The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-09-12

Of the Navy Newberry to hasten all
preparations for the much discussed
cruise of the battle-ship fleet to the
Pacific Coast. He said that the feet
would sail from Hampton Roads De-
cember 10 for San Francisco, in COM
mand of Admiral Evans, expecting to
arrive at the destination April 10, a
distance Of 1872 miles. The big war
ships will be under steam siXty-three
days, and spend fifty-two days at tar
get practice. The sailing pace will be
ten knots an hour, permitting colliers
to accompany the fleet part of the way.
Over 100000 tons of coal will be con-
sumed. A complete machine shop on
board the Panther will be constantly
at hand for repairs.
Following sharp attacks on the
Board of Naval Constructors in the
Navy, service publication, Secretary
Metcalfe called on all officers for sug-
gestions how to promote the efficiency
of the service. Two of the battleships,
the Iowa and Indiana, were criticised
as being soft enders,' and already
these have been ordered into the re-
serve list, most of their men going to
the new battleships. BY soft end
the critics mean ships having spaces at
the bow and stern not protected by
armOr, which in action would make
them vulnerable to attack. 1t Is also
charged that steering engines in sew
eral cases have been left unprotected
by the naval constructors. Other ships
thus criticised are the Oregon. Massa
chusetts, Kentucky and Kearsarge.
49,
The Navy Department has announced
the awarding of contracts for the con-
structiOn of the two new 2O,OO0-tOn
"DreadnOughtS' to the Fore River
Ship!uilding Company of Quincy,
Mass! and the Newport News Ship
building Company Of Newport News,
Va, respectively. One Of these ships
is to have American Turbines and the
Other the British type Of turbines. The
contract price with the Newport News
company is $4O90,OOO, and that with
the Fore River $4,377,OOO, these being
the lowest two bids. Contracts for the
armor are divided among the Carnegie,
Bethlehem and Midvale plants.
-
The Naval Board of Inspection and
Survey has forwarded to the Navy De
partnnnt its report on the exhaustive
trials of the four submarine torpedo
boats, the Octopus, Viper. Cuttlefsh
and Tarantula, constructed for the
government. Much attention was de-
voted to the open ocean trial of the
Viper, which was selected to make a
ninety-six hour sea test for the pur-
pose Of determining endurance. The
performance Of the Viper demon
strated that she has radius Of action
of 1000 miles without coming into
port or communicating with any other
vessel for period of four days.
-.
Painters at work on the dome Of the
Capitol in Washington found in the
gutter below the first bulge a woman's
bonnet, four derby hats, ten straw hats
two ham sandwiches, thirteen cents, a
nursing-bOttle, and a sparrews' nest
containing thirty-eight eggs. The spar
the egg market, for no hen sparrow
could cover three dozen eggs with any
prospect of Matching them.
-
The cruiser Washington, which has
been in commission but few months.
recently had her final tests under the
supervision of the Trial Board of the
Navy Department with most gratifying
results, her speed record being over
twenty-one knots an hour, and the ac-
tion Of her guns and turrets proving
exact duplicate of the cruiser Tenn
eSSee.
1t has been agreed between the gov
ernments of Canada and Of the United
States that the owners Of all buildings
on the boundaryline must decide in
which country they shall live, and
must move the whole building accord
ingly. The purpose of this agreement
is to reduce the smuggling evil and
otherwise to put an end to lawlessness
on the border -.
-
Public Printer Stillings has ordered
that hereafter all employees of the gov
ernment printing Office shall address
one another W tn the formal designa-
tons Mr." and Miss" in contradis-
tinction to the prevailing custom of u.s.
ing nicknames.
-
Hereafter medical preparations, such
as beadache powders, which contain