The times., 1899-10-22
NAVAL WAR RECORDS REPORT.
Volumes Treating on War of the
ReheIIIon Arc Rrnhr

The annual report Of the of7c. of Naval
War Records and the Department Library
has just been submitted to Secretary Long
by E X Rawsou. Superintendent OF those
bureaus. Mr., Rawsou says.
Since my last annual report. the eiehth
and ninth volumes of the Official Records
of the Union and Confederate Navies i'm
the War of the Rebellion have been print
ed, and the eighth is in process Of distri-
button. The ninth viii be distributed bg
the end OF the calendar year. and the tenth
compiled shortly thereafter. An attemp,
will be made to issue the eleventh volume
and to print a part Of the twelfth by the
end Of the present fiscal year. July l, 1900
although with the force at the disposal OF
the Office this may not be accomplished
| With the completion of the twelfth vol
ume 80 per cent OF the entire work will be
| finished. the series in all probability not
exceeding twenty-si six to thirty volumes %
An expert proofreader at a salary or
$1,000 is greatly needed and the request is
made that one be assigned TO the work.
Regarding the proposed estimates the re-
port says:
Il have made the request in my esti-
mates for an additional appropriation for
the publication of these records. as will be
seen, increasing the amount asked for from
| $40 600 TO SIS 600 The amount allowed by
CougTess-S1g O00-for the last fiscal year
(Which was less than that allowed for the
fiscal year ending 1898 viz $50 S00) is in
adequate, and there viii probably be a
small deficiency This request has been
rendered necessary
First. BY the increased cost Of the
printing and binding of these volumes.
Second. By the fact that by the decision
of the Department much more care has
been taken and a slight additional expense
has been incurred in the preparation of the
| illustrations for them. including not only
the reproduction of types Of ships, but also
/ the Enclosures of sketches and ContempOr-
aneous drawings accompanying the reports
/ Of officers forwarded TO the Department
| The number of these illustrations for any
| one volume can not be foreseen.
/ Third. By the maps, which are carefully
/ prepared for this work. These are Of great
service in elucidating the text and making
| these volumes valuable TO readers in all
/ parts Of the country to whom aliases and
! maps are impossible of access, as we'll as
| for the convenience of naval officers, to
/ whom these volumes are of primary inter-
/ est. In these maps are placed the names
4 of the important places found in the text
/ and they are the most accurate Of all maps
/ of their size of the coast lines and scenes OF
J naval operations, great care being taken tl
verify the raphical names by reference
i TO the maps OF the Coast Survey and TO the
! text of the records.
The question of introducing these maps
| into the volumes as published or of waiting
/ for the completion of the whole work was
I seriously discussed by this Office, and the
/ conclusion reached that the expense would
( be less and the value to the reader and his
! torian enhanced by their Introduction into
I the current volumes"
During the past year conference was
| held with the officials of the War Depart
ment library. by which the purchase OF
| duplicate books has been avoided Addi-
tiOns TO the library numbering 1,GS9 vol
umes, were added last year. Among the
books added were a valuable lot on the
| Philippines contributed by the Govern
ment's naval attache at Paris A number
Of engravings and photographs of naval
subjects were also added TO the library A
card system OF catalogues. which is changed
every six months, has taken place of the
old style catalogues, and it has been found
/ very satisfactory.