas thiri
AdttJp I<tlSi NIOuA III AdttJ. line CODCOIu
third rate) and the Helsna (thild rate)
have been ordered to join 1t.
The European squadron, Rear Admiral
SefIidge commanding, comprises the Sam
Francisco (ssc0nd rate, flagship,
Raleigh (second rate), and Bancroft
Fourth rate) and during the greater
part of the past year has been engaged
in protecting American inter SITS in the
eastern part of the Mediterranean, where
tn unsettled condition of affairs. which
finally resulted In the war betw: en- Tur-
key and Greece, made the presence Oh
the fleet desirable
The South Atlantic squadron, Capt.
Chester comm amding. consists of the
Cincinnati (second rate) and the Castine
third rate)
In addition to the vessels in the