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

quadrons there are the following: APP
prentice training ships Essex (lh'rd
rate), Adams (third rate), Alliance (thrd
rate); the gunnery school ship Amph.-
title the CADET practice ship Stansish;
the first-claeS cruisers Columbia and
Minneapolis i'm reserve; the Dortn.n
(thld rate), and Vicksbug (third rate,
unassigned; the Newport dddrd rate, ON
special duty and torpedo BEATS Porter,
Du Pont Gushing and Ericsson ON
special service.
What other Countries Are Doing
The secretary refers to the work of
construction in other countries and finds
that appropriations have teen mace as
follows:
ENGLAND, s26, 100000 total number of
VESSELS to be completed and at present
in course of construction, III.
France, $16, 1874, 80; number of verse s,
IL In addition there will be under c5n-
stru-tion during the year 1878, fifty
two vessels, making total of sixty-nine
vessels of all d :scripticns.
Japan has in course of construction
five battleships, four. first-class armored
cruisers, six protected cruisers thirty
torpedo boats; total, foTty-fiye of adj de-
scriptions.
Germany. $s,OOO,OOO to build twenty V g
Sis
Russia, $7,6SS277 for construction of
rrnetsen vessels, with thiIty-two now
in course of construction.
Italy 100000 for four vessels and
several torpedo destroyers. At present
in construction, twenty-five vessels.
ol,ae h,a
armed cruiser complete and eleven rot
yet completed, and has under construc-
tim nineteen vessels of all descriptions.
Yards and Docks
Referring to the report of the bureau
of yards and docks, he finds that the
most urgent reed of the government is
an increase in docking facilities OF the
eleven government docks-nine on the
Atlantic and two on the Pacific coast
three were designed 10 accommodate
battleships of the first class, one at New
York, one at Port Royal, S. c., and one
at Bremer'ton, Wash, on Puget Sound.
But the dock at New York has been for
six months, and Is likely for three
mcnths more, to be undergoing repairs,
and at the dock at Port Royal there is
not only am insufic.ency of water, but
the cross-ssction of the dock is too small
to safely admit battleships with bIga
keels affixed. A modern ship should he
deched every few months, and owing to
the above condition of the docks on this
coast, it was necessary to send the In
diana to Harfax in August last for this
purpose.
On the Pacific coast there is but one
IL Nf i,fr eli, f,o dor
battlesh1p. This IS on Puget Sound, 900
miles from San Francisco. Access to 1t
is through a narrow channel twenty
miles long, one side of which is in pos
session of foreign country.
This lack of docking facilities should
be remedied ait the earliest possible mo-
ment. The necessity is imperative. The
department, therefore. appointed in Au-
gust a special board to examine the mat
ter, and the valuable report made by it
will be forwarded to congress as soon
as it meets.
There are seven strategic divisions of
the coast, and there should be, he says
docks and repair shops in each, placed,
as far as possible, at great commercial
and industrial centers
The secretary makes comparison of
the docks Of the United States with
those of other governments, and finds
they have facilities as follows:
Great Britain has Gil docks. rs of
which accommodate first-class ships.
Fourteen firsit-class battleships can be
locked at one time in the two yards of
Chatham and Portsmouth alone.
France has rs docks, % of which be-
longing to the government and z to prl-
waite companies can accommodate bat
tleships.
Germany has 20 docks, 2 of which be-
long to private companies and are ca
pable of docking the largest battleships.
Spain has 10 docks, only of which is
capable of docking the largest battle
ships.