The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-11-30
WORK OF THE NAVY.
Secretary Long Presents His Report
Makes an Interesting Record
Wants q Bigger Navy.

Washington, Nov 2s.-The annual report
| of the secretary CT the navy is much longer
| than the usual annual report. The first
| sentence explains this as follows: "For
the first time since its rehabilitation the
| navy has been put to the supreme test
| war. Years of patient, persistent training
and development had brought it to point
| of high efficiency, which resulted in the un-
| paralleled victories at Manila and San.l-
ago-vctories which have given the ames
| of our naval commanders worldwide fame
| and added an additional page to the glo-
rious naval history Of our country"
The report describes in rapid order the
steps that were taken to consolidate the
squadrons and put the navy in readiness
| for hostilities. Sigsbee's famous telegram
asking suspension of public opinion in
| connection with the blowing up Of the
| Maine is quoted, and the secretary says:
This judicious telegram did much to
cure in the public mind dispassionate
| view of the disaster"
The story of Dewey's victory at Manila
| is told, and of it the secretary says: aside
| from the mere fact of having won with
out the loss of single life such a brilliant
| and electrifying victory at the very out
set Of the war, with all the confidence
which it infused throughout the country
and into the personnel of every branch of
| the service, 1t removed at once all appre-
hension for the Pacific coast. The indirect
| pecuniary advantage to the United States
/ in the way of saving an increase of inSur-
| ance rates and in assuring the country of
| freedom from attack on that coast is 'n-
| calculable."
The secretary tells how Cervera's fleet,
having sailed from Cape Verde islands April
| 20 for an unknown destina ton, Sampson
sailed east with portion of his fleet for the
| purpose of observation At Cape Haitien
| May the department was advised that he
| Spanish squadron was reported at st.
Thomas. The following statement explains
| officially why the bombardment of San
| Juan was not forced to an end: "Instruc-
| tons were also received that the vessels
| accompanying him were not to be risked
! or crippled in the bombardment of fortified
! tons, as it was considered unwse to risk
| any of the vessels of our navy until the
! Spanish fleets had been met and destroyed.
The squadron did not arrive off san
| Juan until the morning of the 18th. A bonn
bardment of that place followed for TWO
| hours and a half, but as there was no land
| force to hold it in case of its surrender md
as the Spanish fleet was not there it was de-
| termined to return to Havana, where it vas
| possible Cervera might have gone"
The report shows that the flying squadron
| under Schley was ordered to Cienfuegos
| upon notice that Cervera's squadron had
| been seen off Curacao. The report then
| gives considerable length to the instrGc-
! tons sent to Sampson and Schley and the
the moment the Spanish fleet was destroyed
| in Santiago harbor.
On June % the Merrimac was sunk, and
| of this the secretary says: This attempt
| although unsuccessful in its object was
daringly executed. It is now one of the
| well-known historic marvelS of naval ad
| venture and enterprise in which Naval Con.
structor Hobson and his men won undyig
fame"
The report deals next with the seizure
of the harbor of Guantanamo and the raj
! liant three-days' fight of the marines; with
| the conveying of the Shafter expedition
| from Tampa to Santiago and with the con-
/ ferences that took place between Shafter
and Sampson in the effort to secure the CO.
operation of the army and navy in the re-
duction Of Santiago. The story of the op-
erations at this stage involves the recital
of the destruction of the Spanish fleet
which is told, however, in the most concise
| official form.
The secretary, in summing up the work
! imposed upon the department in its vast
ness, says that the country we'll as the
service has cause for congratulation in
the results which have followed and which
have been so generally approved and in he
| further fact that no personal feeling mas
| arisen to mar the glorious victories and
| magnificent work of the service. The sec
| rotary compliments the equipment bureau
| for the satisfactory manner in which, not
| Withstanding the many difficulties which
| OeVelOpeU, III pTOVlQlnS coal IOr the ueItS
| The largest single item Of expenditure was
for the purchase of coal452, ISL tons being
| bought, at a cost of 81, 122, 900.
| Tbs secretary includes in his report a
short and oncise statement, under sep
arate heads, of the operations of each of
| the bureaus of the department. and sub
mits estimates for the next fiscal year as
| gregating $47, 09S, 251, which is an increase of
So. 869, 173 over the appropriations for 1899 and
| contains new items aggregating S.O27, 634
! Of these new items the most important IS
| $4.729 500 for yards and docks. There is also
| an item of 81 100000 on account OF the naval
| academy.
| In reference to the workings of the sys-
tenn Of labor employment at navy yards
which is said to have been severely tested
| during the war, the secretary says that IN
continuation u the policy of giving prefer
ence in appoint ment to veterans Of The civil
| war, he proposes to give the preference now
| to the persons who served during the Span
| ish-American war, rating as first those
who served in foreign waters or on foreign
soil, and next to those who served in the
United States or its waters providing they
have had honorable discharges
| The secretary indorces the recommends
ton of the navigation bureau authorizing
| the increase whenever necessary of the
enlisted force to 10000 men and of the ap-
prentices to $500. The most important cna D.
ter Of the report is that relating to the in
crease of the navy, and under this head
| the secretary transmits and indorses the
report of the naval board of bureau chiefs
looking to the increase of the navy by no
| less than Is ships, some of the most power
full character. The secretary says: The
navy should be increased: the development
| OF its various branches should be homo
| genous, and the increase in ships should
be accompanied by a gradual increase In
| officers and men and In naval stations ccaI-
| ing stations, repair plants, etc. With he
territorial acquisitions of the present year
| II the Philippines are also annexed TO he
| United States, its outlying territorial PES
sessions Will be so great and so extended
that this increase of naval force will be
| necessary"
In conclusion the report pays high COIN
| pliment to the naval war board, composed
\ of Admiral Sicard. Capt. Crownnshield nd
Capt. Mahan, saying 1t was equal to every
demand, enabled the department to cont oil
| movements on the water, yet left ample
| discretion to commanding officers. Charged
| with delicate and important duties The