The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-27
COSTS $4,000 A DAY
TO RUN ONE OF UNCLE SANS BIG
BATrLESHkPs.
Five HUNDRED Men-Why These Marine
War Machines Require SO NJ uSh to Run.
New Navy Requires Daily Ex.
.... penditure of $4,000
(New York Herald. }

oo "oA AooSihS Oho lhouohl,l
five hundred dollars. A large sum
Of money, but insignificant when
compared with what the cost might
be in case OF action, when the con-
fict of a single minute could sink
the largest ship, with her ontiro
armament, and require tho expendi-
ture Of moro than $5,00O,000 to re-
place her.
Reliable estimates cannot be made
whom the fortunes Of war must be
| taken into account, but the cost Of
maintaining our navy on its present
footing immediately before the firing
of the first gun iii actual conflict is
known. That cost is $4,000 for
each day. A year ago the cost was
trifle less than ono-half of that
amount; bnt think Of tho changes
since then and particularly Of the re-
suits Of the activity Of tho lust sixty
days, when ships of all classes hayo
been bought by our government
! abroad and at home, and when war
craft of every kind-some, indeed,
that had become simple memory
have been brought from hiding
ing places, repaired, armed, manned
and in all respects put in condition
to wage warfare. This increase of
the number Of our ship has boen
told by the Herald from day to day,
and such names as Albany, New Or
leans, Yale and Harvard as associated
with our navy have become familiar
The manning of these numerous
new purchases and revivals, together
with the addition OF the war strength
needed on ships before in commits
sion, has been the cause of the won.
derful increase in expense.
For an interesting example of the
cost of maintaining battleship in
time Of peace, when war is Lot even
threatening, have procured from
the records Of the war department
the cost Of maintaining tho Now
York, the most expensive ship in the
navy. Tho cost for last year was
$39l ,065 GO, or On average Of ST.
O86.20 per day. Tho various items
that go TO make up this total annual
cost will apply for the present pur-
pose to oar armored. cruisers and
battleships, though, Of course, vary
ing according to constantly chang
ing circumstances, and now being
increased by the war footing on
which our navy rests. Of the $30l,,
OG5.GO spent by the New York in
1897, S237,7G2.76 was for the pay
of the officers. crew and marines; RI.
tons cost $35,542.G0; equipment
$l4,743.21; navigation, S3,21G.5S
ordnance, $14,743.70; construction
and repair, S0,1G3.O5; steam en-,
gineering, $2S,261.2G. Then there
were Incidental expenses, navy YARD
repairs, medicine and surgery and
similar items.
The records show that the pay oi
the officers, crew and marines of tho
New York were greater than that o
any other vessels, while tho rations
medicine and surgery ana coal nc
counts were very much less.
When we add tho separate cos
of maintaining all ships in commits
sion, for last year, we have tota
OF $S, ,038, ,540.71; or more than $24,
600 day. During each day of las
week the cost was double tha
amount.
The record of tho ill.fated Main,
lB closed, though her memory il I
living inspiration, and her RECORD
shows that the total coast OF he
maintenance for 1897 was $2G2,416.
is. The pay of her survivors ant
those whose remains are yet with he
wreck, or have found burial in Cnb
or tho United Statos, was $3.50, 1926.
| 60. .-
The revolution of recent years il
naval equipment has entirely change'
sea fighting, adding not only to tn
cost of ships, but Of armament, an'
particularly increasing expenditur
for manning and maintaining.
In our previous naval fights tn
stanch, oak.rbbed ships wers vehi