Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26
Construction of Fifteen More War
ships Recommended.
SECRETARY LONGS ANNUAL REPORT
Operations During the Recent War
Described.
2 Z ASE OF ESSELS

Secretary Long In summing up the work
imposed upon the Navy Department says
In his annual report that the country
we'll as the service has cause for congratu-
lations in the results which have followed
and which have been so generally approved
and In the further fact that no personal
feeling has arisen to mar the glorious VIC
tories and magnificent work of the service.
He recommends that the grades of ad-
miral and vice admiral be revived tempo
rarity. to be filed by the President with
the advice and consent of the Senate 1t
is further recommended that the enlisted
fierce be increased to 1000 men and 2,50t
apprentices.
THE navy says Secretary Long should
be increased; the development of its vari-
Gus branches should be homogeneous and
the increase in ships should be accompanied
by gradual increase in officers and men.
ana in naval stations, coaling stations,
pair plants, etc" The naval board of CON
struction recommends the following in
crease:
Three sea-going battle ships of about
1850 tons, at St.61D,fa1 each; three armor-
ed cruisers of 12U0O tons at S4,OOo.09O each,
three protected cruisers of 6,Otl tons, at
S2,I'oWO each, and six cruisers of 2,Jo
tons at 81, Ill 800 each.
With the territorial acquisitions of the
present year., says the Secretary, '.if the
philippines are also annexed to the United
States, Its outlying territorial possessions
VIII be so great and extended that this
increase of naval force will be necessary;
and, as two or three years will be required
for the construction of the ships enolm-
Grated, appropriations sufficient for begin
ming them should be made now. Otherwise
the authorization of the second of the
above recommendations at the coming seS-
sion of Congress would be enough
Years of patient. persistent training ara
development he says, had brought it to-
a point of high efficiency. which resulted
in the unparalleled victories at Manila and
Sanfiago-victories which have given the
names of our naval commanders world
wide fame, and added an additional page
to the glorious naval history of our coun-
try"
The story of Dewey's victory at Manila
is told succinctly beginning with the fla
nous telegram of April 24, directing him
to proceed against the Philippines. OF this
victory the Secretary says: ASIDE from
the mere fact of having won without the
loss Of a single life. such brilliant and
electrifytng victory at the very outs5t of
the war. with all the confidence which ii
infused throughout the country and into
the personnel of every branch of thu ser
vice, 1t removed at once ali apprehension
for the Pacific coast The indirect pecu-
mary advantage to the United States ir
the way of saving an increase of insurance
rates and of assuring the country of free
dom from attack on that coast, is meal
culable."
The Secretary next takes up the history
of operations by the North Atlantic squad
ron. at first under Admiral Scard. and
then after his relief account Of ILL
health, under Admiral Sampson. He tells
how Cervera's feet. having sailed from
Cape Verde Islands April 20. for an un-
known destination. Sampson sailed east
with a portion of his fleet for the purpose
of observation. how Schley sailed with the
flying squadron for Cienfuegos. and how
the Spanish fleet was caught at Santiago
and subsequently destroyed.
Ignored the Navy.
One fact disclosed by the history of the
days before the surrender of Santiago is
that Sampson asked to be represented in
any conference held to arrange the terms
of surrender of Santiago by virtue of the
fact that he had engaged in the joint opera.
tons Shafter replied that he should be
glad to have Sampson represented, but the
surrender took place before his representa-
tive could reach the camp. Admiral Samp
sons chief of staff did arrive, however. be
fore the final articles were signed, but
Shafter declined to permit him to be one
of the Signatories.
High praise is awarded to the Marine
Corps, which, the Secretary says. should be
increased to 5000 men and the necessary
officers.
Cost of Purchased Warships.
chant vessels and yachts that were &C.
quired for the navy and the purchase price
There We're 10 OF these vessels, including
the warships bought abroad. The most ex
pensive ship was the New Orleans. which
was bought from Brazil. She cost the
United States government 81 .429.2lo. while
her sister snip. the Albany. cost 81, 10000.
The Nictheroy, now the Buffalo, cost
ST., 600 which was precisely the price paid
for the Southern Pacific Companys FL
Norte, Ell Rio Ell Sol and Ell Sud. The
Panther and Badger. formerly the Ven
ezuela and Yumuri. cost $4,000 and $751;
00O while the Yorktown of the Old Domin-
ion Line was purchased for $i7o,UU
The most expensive of the vessels of the
Yacht class was the Mayflower, for which
the estate of Ogden Goelet received $45o,
The Scorpion was the yacht Sovereign, ana
the government paid her owner. Mr.. Bor-
den, $500 600 The gunboat Topeka. former
ly the Diogenes, was a bargain. being pur-
chased from the Thames Iron Works, Lon
don. for $1T0327. Mr.. Charles Flint re-
ceived $24,250 for the torpedo boat Maney
and the Schichau Iron Works of Germany
$7299T for the torpedo boat Sommers. The
Merrimac was bought from the Hogan Line
at a cost of $342, 600
In addition to these purchases the Ameri-
can Line steamers st. Paul St. Louis, New
York and Paris were chartered at $500
day each for the first two and $1,000 day
each for the last two. The City of Pekln
was chartered from the Pacific Mail Com
pany for 81 900 a day. The City of Phila-
dephia loaned ice boat No. ; to the depart
ment and the yachts Free Lance and Buc-
cancer were also loaned by Messrs. Scher-
merhorn and Hearst.
Oddities in Necklaces.
From the Philadelphia Tires.