The evening times., 1899-10-25

The annual report of Rear Admiral
George w. Melville. Chief of the Bureau Of
Steam Engineering of the Navy Depart
ment. for the past fiscal year. ended June
60 1899, and the estimates for appropria-
tions for the year ending June 80, 1901,
were made public today.
There was appropriated for 1889 the
sum of Sc, ,240, ,000 OF this amount So, 49,
526.49 has been expended, leaving bal
ance of s2,750, 473.51 in the Treasury, but
unavailable for current expenses.
The estimates for the appropriations for
the year ending June 80, 1901, is 81, ,S13 600.
against 81, ,994, 600 appropriated for the year
ending June 80. 1900, the principal increase
being in the appropriation for completion,
repairing, and preservation of machinery;
for 1900 the amount appropriated being
81 ,090, 600, while for year ending June 80.
1901, the sum of s., $50 600 is asked, but
for 1900 the sum of $S55,000 was asked for
plants at navy yards, while nothing is
asked for 1901.
Regarding the general operations Of the
bureau the report says:
while the legislation of the last Con-
gress provided for an increase of the navy
by appropriating for three seagoing coast
and six protected cruisers, the limitations
placed upon the price of the armor and
the clause which prevented contracts be-
ing made for the hull until the armor for
the first two classes of the above vessels
had been contracted for presented insuper-
able obstacles in the way of proceeding
promptly with the building Of the same,
the price of armor mentioned in the bill
being far below that for which any manu-
facturer would deliver it.
ION this account the Immediately neces-
sary work in this bureau upon new ships
was confined TO plans for the machinery
of the six protected cruisers.
plans of general arrangement Of ma
chinery for the armored cruisers, how
ever, have been pursued TO such degree
as is warranted by the available outlines.
so that when the matter of cost of armor
is adjusted and further progress of plans
justified the completion of the designs will
be matter requiring but little time.
THE usual extensive and laborious duty
connected with the working out of datails
for machinery already under construction.
and the examination and correction of de-
signs submitted by contractors, have been
continued in a manner highly satisfactory
| in results. The matter of designing the
internal arrangements of machine shops at
| New York, Port Royal, Key West, and
1
able attention, in order to provide for the
most efficient disposition of tools when in
stalled.
Repairs to Auxiliary Fleet.
In my last annual report ! alluded to
the extraordinary conditions which were
then prevailing. and included the general
items Of importance in the machinery re-
pair work of this bureau up to the date OF
writing that report, October l. 1898. al
which time the cessation of hostilities had
about taken effect. Necessarily the re-
suits of the extraordinary duties of the
various ships under such circumstances
were not fully realized by the bureau until
the return OF the feet to the repair stations
but it was a matter of gratifying surprise
| to the bureau 10 find the extent of needed
| repairs as limited as it was, being gener-
| ally confined to portions of the machinery
1 such as boiler tubes and condenser tubes
| which are most readily affected by the ex-
treme conditions prevailing in war times
| The generally excellent condition of the
| engines of our ships after these trials is q
reflection of highly complimentary char
| acter upon the bureaus control of the de-
signs Of the machinery and upon the eff
( cheney of the officers under whose direct
charge their operations were conducted.
| Ine matter Oh completely repairing al
the ships, both of the regular navy and
| those retained from the auxiliary fleet
was taken promptly in hand as ships re-
| turned to the various yards, and the ag-
| gregate cost assumed small proportions
compared with what might have been an
ticipated. Most of this work has now been
effected, and yet, owing to the unexpected
retention of very many Of the auxiliary
ships for use in naval service, the estimates
made by the bureau in the last annual
report for current expenses, 1S99-1900 fell
far short of the amount actually required
1 as at the time of the report it was the
| general impression that upon the close oi
| the war most Of the auxiliary ships would
be sold or otherwise disposed Of 4 por-
tion of the large balance remaining in the
Treasury from the emergency fund under
| this bureau (between two and three mil
lions) could be very properly reappropriat-
ed for this unanticipated work, by special
| legislation, and obviate the necessity OF
asking for further provision for current
work in the coming deficiency bill. / de-
sire to call your attention TO the above cir
cumstances in view of the necessity OF
thus further providing for the expenses OF
the present fiscal year."
Duty of Line Officers.