The evening times., 1898-10-28
Classes of Vessels Converted Into
Auxiliary Cruisers for the War
With Spain-Neeessity of Enlarged
stations for the Equipment of Ma
fionaI Cruisers.


protected cruisers, 3; gunboats, 3; light
draft gunboats, }; composite gunboats, g;
training ship (Saval Academy, l; special
class, ,; torpedo boat destroyers, l6; steel
torpedo boats. IS: wood torpedo boat, l;
submarine torpedo boat, 1; iron cruising
vessels. 5: wooden cruising vessels, s;
sailing vessels. g. tugs II; wooden steam
vessels unfit for sea service, IL; wooden
sailing vessels unfit for sea service, 6;
captured in lean war, S; to-
tai number Of vessels in regular navy,
lS9
Auxiliary Navy-Merchant vessels con-
veTted into auxiliary cruisers, II; con-
verted yachts, 2S; converted tugs, q;
steamers converted into collierS. 10; spe-
cial classes L; revenue cutters. Is; light
house tenders, 4: L. 5. Fish Commits
sion. ,. Total number of vessels in aux
Hilary navy, I23. Grand total, 3l2.
Constructor Hichborn invites attention
to the Importance Of properly equipping
and maintaining the plants al the minor
naval stations along the coast of the
United States. already established. WIKI
the very great extent of coast line, with
the prospect OF additional outlying pos
sessions and the accompanying increased
Importance OF our foreign relations and
of the navy. these stations, separated as
they are may develop into considerable
Importance at any time. Had the conse-
quences nf the recent engagements in the
West Indies been nearly so serious rs
there was reason TO expect they might be,
the stations on the Southern and Gulf
coasts would have been required for ac-
tive repalrs on vessels which it would
have been impracticable to send TO
Northern yards.
The report contains a list Of the many
vessels purchased for addition TO the
fighting force Of the navy and for aux
iiiary purposes incidental to a state of
VAR. This includes the names before
purchase, the renames Of the ships, the
date of purchase and the previous own
ers An aggregate of somewh hat above a
hundred ships is Included in the LIST.
Vessels Under Construction.
The progres made during the last
year in vessels under construction for the
Department has been. on the whole. very
satisfactory. The work upon the battle
ships Alabama Illinois and Wisconsin
has been held back 10 an appreCiab.e de-
gree bv the impossibiiity OF Froc lriaS "a
NOR at the time when the work had pro-
gresSea to such an extent as 10 make II
desirable To have the armOr in y ace. The
| progress made in some Of the torled1
vessels under construction has not fully
met the requirements OF the cont acts;
/ bat in very many cases this wO X / OF
Z a character entirely new to theNcCntrac-
1 tors and the delays which have resu ted
( are undoubtedly due To the caution natu-
rally displayed 10y inexperienced bui derS
! IN advancing the work. In the case OF
/ n.osu OF the vessels the delay in receiving
material WAS presented as the reason Tor
: failure 10 progress properly in the work.
! TE, responsibility for such delays rests
! entirely with the contractors. however
The bureau has TO suggest that pa
! experience with bui- ders Of topped boats
! would seem To indicate that it wou d be
! a wise policy. ia awarding contracts, u
] limit builders who are entirely Unfa.nl lar
] with torpedo boat or other naval work
! 10 4 single vessel. in order that they may
! not on an apparent saving Of a tew
! thousand dollars. obtain their eNpe- ie C
| at an actual expense TO the Government
| in cost of superintendent. etc. ami al
! great annoyance and serious inc2hNeh-
! ience 10 il in point Of time
Vessels Appropriated For.
.I-nder the provisions of the last Con-
! gress for Increase Of the Navy designs
have been prepared in the bureau for the
construction Of three seagoing coast-H e
battleships, sixteen torpedo boat destroy
ers and twelve torpedo boats, and n-dS
for their construction invited by the De
partment Plans for the four harbo- de-
| fenSe vessels OF the monitor type, pro-
1-ided for under the same appropriation.
/ we're Dlaced in the hands of the bld-er
some time since, and preliminary work
upon the design OF the gunboat for which
appropriation was made to taxi the place
of the United States steamship Michigan
| has commenced.
contracts have also been awarded for
the construction of battieships, monitors,
| torpedo boats and desuroyeFs.
| in addition to repairs and conversion
| al navy yards the private shipyards
! have been utilized extensively for SINH
| lar work under the bureau, and have
rendered material assistance in e%pedit-
| ing the preparation and maintenance OF
| vessels for war purposes. This work has
| been carefully supervised by constructors
| in the vicinity in addition TO their reg
| ular duties.
Non-Combustibie Woodwork.
The naval engagements OF the past few
months have demonstrated SO completely
the necessity of avoiding the use of com.
bustible material in the construction OF
vessels Of war that the bureau feels thai
tho course advocated by il to do away
entirely with woodwork wherever possible
and TO make such woodwork as might bt
| absolutely necessary non-infiammable ha,
been justified by events. Some dissatis
| faction has at times been manifested OF
! account of the discomfort necessitated il
the living quarters by reducing woodwork
to a minimum. and the objection to tn,
use of treated wood has been frequentl!
strong and at times almost unreasonable
| The bureau believes. however. that event:
| have demonstrated that the advantage:
gained more than compensate for the cos
| in money and the inconvenience result
ing from the use of fireproofed wood
''Serious inconvenience have been expert
enced during the past year on account o
! lack of facilities for docking the battle
ships. and it has been necessary to resor
to cleaning the bottoms OF these vessels
| by divers-a practice very properly pro
| hibited by the regulations except in case
of urgent military necessity. on accoun
| of the danger to which the ships so clean
| ed are exposed through corrosion of tn
| underwater huh. The facilities for dock
ing ships of smaller sizes have at time
during the past year been taxed to thei
utmost and the need for additional ia
cilities strongly felt. At Mare Island, TIL
| Philadelphia, upon which extensive re
| pair work had to be done. was twice un
docked before the completion of this worl
| in order to make way for the M0ntere,
and Monadnock. then being repaired TO
service at Manila.
THE naval constructor at Norfolk re