Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-09-12

Hdfdi oulcidlS WIZ the lTeSIueul, Or
ders were issued by Acting Secretary
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 1912 miles. The big war
ships will be under steam sixty-three
days, and spend ffty-two days at tar
get practice The sailing pace will be
ten knots an hour, permitting Golfers
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, a 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.
-:
The Navy Department has announced
the awarding of contracts for the con-
structfon of the two new 20,0OO-ton
''DreadnoughtS" to the Fore River
Shipbuilding 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 100000, 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 Midyale plants.
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| The Naval Board of Inspection and
| Survey has forwarded to the Navy De
partment 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 a radius of action
| of 1000 miles without coming into
port or communicating with any other
vessel for d 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 sparrows' nest
| containing thirty-eight eggs. The spar
rows must have planned corner in
the egg market, for no hen sparrow
could cover three dozen eggs with any
nrOSDect of hatchiDp them
-:
The cruiser Washington, which has
| been in commission but a 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-
ton 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 boundary-Iine 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
| eminent printing office shall address
one another with the formal designa-
! tons Mr. and Miss in contradis-
| tinctioa to the prevailing custom of US
| ing nicknames.
Hereafter medical preparations, such
as headache powders, which contain
| acetphenitidin, must have on their pub
| ished formulas notice that the prepa-
| ration contains ''acetanilid," from
which the former drug is derived.
The president has approved Col. Goe-
thal's request for authority to expend
100000 more than the appropriation
| for the present fiscal year on the Pana-
ma Canal The reason for asking this
was that the work had proceeded with
greater rapidity than was anticipated,
and this action was believed to be in
tie interest Of true economy and might
save years time in completing the
canal. Congress will be requested to
make an appropriation to cover this
deficiency.
The Treasury Department closed the
fiscal year. June 80. with a surplus of
| $50 929. 426, and with the receipts to-
falling 1865. 306, 135, which is 100000
more than in any other year in our his
| tory. The customs receipts were $685.
go. 126 and the internal revenue S270,-
3o9, 39S
Secretary Taft has ordered Governor