Cortland
Evening Standard, Wednesday, December 23, 1896.
THE NAVAL
POWERS.
A YEAR'S
PROGRESS IN THE WAR VESSELS OF THE WORLD.
Great
Britain, an Usual, Leads All Others. France's Programme Contemplates an Expenditure
of $170,000,000 In Ten Years—Russia's $321,000,000 In Seven.
The annual publication of the intelligence bureau
of the navy department is an interesting document. It reports the naval progress
of the world during the past year, and shows that in Europe the people are demanding
additions to the fleets, an enlarged enlisted force and an improvement in
present equipment as safeguards to attack from their neighbors. Millions of dollars
are being yearly expended in new construction, the manufacture of great guns,
torpedoes and all other instruments of naval warfare.
Russia has a programme contemplating an
expenditure of over $300,000,000, and France is trying to keep ahead of all
other nations except Great Britain in the strength of her naval forces. Russia
is shown to be watching both Germany and France with caution, and intends having
in a few years a navy that can guard her small coast line from almost any
attack. Germany's naval budget is not so large as that of her neighbor's, but
the emperor's instructions that more attention must be devoted to the navy than
heretofore will lead to a naval establishment in a few years double her present
strength. Even China is ambitious to have a big navy, and is now looking around
to find where she can have her battleships constructed to the best advantage. Japan's
policy, when carried out, will give her a fighting strength on the seas equal
if not superior to that of the United States at present. Spain, however, is far
behind other European powers in the effectiveness of her navy, and Italy is
making little progress and is weary of building great battleships.
On the subject of torpedo boats the experts show
that the speed is creeping upward yearly. A French boat has broken the record
with a speed of 31.02 knots, and now England has undertaken to build two boats
to make 32 knots or better.
In construction and vastness of programme Great
Britain continues to lead the world. She has appropriated for her navy this
year $106,205,100, which exceeds the original estimates of the preceding year by
$15,000,000 and those of 1894 by $21,000,000. The policy of pushing all work to
an early completion is to be vigorously carried out. The new vessels authorized
comprise 5 battleships, 4 first class cruisers, 3 second class cruisers, 6
third class cruisers and 28 torpedo boats of the 30 knot type, 8 of which were
ordered before the estimates were submitted. Three battleships, 1 first class
cruiser and 1 third class cruiser are to be built at the navy yards, and the
remainder will be built by contract. Great Britain presents a naval programme
by far the best in her history. She is now building 13 first class battleships,
10 first class cruisers, 16 second class cruisers, 7 third class cruisers and
48 torpedo boats.
France's naval development continues to keep
pace with that carried out by her during the past three years. Five years ago
she outlined a programme of new construction covering a period of nine years and
to include 81 vessels. The development of this has been interfered with from year
to year, owing to the failure of the French parliament to make the necessary
appropriations. The total programme, when carried out, will cost the government
about $170,000,000, which, distributed over ten years, will really amount to a yearly
increase of $2,000,000 over the present annual expenditures.
France this year has voted a total of $46,000,000
for her navy, of which $1,300,000 is to be expended on account of 14 new vessels,
whose total cost will be $19,000,000.
Germany's naval programme includes 1 first
class battleship, 5 first class cruisers and a large fleet of torpedo boats, to
cost $13,000,000. In the next three months she will lay down in addition to this
programme three battleships, to cost between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000 each, and
seven cruisers, to cost from $1,500,000 to $3,200,000 each.
The czar's naval programme has been arranged
to cover a period of seven years and to cost, when carried out, the enormous
sum of $321,000,000. For this year $45,000,000 is authorized. Three new
battleships are to be laid down soon, 5 are now building, as well as 2
protected cruisers and 21 torpedo boats. It is also the intention to build a
14,000 ton armored vessel at the Baltic works.
Considering the depleted condition of the
Spanish treasury, Spain has in contemplation a liberal programme for increasing
her navy. Notwithstanding the drain upon her resources due to the Cuban war she
has authorized this year the construction of a battleship of 11,000 tons, two
6,000 ton cruisers, two torpedo vessels and appropriated a large sum to refit
vessels requiring overhauling.
There has been great activity in the navy
yards in fitting out our ships for service in Cuban waters. Officers were sent
to Scotland to inspect merchant ships suitable for conversion into cruisers,
for such service, but none seems to have been secured, and six steamers have
been supplied with their regular armaments as vessels of the naval reserve and
taken into service at a monthly rental of $115,000.
The annual calls especial attention to the
interests manifested by the Spanish people in all parts of the world in the construction
of a large navy, and points to many instances where liberal contributions have
been made for its enlargement. An
organization of Spanish subjects in Mexico is reported to have contributed $325,000
toward a torpedo vessel, while a syndicate in Madrid offered to build a gunboat
free to the government for service in Cuban waters. Shipbuilding in the navy
yards of Spain, the annual says, progresses very slowly. It took from 10 to 12
years to build the cruiser Reina Mercedes, and another of a some type, whose
keel was laid in 1889, is still on the ways. The cost of building in the navy
yards is from three to four times as great as at private yards. Of three
protected cruisers of the same class two were built in England, costing about
$300,000 each, while one built by Spain of the same design cost over
$1,000,000.
Italy, owing to the great cost of her African
campaign, is making but little progress in naval development.
Brazil contemplates building two coast defense
vessels, four protected cruisers, eight first class torpedo boats, six smaller vessels
of this class and five submarine boats.
It has been reported that the viceroy at Nanking
has about $4,000,000 to devote on rebuilding the Chinese navy. The
authorities at Peking have protested against the expenditure of this money, and as yet nothing has
been done beyond consulting with several European shipbuilders. The proposed
programmes included two battleships of 8,000 tons each, two armored cruisers of
5,000 tons each, four partially protected cruisers and several torpedo boats.
Japan's scheme for adding to her naval strength
is one of vast proportions, and is divided into two programmes, covering seven
years, including when completed 54 vessels for the first section and 63 for the
second with a total displacement of over 110,000 tons. The total increase in
her navy will thus be 117 ships. Four battleships are soon to be authorized
abroad and three will be built at home. A large number of armored cruisers are
also to be built, and a lot of small cruisers, some of which are expected to be
built in this country.
RILEY'S
LATEST POEM.
The
Hoosier Poet's Touching Tribute to a Little Girl.
In a letter of condolence over the death of the
child of a friend in Parkersburg, W. Va., James Whitcomb Riley the other day paid
the following tribute:
BEREAVED.
Let me come in where you sit weeping—aye,
Let me, who have not any child to die,
Weep with you for the little one whose love
I have known nothing of.
The little arms that slowly, slowly loosed
Their pressure round your neck; the hand you
used
To kiss—such arms, such hands, I never knew.
May I not weep with you?
Fain would I be of service—say something,
Between the tears, that would be comforting—
But, ah! So sadder than yourselves am I
Who have no child to die!
In all sympathy, your friend,
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY.
 |
| Benton Bushnell Jones. |
FUNERAL
OF B. B. JONES.
Attended
by Many Friends—Masonic Services at the Grave.
The funeral of Benton B. Jones was held at
his late home on Main-st. at
2:30 o'clock
this afternoon. The house is not large and was crowded with the friends.
Earlier in the afternoon many who knew that later they could not gain
admittance called at the house for a last look at their departed friend. The
flowers were very numerous and of unusual beauty.
A quartet consisting of Mrs. E. M. Greenman,
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Graham and Mr. A. D. Blodgett sang with much feeling and
with fine effect, "Beloved, it is Well.''
Rev. John T. Stone, pastor of the Presbyterian church, read appropriate
Scripture selections and offered prayer. The quartet sang "Drawing Nearer
Home.'' At the joint request of the family and of Mr. Stone, Rev. J. L.
Robertson, late pastor of the Presbyterian church, made fitting remarks
regarding the deceased.
At the close of the service while the Masonic
fraternity and the County Bar association, who attended in a body, passed
through the parlor to view the remains the quartet sang the chant, "Our
Days are as a Shadow."
The bearers were H. B. Hubbard, C. F.
Thompson, M. F. Cleary, B. F. Taylor, G. J. Mager and C. E. Rowley.
The
Masonic fraternity in full numbers acted as an escort to the cemetery and the
services there followed the Masonic ritual.
TWENTY
MEMBERS
Elected
to the C. A. A. Last Night. Presentation to Mr. Costello.
The Cortland Athletic association held a
special business meeting in the new quarters last evening at which twenty new
members were elected and the following were elected to honorary membership:
F. C. Parsons, C. F. Sarson, E. Davis, C. H.
Buell, F. B. Miner. The new constitution and bylaws were read and laid on the
table for action at the next meeting.
After the business had been completed
President A. D. Wallace called
Jas. F.
Costello to his feet and in a few words presented him with a ticket to
New York
and return, saying that the members had heard of Mr. Costello's intended visit
to the metropolis and that the members desired to show their appreciation of
his faithful services as janitor at the clubhouse for the past year and a half.
Mr. Costello, though much surprised, briefly thanked the members for the
remembrance.
Shults-Bristol.
Mr. Wilbur F. Shults of Virgil and Mrs. Mary
B. Bristol of Cortland were married this morning at 7:30 o'clock at the home of
Fred Lownsbury, 64 Hamlin-st. The
ceremony was performed by Rev. L. Eastwood of Homer in the presence of a few of
the immediate relatives and friends. After a wedding breakfast had been served
Mr. and Mrs. Shults left on the 9:58 train for Syracuse.
BREVITIES.
—New advertisements to-day are—J. C. Seager,
Lehigh Valley Coal, page 6; C. F . Brown, Bon Bons and Perfumery, page 2; Royal
Baking Powder Co., Baking Powder, page 8.
—The sleighs begin to appear on the streets
to-day and the jingle of bells is heard. The roads are quite smooth, the hubs
having been well pounded down so that a very little snow will make fine sleighing.
—Invitations are out for the wedding of Mr.
Elbridge L. Heath and Miss Etta L.
Messenger which will occur at Christ's church, St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday,
Dec. 30, 1896, at high noon. The bride is a niece of Mrs. Moses Rowley and Mr. P.
A. Curtiss of Cortland and Mr. Dewitt Messenger of Little York. Her parents were
both residents of Cortland and were Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Messenger.
—Monday evening at about 6 o'clock a small
boy some three or four years old was seen gazing admiringly at Santa Claus in
the south window of the store of Warren, Tanner & Co. Suddenly he began pounding
on the glass with his chubby fist and shouting at the top of his lungs
"Santa Claus, I want a drum. Say, Santa Claus, please bring me a drum. I
want a drum for Christmas." It is to be hoped that Santa will accommodate him,
though the Santa Claus which he was looking at did not have a drum in sight,
but an entirely different class of goods.
MRS. MARY
HAYES,
Mother
Of Lewis S. Hayes, Died Last Night of Paralysis.
Mrs. Mary Hayes died at 9:45 last night at
the home of her son, Lewis S.
Hayes, 192
Main-st., from the effects of a shock of paralysis suffered Monday morning. Her
maiden name was Mary Hubbard and she was a daughter of Miles Hubbard of
Smithville, Chenango Co., where she was born Oct. 28, 1809. She was married to
Lewis Hayes and in 1838 with him removed to Natchez, Miss., making the trip by
water around Florida and through the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Hayes died in September,
1839, when Mrs. Hayes returned to New York state and resided in Smithville and
Greene, Chenango county, until twenty years ago, when she came to Cortland and
has since resided with her son, Lewis S. Hayes.
The funeral will be held from the
residence of her son at 2 o'clock
to-morrow afternoon, burial in Cortland Rural cemetery.
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