Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-12-04
UNCLE SANS NAVY.
Its Most Imperative Need Is
More Officers.
Number of Enlisted Men I'm tho Ser
vice on June 80, 1902, Was 2I,-
433-Gse OF Smokciess Pow
der Rapidly Increasing
New Type of shell.

Washington, Nov. 29.-The annual
report of the secretary of the navy
says:
The task which is employing the
highest energies of the navy, and re
celvIng the greatest attention from
the heads of bureaus, the command
ers in chief Of stations, the command
ing and subordinate officers of squad
rons, divisions, and single vessels
everywhere, is the work of training
70 the development of the greatest
efficiency in all branches of the SER
vice the attention, zeal. and thought
OF those in charge is mainly directed.
This is an era Of training. The re-
ports of the several bureaus are
largely made up of criticisms upon
and plans for the Improvement OF
present systems of practice, drill, and
Instructions.
At the close of the last fiscal wear
there were under construction for
the navy, by contract, the following
vessels: Eight battleships, six. ar
mored cruisers, nine protected cruiS-
ers, four monitors, Is torpedo boat
destroyers, seven torpedo boats, and
seven submarine torpedo boats. The
general progress of work upon these
vessels, particularly those OF the
larger class, has not been satisfac-
tory. The battleships were. on the
Goth of June, 1902, from 10 to %
months behind contract time: the ar
mored cruisers from four to IL
months; the protected cruisers from
SIX TO Is months, while the monitors
g.
The most imperative need of the
navy to-day is of additional officers.
1t invites the instant attention of
congress. The administration of the
department is embarrassed almost
daily by the lack of officers below
command rank. This condition has
been approaching for some years.
The number of enlisted men in the
naval service on June 80, 1902. was
2l,i33. Of these s,O32 were landsmen
and apprentices. Many of these came
from the middle western states. and
at the time of their enlistment were
unacquainted with the new life upon
which they had entered. Their pro-
gress has been eminently satfsfac-
tory.
All men now enlisted are required
to be either citizens or to have de-
clared their intention to become such.
Elghty-ninc per cent. of the enlisted
force are now citizens and rs per
cent. are native born. Ninety-three
and three-tenths per cent. of the
landsmen for training and % per
cent. Of the apprentices are native
born.
During the past year 233 guns.
chiefly of large caliber have been
manufactured at the naval gun fac
tory, making total of 1.2lO gums
thus far made at that establishment.
No material change mas been made in
the method of gun construction, cX-
ccpt that the tubes Of all guns of and
above six inches in caliDpr are now
reinforced to the muzzlc. Very great
increase in energy has, however. been
obtained by increasing the length and
weight of guns and by the use of
smokcleSs powder.
The manufacture and introduction
OF smokcleSs powder has been pro-
ceeded with as rapidly as practica-
bic. Beginning with the Kearsarge
and Kentucky, all the new ships of
the navy and some 30 of the older
vessels have been supplied with
smokeless powder. No other powder
has been bought or manufactured
for the navy since ls0S, except for
auxiliary purposes.
The most interesting event of the
year in connection with proicctiles
is the development OF a new type of
shell having the pcrforuting power
Of an armur-piercing proirctilc, with
capacity for large bursting
charge.