The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-27

]
Regarding the Pacific cable survey and
! wireless telegraphy, he says:
/ me survey by the United States
/ steamship Nero for trans-PaCifc sub
/ marine telegraph cable between HOuO-
! lulu and the Philippine Islands has been
/ completed. The survey developed the
! fact that an almost level plane of soft
mud, at a general depth of about 300
/ fathOmsi extends from Honolulu to the
/ Midway Islands, affOrding an excellent
route Tor "a submarine telegraph cable.
that between the Midway islands and
! Guam another level plane from 3100 TO
/ 5,2U9 fath0ms deep is found, but is broken
II intervals by reefs ard occasionally by
SubiHdfallt mountain ranges. me HrSt
/ thousand miles from the Midway Islands.
/ with the exception of one isolated peak
/ moi IAr from Ocean island rising to with
J in eighty-tWO fdthOmS of the surface. is
substantially level.
Among the interesting discoveries
( Made in the course of this survey was
that of an ocean abyss. the deepest
/ known. which was found to the east
and near the parallel Of Guam. Here
were made the deepest ocean SOundings
ever recorded, the greatest depth reach
ed being 5.269 fathoms, of siXty-six feet
less than six statute miles
The object of the expedition, which
was the discovery of a satisfactory route
for an all-Americar cable connecting the
Pacific coast with the outlying island
possessions of the United States in the
/ Pacific, was accomplished. the reports of
( the sOundiHgS and of the character of the
bottom showing that such a route exists.
Marconi System Favored.
"A board Of experts, consisting of
/ three naval officers, was detailed by the
department TO carry cut series of tests
with a view to ascertaining the capa-
/ bilities and usefulness to the navy of the
! system of wireless -telegTaphy
After d series of trials, extending over
{ a week, in New York bay and sea off
/ Highland lights, the board made IA
/ Vorable report on the MarcOni system.
/ the only serious defect found being what
/ Is commonly known as interference The
! board recommended that the system be
given thorough trial in the navy, but
| the department did not consider il adj
! VtSable TO conduct further experiments
/ at that time, although an appara tus
: somewhat similar to that used in the
/ MarConi system was installed at the
naval torpedo station at Newport, r. l..
/ been given TO various classes of officers
| in attendance.
Increase Urged For Navy.
The general board, of which the admiral
| of the navy Is president recommend the
/ following increase Of the navy:
BatteshiDs, >; armOred cruisers, .;
/ gunboats. o, destroyers, ,; torpedo boats,
8; transport 1; training ships, ,
/ mended by Secretary. Long.
Question of Awards.
The secretary discusses the system oi
/ rewards for gallant services He says.
! The present system of rewards has
81 [ been found to be unsatisfactory. since in
/ its practical application IL operates Uu-
! Justly and III some instances defeats the
/ purposes for which II was devised It
/ provides for a partial Encouragement of
= / the navy list. whenever rewards are con-
{ ferred. by the advancement of certain
/ officers over the heads of others and
! therefore necessarily operates to the
damage of the latter by delaying their
"Honors and emoluments ought not to
/ be taken from brother officers guilty OF
no f@ult- That this IS the erect OF the
/ present system and that 1t ought 70 be
D / CHANGED became apparent when the at
tempt was made 10 apply it during the
d. / war with spain
Attention is particularly invited TO the
z bill now pending to provide rewards for
officers and men of the navy and marine
corps This bill authorizes the secretary
? of the navy 10 cause to be prepared for
bestowaI upon officers and men deserv-
ing of special recognition certain medals
of three classes, i. e..
4. The honor medal to be presented
by the president. for eminent and con-
/ spiCuOUS conduct in battle, or other dan
/ gerOuS public emergency; to be award
I ed only upon the recommendation of d
board of officers authorized To indufre
into the merits of each case, empowered
= / 10 administer OathS to witnesses, and re-
/ qUired to report all the particulars OF
- act for which the award is recon-
mended. It is provided that the honor
} medal shall carry with II a small annual
- The courage medal to be presented
/ by the secretary of the navy for distin-
J. / guiShed conduct in the presence OF the
/ enemy, or extraordinary heroiEm al any
%. The service medal TO be presented
r by the secretary of the navy. for distin-
I / guished public service in time of war.
This bill provides a system of appro-
| pirate. inexpensive and satisfactory re-
: wards. capable of prompt bestowaI. doing
Justice 10 special merit. and working NJ
injustice TO anybody. Such medals could
be worn upon ali occasions of ceremony
i / during the life of the recipient and trans
miCted priced heirloom to his de-
ScendantS. a feature of this system
2 which particularly cOmmends IL. is the
o. fact that il is applicable to non-commis-
stoned officers, enlisted men and privates
as we'll as to commissioned officers. The
. present system provides no satisfactory
/ method of rewarding enlisted men and
| marines.
In closing, the secretary says: There
is no finer type of the public servant
[ trained to nigh sense of his official OBJ
legations. and no hand in which the honor
of his country and the rights of its citf
zcnS are safer, than are to be found II
the navy OF the United States"