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| Congressman Charles Boutelle |
WARSHIPS COME HIGH.
But Great Nations Must
Have Them.
THE NAVY
APPROPRIATION BILL.
We Are Now Building
the Best Fighting Ships In the World—The Hardest Worked Man in the United
States Senate—Some of His Duties.
WASHINGTON,
April 1. [Special.] New navies cost money. The great battleships and armored cruisers of modern times are expensive
luxuries, but it seems that nations must have
them. Official figures quoted recently in
congress show that for the current year the five great nations of Europe—Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Italy—spend
for the maintenance and increase of their navies the enormous sum of $208,000,000,
divided as follows: Great Britain, $91,000,000; France, $52,000,000; Germany,
$20,000,000; Russia, $89,000,000, and Italy, $19,000,000. For the coming year
the expenditure will be still greater, Great Britain having appropriated
$120,000,000 for naval purposes, amid great enthusiasm in parliament, and
Russia and Germany having made arrangements for large increases of their naval
establishments. Comparing resources
with resources, our annual expenditure for the naval service, averaging
$30,000,000, is not extravagant.
Our New Navy.
This winter's appropriation bill for the navy
carries generous items for new ships and torpedo boats. It authorized a larger increase
of the navy than any other naval bill has ever contained. Official figures used
by Chairman Boutelle of the house naval committee show that the cost of the new
navy has been, in round numbers, $83,000,000. This sum provides for something like
50 vessels of all classes, ranging in cost from the great battleship at from $5,000,000
to $6,000,000 down to torpedo boats at $150,000 each. If to this sum be added
the amount authorized by this year's bill, we shall have a total of about $110,000,000
spent on our new navy. These figures, it should be understood, comprise only
construction of new vessels and do not include repair or maintenance.
The new battleships which we are about to
build will cost $3,750,000 each for the hull and machinery alone. The great
guns and other appurtenances will cost from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 for each
vessel, giving a total cost of something like $6,000,000 for each of these
great fighting machines.
Our Powerful Ships.
Chairman Boutelle of the house naval committee
tells me we are now building the best fighting ships in the world. "I believe,"
says he, "that the general type of character of the battleship which we are
now building and preparing to build is not only by all odds the best and most powerful
one in the world, but that the type is fixed for some time to come. Of course I
cannot guarantee this. In view of the progress of the past and of some of the
marvels of the last six months, he would indeed be a bold man that would predict
that no great changes will come to our naval architecture at an early day. But
I feel sure we are increasing our navy with a type of vessels which will
continue in high favor for years to come. Minor improvements we shall make from
time to time.
"The Iowa is claimed to be an
improvement upon the Indiana," continued Mr. Boutelle. "The
battleships that are today under contract at Newport News are claimed to be
superior in important respects to the Indiana and the Iowa. The Indiana, the
Massachusetts and the Oregon, concerning which I say freely that I believe they
are the finest completed ships in the world, were experimental ships with us.
They were the first battleships that we had ever tried to design and they reflect
eternal honor upon their designers.
It was a marvel for us to be able to step into
this untrodden field and in the first three great fighting ships that we put afloat
show that we could not only build ships here of a character almost as good as those
constructed in the great shipbuilding establishments of Europe, where they have
been engaged for generations in that work, but that we had actually built ships
that are conceded by British naval architects, by experts from Japan and by
other maritime powers to be the most powerful vessels In the world."
A Hard Worker.
The hardest working man in the United States
senate is Alonzo Stewart, who is carried on the rolls as assistant doorkeeper, but
who is in many respects the man who runs the senate. He is expected to know everything
that is going on every minute of the day. If a senator has gone to his committee
room to take a little sleep and is not to be disturbed, Stewart is the man who
is to be ready with the explanation. If a party of senators have gone out for a
drive or for a little game of poker, Stewart is expected to know whom to tell
where they are and whom to lie to. If any one wants to find a senator right
quick, Stewart is the man he appeals to, and Stewart usually knows whether the
man in question is in the restaurant, the barber shop, the cloakroom, the
bathroom, over at the senatorial annex, at the house end of the capitol, up in
the gallery with some lady friends or wherever he is. How Stewart keeps track
of the movements of nearly ninety senators and never fails to know just enough
and not a bit too much is one of the curiosities of life in the capital.
A curious illustration of the nature of the
services rendered by this extraordinary senate official is found in a recent
scene on the floor. The Du Pont case was under debate, and the constitution of
the state of Delaware was in frequent demand. One of Stewart's duties is to
keep his ears open for references to books by senators on the floor, and
whenever state constitutions, Congressional Records, the statutes of the United States or of
some particular state or any other work of reference is mentioned he is
expected to hustle for it, open it to the right page and place it on the desk
of the senator who may wish to consult it. On the day in question five senators
cited as many different sections of the Delaware
constitution, and the words were scarcely out of their mouths till Alonzo Stewart
had the books on their desks, every one opened at the right place.
Assistant Doorkeeper Stewart is not only familiar
with the constitutions of all the states and with The Congressional Record and
the other annals of congress, but he studied law for the express purpose of equipping
himself for the discharge of his multifarious duties in the senate chamber. He
could today practice before the supreme court if he wished.
WALTER WELLMAN.
BOLD NAVIGATORS.
Took a Dip in the
Tioughnioga While Seeking Muskrats.
Herman Odell and Delos Burnham, two bold
navigators, left home yesterday morning to boat down the Tioughnioga river to
Binghamton and shoot the festive muskrat which because of the high water had
been driven from his fastness. Reaching the pond at the Wickwire mills one of
them stepped out upon a cake of ice. As he did so the piece careened and he,
clutching the side of the boat, caused that to upset and both the navigators
speedily found themselves struggling in the water. They finally succeeded in
getting to shore, and returned home for dry suits of clothing. Then they
started again and this time made a successful trip, landing near Binghamton before
night. The number of muskrats which they shot is not recorded.
Fred W. Melvin and James A. Wood, having the
same object in view as the two parties above mentioned stranded their bark at
Kingman's bridge. The water was so high there that the boat could not get
under. They tried to work it under the bridge and the result was that the boat
went down and the two boatmen, having a firm hold upon the bridge, had to draw
themselves up to the bridge to escape going down with the boat.
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