The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-16

WASHINGTON, March ia good
deal OF encouragement was created at
the navy department today by report
from the capitol that majority of the
senate naval affairs committee is dis
posed to substitute six battleships for
the three provided for In the pending
naval appropriation bill. This number
Is supposed to represent about the nor
mai working capacity of the three ship
building concerns in this country that
are able at present to undertake the
construction of battleships
The committee had under considera-
ton also the resolution instructing it
to make an investigation of the Maine
disaster. and decided, by vote of 6
to 5, to postpone action for the pres
ent. This action was preceded by
sharp exchange of words between the
advocates of Immediate action and
those who think the active investiga-
ton should be deferred in order to per-
nit the administration full opportunity
to press its own investigation through
the naval board Of inquiry.
After the decision was reached not to
go on with the inquiry to the extent of
summoning witnesses. 1T was suggest
ed that steps should be taken by the
committee to secure from the navy
department all the information in it's
possession, and this suggestion was
adopted.
1t is understood that the postpone
ment was secured by Senator Nc
Emery Joining with the majority CT the
Republicans. and that Senator. Chand-
Ter voted with the opposition for i'm
mediate and independent inquiry.
The committee authorized a favor
able report on the amendment to the
naval appropriation bill, appropriating
100000 for naval training station on
Yerba Bena island, Cal.
Five New Dry Docks.
The construction of five modern dry
docks was agreed upon today by the
house committee. They are to be To-
Gated at Portsmouth, N. H, Boston,
League Island. near Philadelphia; AL
giers, near New Orleans, and Mare ISL
and, near San Francisco.
These docks, all of which are to be
entirely new structures, are to be of
wood, except those at Algiers and
Portsmouth. The material Of construc-
ton of these will not be determined I'M
til tomorrow.
The indications are that the dock at
Portsmouth will be built of stone, from
nearby quarries, and that at Algiers
of STEEL
The decision of the committee was
times animated discussion. The final
vote, choosing the points named, was
Z to g.
The opponents of the project first
contended against their construction
on general principles and then sep
arately opposed the sites that were Sc
lected. They argued that the docks
should be located either where the ap-
proaches, or depth Of water, were suff1-
cient to admit the ingress and egress
Of the largest battleships, or where
steps already have been made under
government direction to put the ap-
proaches in a state of preparation to
receive the largest vessels by the de-
velopment Of both depth and width Of
channel. or that the work on the chan
nels should be undertaken contempo-
raneously with the dry docks.
There is a strong disposition in the
committee to increase the navy, in ad-
dition to the three battleships recently
authorized, by the construction of some
of the smaller vessels of war. 1t was
stated tonight that the committee may
authorize the building of about ten
torpedo boat destroyers, costing in the
neighborhood Of $1,500,OO0 for all.
A movement for this increase will be
Bull, of Rhode Island, will submit a
motion calling for the construction of
a number of both of these classes of
boats, probably six. Others of the COM
mittee are favorable to the increase
and some important action is looked
for. The increase in the personnel