Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-24
THIRTY FIVE MILLIONS FOR THE NAVY
Battleships, Cruisers and Torpedo Boats tt
Be Constructed The Naval Appro-
p%riation Bill Reported.

The naval appropriation DILL as re-
ported to the house of representatives
and as 1t will doubtless pass, carries a
total Of $35, $3.50, O5s, an increase over
last year of S 3,764,432 and over the cur
rent estimates of So, 514, 1924.
For the increase of the navy the bill
allows to be constructed by contract
three sea-going coast line battleships
| designed to carry the heaviest armor
and most powerful ordnance displace-
ment, 1000 tons, with the highest
practicable speed for their class, to cost,
exclusive of armament, not exceeding
SO, 900, 900 each, one to be named the
Maine, six torpedo boats and six tor
pedo boat %destroyers, to cost not exceed
ing so, $40, 900; and one gunboat to take
the place of the United States ship
Michigan, to cost, exclusive of arma-
ment, not over $500, 900, to be built on
the Great Lakes. One Of these sea-go-
ing battleships is to be built on the Pa
cific coast. The contracts for the con-
struction of all these vessels are to be
made within 90 days of the enactment
of the bill.
Toward the construction of four tim
Der dry docks 5000, 900 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, Calf, the total
cost when completed not to exceed $780,
900 each. At Algiers, La, a dry dock
is to be built, but Is to be of q double
sided steel floating type known as the
combined floating and craving self
docking dock, capable of lifting a vessel
of 1900 tons displacement at ~ feet
draft of water, to cost including moor.
ings and wharf, $3.50, 900, of which
5000, 900 is appropriated this year.
The bill directs the appointment of q
board OF naval officers to determine the
de~sirability of locating and constructing
a dry dock in the harbor of Galveston,
Tex, and to report to congress at the
next session.
For Armor and Armament.
Toward the armament and armor OF
the domestic manufactured vessels au'
thorized under four previous acts and
the present bill, including the compile
ton of the ordnance outfit for the tor
pedo boat d%estroyers and six torpedo
boats, there is an item of IS, 458, 800, the
total cost Of the armor, according to the
plans and specifications already pre-
pared for the three battleships, author
lied by the act of June 10, 1896, not tc
exceed $3.2 &c, 900, including all nicke
in the same and exclusive of the cost o.
the transportation, tests, ETC., and nj
contract for armor plate to average ex
ceeding $500 per ton.
To complete the equipment of new
vessels heretofore authorized $175, 600 Il
given and to install electric plants II
gunboats numbered 10, II, 12 and 10
$40, 900. The committee provides thai
II the battleship directed to be built or
the Pacific coast cannot be built at
cost not exceeding 4 per cent above thu
lowest accepted bid for the other battle
ships, it is to be constructed elsewhere
Authorized Enlistments.
The secretary of the navy is author
lied to enlist at any time after the pass
age of the bill, as many additional mer
as may be necessary to man the ships iI
commission, provided that the tota
number Of men and boys In the genera
service and under training shall not ex'
coed 12,750 men and 1000 boys.
Other items include smokeless powder,
81, 900, 900; total bureau of navigation,
$l4s, $50; bureau of ordnance, SO, Os4, SOL;
bureau Of equipment, $1,5l4,17s; bureau
of yards, and docks, $470,435, total fol
public works, $2, 8 2 5,312.
The bill provides that no person shall
be appointed assistant surgeon until ex'
amined by a board Of surgeons, nor who
is under 81 or over 80 years of age, and
authorizes the president to appoint fol
temporary service rs acting assistant
surgeons to have the relative rank and
compensation of assistant surgeons,