The record-union., 1898-10-29

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2S.-A largo
part of the burden of equipping ths
United States navy for the war with
Spain fell upon the construction bureau
OF the navy, and in his annual report
Commodore Hichborn, the Chief Con-
structor, furnishes many interesting
details as to the extent of this work, in
volving the transformation OF more
than 100 merchant craft into auxiliary
naval vessels at short notice.
Looking to the future, the Chief Con-
structor points to the importance OF
properly equipping and maintaining
the plants at the minor naval stations
along the coast already esta blished. and
he submits estimates for the purpose
averaging about S25,000 in each case.
He said that had the consequences OF
the recent naval engagements in the
West Indies been nearly so serious as
there was reason to expect they might
be, the Southern stations would have
been necessary for repairs to ships too
badly injured to be sent to Northern
yards.
TO keep the nucleus of the force OF
men at these stations small work
should constantly be under way ard
proper storehouses should be erected to
hand. 1t is suggested that while the
new dock at Algiers La, is building a
suitable repair plant and storehouses
should be erected.
The report recommended a change in
the system of purchasing supplies for
navy yard work, declaring that repairs
have been delayed through the failure
to procure material.
Beside the long list of vessels pur-
chased by the Government for use as
auxiliary cruisers, the report says that
ten vessels were accepted by the Gov
ernment from builders during the last
flScal year. These were the Newark,
Helena, Nashville. Wilmington. An
napolis, Marietta, Newport, Vicksburg.
Foote and Wheeling. Progress made on
the vessels in course of construction
has been very satisfactory. The work
on the battleships has been held back
10 great degree by the impossibilty
OF securing new armor when needed.
The progress on some of the torpedo
boats has not fully met the require
mentS of the contracts, owing largely
to inexperienced builders and delay in
securing material. Therefore il is sug-
gested that in awarding contracts the
department should limit builders unfa-
miliar with torpedo boat or naval work
TO single vessel, in order that they
may not, on an apparent saving of a
few thousand dollars, obtain their ex-
perience at a heavy expense in delay
and annoyance to the Government. The
Chief Constructor declares that the
naval engagements of the past few
months have thoroughly justified his
course in making fireproof the wood
rnVly rxIr
'duces figures to show that serious in
convenience was experienced owing to
the lack of drydocks during the past
year, and says the necessity for hast
saning the construction Of the new docks
lis strongly evident
An alIusion is made to the steady de-
.arease in the number of apprentices in
the several navy yards, which the
sChief Constructor thinks is a matter of
legret. He says that the apprentices
make the best workmen, and therefore
he urges that the system be put on a
\ lew basis; that boys be carefully Sc
lected for apprenticeship, physically ex-
;tmined, and then carried through the
proper courses of construction at the
llavy yards.
The behavior of all classes of our
lsaval vessels throughout the various
e JnditioGS of the war is set down as
source of qualification to the con-
struction bureau, where the greater
part of them were designed.
The behavior of all, both in action
and general service on the blockade,
appears to have been such as to thor
oughly demonstrate their integrity and
their suitability for the service for
which they were designed.
The Chief Constructor pays tribute
to the indefatigable labors of the con-
struction corps during the war, and
expresses the opinion that the increase
in its personnel has hardly been as
rapid as the demand upon its services.
Therefore it is urged that the bureau
continue the liberal policy it has fol-
lowed in assigning officers to the corps.