The record-union., 1899-12-04
OPERATIONS OF
NAVY Department.
Secretary Long Submits His Report
to the President.
Covers a Wide Range Of Discussion on
Important Naval Matters.

Recommends That Congress be Re-
uuested to Authorize the Con-
struction of Three Powerful
Armored Cruisers, Three Pro-
tected Cruisers and Twelve
Gunboats.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The annual
report of Secretary of the Navy Long
has been made public. Following is
resume of the more important subjects
touched upon:
To the PreSident-Sir: The second vol
ume of the report of the department
for the year 1898 covered all the oper-
atoms of the fleets during the period
of hostilities with Spain. Since that
time active operations have been con-
fined to the waters of the Philippines,
where, by reason of the insurrectlon
on the island of Luzon, it has been
necessary to assemble and MAINTAIN
large squadron.
Admiral Dewey remained in command
of this squadron until May ~, 1873.
when he was relieved by Captain A. ).
Barker who was relieved in turn, on
June Doth, by Rear Admiral j. G. Wat
son, the present chief.
The principal duties of the Asiatic
squadron have been to cooperate with
the army and to maintain blockade
of such extent as has been determined
by the general policy of compaign laid
down by the War Department. Many
important expeditions have been car
ried out involving duty of an arduous
character, and few casualties have oc-
Cured.
On April 18th Lieutenant l.. c. Gill
more and a party of fourteen under
his command were captured by the IN
surgents at Balar. So far as is known,
all are still in the hands of the insur-
gents.
Some time during the month of Sep
TENDER the gunboat Urdaneta, under
command of Naval Cadet w c. Wood.
was destroyed by the insurgents at
Orani, Orani River, Manila Bay. Cadet
Wood was reported by the insurgents
as having been killed, and it is pre-
sumed that all the party under his
command fell into the hands of the
insurgents, although it is possible that
some of them were killed.
The department regrets to report the
loss of the cruiser Charleston on the
morning of November I'd. Rear Ad-
miral Watson states that she struck
on an uncharted coral reef ten miles
east of Kamiguin Island None of the
officers or crew were lost.
PACIFIC SQUADRON.
Rear Admiral Albert Kautz has been
in command of the Pacific squadron
during the past year, and was dis
patched in February last, with his flag
ship the Philadelphia, to the Samoan
Islands where trouble had arisen as
to the succession to the throne In con-
nection with this duty combined force
of English and Americans made a recon-
noissance of the island on the afte--
noon of April 1st for the purpose OF
breaking up a camp of Mataafa natives
in the vicinity of Vailele. The Amerl-
can force was in charge of Lieutenant
p. V. Lansdale, the executive officer Oh
the Philadelphia, accompanied by En-
sign j. r. Monaghan, Lieutenant c. M.
Perkins of the Marine Corps and Passed
Assistant Surgeon G. A. Lung.
The American force consisted of sixty
officers and men. including twenty
marines. The British force was sixty
two officers, seamen and marines, I'M
der the command of Lieutenant A. ii.
Freeman of the royal navy. They were
accompanied by native force OF
friendlies, numbering between 100 and
$50 men, and indifferently armed and
disciplined. AS they were returning TO
the ships they were attacked from cover
by a force of SamoanS, and in the en-
gagement which followed Lieutenant
Lansdale, Ensign Monaghan and two
enlisted men of our force and Lieuten
ant Freeman and two sailors of the
British party were killed. Five Ameri-
can and two British sailors were
wounded. The loss of these two young
officers is deeply regretted. Ensign
Monaghan and ordinary seamen n. T..
Edsan sacrificed their lives in a gallant
and hopeless attempt to rescue Lieu
tenant Landslide, who was wounded
and unable to escape and who died IN
the heroic performance of his duty.
The Badger of this command con-
viewed the Samoan Commissioners of
this country, Great Britain and Ger
manned there with the Philadelphia
pending the settlement by the commits
sion of the disturbances which had
there arisen.
NORTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON.
The North Atlantic squadron was UNI
der the command of Rear Admiral w
II. Sampson until October 14th, when
he was relieved by Rear Admiral n. II
Farquhar 1t continued, as for some
years past to be a school of drill and
instruction for the fleet and for the
officers and men individually.
SOUTH ATLANTIC SQUADRON
After the close of the war with Spain
the South Atlantic squadron was re
established The Wilmington was di
rectcd to make a cruise up the Orinoco
and Amazon Rivers, and much valuable
information was gathered in regard to
these waters and has been transmitted
to the Department. The voyage up the
Amazon extended as far as Peru.
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