The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-27
COSTS $1,000 A DAY
TO RUN ONE OF UNCLE SANS BIG
BATTLESuIPS.
Five Hundred Men-Wby These Marine
War Machines Require 80 M ucl to Run.
New Navy Requires II Daily tx
penditure OF 100000.
(New York Herald.

on war footingP One thousand
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-
flict of e single minute could sink
tho largest ship, with her ontiro
armament, and require tho expendi-
ture of moro than S5,000,000 to re-
place her.
Reliable estimates cannot bo mado
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 in actual conflict is
known. That cost is $4,000 for
each day. a year ago the cost was
a trifle less than ono-hnlf of that
amount; bnt think Of tho changes
since then and particularly Of the re-
suits Of the activity Of tho last sixty
days, when ships of all classes have
been bought by our government
abroad and at home, and when war
craft of every kind-some, indeed,
that had become a 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 ships has been
told by the Herald from day to day,
and such names as Albany, New Or
| leans, Yale and Harvard rs associated
with our navy havo become familiar
Tho 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, I have procured from
the records of the war department
the cost Of maintaining tho Now
York, tho most expensive ship in the
navy. Tho cost for last year was
| $39l ,OG5. 60, or an average of ST.
O80.20 per day. Tho various items
that go to make up this total annual
cost will apply for the present pur-
pose to our 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.G0 spent by the New York in
1897, $237,702.7G was for the pay
of the officers, crew and marines; IN.
tions cost $35, 5,542.G0; equipment,
$l4, ,743.21; navigation, S3,21G.5S;
ordnance, S14,743.70; construction
and repair, S0,1G3.05; steam en-
gineering, S2S,2G1.2G. Then there
were Incidental expenses, navy yard
repairs, medicine and surgery and
similar items.
The records show that the pay Of
the officers, crew and marines of the
New York were greater than that of
any other vessels, while the rations,
medicine and surgery ana coal ac-
counts were very much less
Whom we add tho separate cost
of maintaining oil ships in commits.
sion, for last year, wo svo total
OF SS,938, ,540.7l; or more than $24,-
600 n day. During each day of last
week tho cost was double that
amount.
The record of tho i'll. fated Maine
is closed, though her memory is a
| hVlng inspiration, and her record
shows that the total coast OF her
.oaintenance for 1897 was $2G2, ,41G.
is. The pay of her survivors and
those whose remains are yet with her
wreck, or have found burial in Cuba
or tho United States, WAS $l5O,12G..
60. ....
The revolution of recent years in
naval equipment has entirely changed
sea fighting, adding not only to the
cost Of ships, but Of armament, and
particularly increasing expenditure
for manning and maintaining.
In our previous naval fights the
stanch, oak.ribbed ships were vehi,