The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-23
S35,693,05S FOR THE NAVY
THREE MILLION DOLLAR IN CREASE
 IN APPROPRIATION BILL.

IN APPROPRIATION BILL
 The Measure Provides for Three New Sea-
 Going Coast Line BattIeships Designed
 to Carry tho Heaviest Armor and Most
 Powerful Ordnance and to Cost $3, ,OOO,-
 900 Each, One to be Named the Maine
 Provision for Torpedo Boats and Torpedo
 Boat Destroyers.
 Washington, March 22.--The naval appropriation bill, which was report ed to the house to-day carries at to-
 tai of $35, ,693, ,05S, an increase over last year of $3,064, ,432 and over the current estimates of $2,514,S24. For the increase of the navy the bill allows to be con- structed by contract three sea-going coast line battleships, designed to car- ry the heaviest armor and most power- full ordnance, displacement 11,000 tons,
 with the highest practicable speed for
 their class, to cost, exclusivesof arma- ment, not exceeding $3,000,000 each, one to be named the Maine; six torpedo
 boats, 150 tons displacement, and six
 torpedo boat destroyers, about $50 tons
 displacement, to cost not exceeding $2, $40, GOO; and one gunboat to take the
 place of the United States steamship
 Michigan, to cost exclusive of arma-
 ment not over $260,000, to be built on
 the great lakes. One of these sea-go-
 ing battleships is to be built on the
 Pacific coast. The contracts for the construction of all these vessels are to
 be made within sixty days of the en-
 actment of the bill.
 Toward the construction of four tim Der drydocks $200,000 each is allowed, each to be not less than 700 feet long and sufficient to meet probable future requirements of the largest vessels. They are to be located at Portsmouth, N. H.; Boston, Mass; League Island,
 Pa., and Mare Island, Cal, the total cost when completed not to exceed $350 ,000 each. At Algiers, La, a dry dock is to be built but it is to be of double sides, steel floating type known
 as the combined floating and graving self docking dock, capable of lifting a vessel of 15,000 tons displacement and 27 feet draft of water, to cost, includ- ing moorings and wharf, $S50,000, of which $200,000 is appropriated this year. The bill directs the appointment of a board of naval officers to deter
 mine the desirability of locating and constructing a dry dock in the harbor %n rSrt tn congress at the next session.
 Toward the armament and armor of | domestic manufacture of vessels au- 1 thorized under four previous acts and | the present bill, including the comple- | ton of the ordnance outfit for the six l torDedo boat destroyers and six torpe- | do boats, there is an item of $5, ,45S, 800, | the total cost of the armor, according l to the plans and specifications already prepared for the three battleships au- | thoriZed by the act of June 10, 1896 not to exceed $3,210.000, including all
 nickel in the same and exclusive of the 1 cost of transportation, tests, etc., and no contract for armor plate to average
 exceeing $400 per ton. The complete equipment outfit of new vessels here | tofore authorized, $175,000 is given and | to install electric plants in gun boats | numbered 10, Il, 12 and 13, $40000. The | committee provided that if the battle | ship directed to be built on the Pacific l coast could not be built at cost not | exceeding per cent. above the lowest | accepted bid for the other battleships | it is to be constructed elsewhere.
 The total allowed for the pay of the navy is $9, ,120 460. The secretary of the navy is authorized to enlist at any | time after the passage of the bill as many additional men as may be nec- l essary to man the ships fin commission, provided that the total number of men and boys in the general service and under training shall not exceed 2,75O f men and 1000 boys. Other items in- | clude smokeless powder, $1,000,000; to- tai bureau of navigation, $14S,950; bu-
 reau of ordnance, $2,OS4,5 bureau of | equipment, $1,514,17S; bureau of yards
 and docks, $470,435; total for public | works, $2,S75, 312; total naval academy
 s232, ,9SS The bill provides that no per- l son shall be appointed assistant sur. geon until examined by a board of sur
 geons, nor who is under twenty-one or 1 over thirty years of age, and author I izes the president to appoint for tempo
 rary service twenty-five acting assist
 ant surgeons to have the relative rank and compensation of assistant sur l geons.