New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-03

OF THE MA1fLOWEk
When the war with Spain began and the eyes
OF the Nation were directed toward the Navy
there were not many citizens who knew the
strength or the capabilities Of that arm OF the
Nations service but the war went on ana
the ships carried the flag TO glorious victory
,hero remained little doubt in the minds OF the
people that the Navy was we'll prepared Tor any
emergency. The ships were at the points where
lhey were needed at the proper time; they we're
well manned. properly equipped Adequately
provided with stores and ordnance, ana IN Tune
Of action were handled to command the ad-
miration of the world and all this conduced 10
win the applause of the people and to estaphsh
the fact that the United states Navy was al
right"
The men who were behind the scenes at that
time and saw the actors at close range, to whom
some Of the thunder only the rattle OF sheet
iron and the clouds strips of painted gauze,
were not so enthusiastic as the crowd in 'front.'
and when it was all over and the curtain was
rung down they felt relieved and thankfui
1t had all passed off so well, and that the great
Audience never discovered the weak points.
Among the men who were well qualified by
their position in the Navy to matters in
their true light were the officers in the Con-
struction Department and one Of them, Captain
Francis T. Bowes who is the chief constructor
At the Brooklyn Navy Yard said recently:
I'm to the time Of the war with Spain the
efforts OF the Navy Department were directed
toward building ships, and by far the greatest
amount of money was expended in that direc-
lion TO the exclusion of other material needs
Dur drydOcks which are as essential to the ser
vice as shops, were totally inadequate, and the
only one capable Of taking in battleShip was
useless II was only by lucky fuke that we
escaped serious results because of their MADE
uuacy. 1t happened that all the battieshipS
had been locked The Indiana had peeh over
hauled at Halifax the year before ana OUTFITS
had been locked in our No. J at the brookiy"
ward before 1t broke down, and then no Vessel
went into drydock until after the victory in
tuba.
"Jf ANYTHING had happened to one OF the
hattleshius that could not be attended to eN-
cent in drydock We should have lost the ships
service.
AS an instance take the case of the oregon.
When Commodore Watson was ordered 10 SPAN
with his SQUADRON We were asked by the Navy
DEPARTMENT if we could dock the oregon, which
had come all the way from San Francisco ana
needed ove. hauling badly. before she went Oh
the cruise after Camara. The only way To 90
II | found was to blow up the cofferdam OF
Drvdock No s. This | proposed doing ana
would have carried out the plan if Camaia had
not changed his mind and put back.
"AlI the navy yards are i'll prepared. The
BROOKLYN yard is much better than ii was before
the war because more has been done toward
making it efficient in the last twelve months
than had been done in any ten years before; but
much still remains 70 be done to make the yard
t1e.. mt try
provided with an economical arrangement and
plant for doing the work which naturally comes
to IT, The supply system Of purchase and
maintenance during the war utterly broke down.
md the only reason why there was no failure
90 provide for the fleet was that the officers in
charge cut red tape at the risk Of their official
heads Goods had To be purchased ly telegraph
and by telephone, contracts had to be made at
short notice. ana in order To get what was
wanted the methods Of the Department. good
and practical as they are in times Of peace, and
necessary as they may be for the protection
o. the interests Of the country. had to DE dis
REGARDED and everything had 10 uc cast asid"
o. the interest of haste and the efforts 10 pro-
sliro what was needed at once. If not sooner"
"Onc notable instance of the customary hurry
work in the construction department during the
war vas the fitting out Of the steam yacht
Maynowor II takes no expert in naval mat
tiers or in mechanics 10 know that TO convert
a pleasure yacht into torpedo boat destroyer
for actual u.s. in time of war is not piece
OF worl: to be rushed. an! that under ordinary
circumstances it would not be handled like a
hurry up job. but this is what We did in the
case OF the Maynower. She was delivered in
her peace attire at the Navy Yard one Satur-
day to be dressed over. armored and otherwise
reconstructed for purposes. There was no