The new vessels, completed, building, or authorized to be built, may be summed up as follows:

To the above list of iron and steel vessels can be added the Alert and the Ranger, two iron-built, single-screw vessels of 1,020 tons displacement, carrying 4 guns each; the Monocacy, an iron-built, paddle-wheel, double-ender gunboat of 1,370 tons displacement, carrying 6 guns; the Michigan, an iron-built, paddle-wheel gunboat, of 685 tons displacement, carrying 4 guns; the Alarm, with a Mallory propeller, of 800 tons displacement, carrying 1 gun; the Intrepid, on the stocks at the New York yard, yet to be completed, an iron-built single-screw gunboat of 1,150 tons displacement, designed to carry 2 new VIII-inch B. L. guns with a secondary battery.

The remainder of the iron-built vessels now in the service consists of 13 river and barbor monitors with single screws, rated as fourth rates, 5 of which have a displacement of 2,100 tons each, and 8 of them 1,875 tons each. They were built without double bottoms, and with laminated armor on the sides, turrets, smoke-stacks, and ventilators, and are armed with old-fashioned guns. They could not be got ready for service without an expenditure of $200,000 under this Bureau alone. The Saugus, another of this class of vessels, now laid up at the Washington navyyard, has been condemned as unfit for further service.

Besides these there are 9 iron-built tugboats, two of which, the Palos and the Pinta, are classed in the Register as fourth rates, the former carrying 6 howitzers, and the latter 2 howitzers, as batteries.

Of the second rates, the Trenton, Omaha, and Vandalia can probably be continued in service ten years longer; the Lancaster and Brooklyn six years; the Hartford, Richmond, and Pensacola, five years.

Of the third rates, the Mohican can be continued in the service for ten years; the Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise, Tallapoosa, Yantic, and Nipsie, for six years; the Juniata, Ossipee, Quinnebaug, Swatara, Galena, Marion, Kearsarge, and Iroquois, five years longer.

In my last annual report, attention was called to the condition of the Saratoga, the Portsmouth, and the Jamestown, wooden sailing-sloops

of war used as training ships, and recommendation was made for two composite built, single-screw, bark-rigged vessels, of fine models, about 800 tons displacement, and light sparred. Since then, under my orders, Naval Constructor S. H. Pook has prepared the model, plans, and specifications for such a class of vessels, and they could be commenced at once if an appropriation was made for them.

The necessities of the Naval Academy demand another vessel besides the Constellation, properly adapted for a school ship; the Jamestown was necessarily loaned to the Academy from the training squadron during the past summer. The Monongahela, now used as a store-ship in the Pacific, could be sent around, her berth deck extended, and the requisite fittings put in her, when, in my opinion, she would be all that could be desired to meet the present needs of the Naval Academy. This could be accomplished at very slight expense. This vessel's machinery and boilers were removed at the Mare Island navy-yard, and she was rigged as a bark; she is spoken of as having worked splendidly on her way down to Callao.

Congress having authorized the completion of the double-turreted monitors Puritan, Amphitrite, Monadnock, and Terror, a board, consisting of Naval Constructors George W. Much, Samuel H. Pook, William H. Varney, and Assistant Naval Constructor Lewis Nixon, was convened under the Department's order and general instructions from this Bureau dated August 21, 1886. This board was directed to examine into the present condition of each of these vessels, to prepare specifications and plans for their completion, and to make all the neces sary calculations for additional weights yet to be placed on board, in order that the draught of water, corresponding displacement and freeboard of each might be known before work should be commenced on them. The work was much simplified by the vessels being afloat. The Puritan has her machinery and boilers on board, complete in all respects; the Miantonomoh, sister ship of the others, has been tried at sea with all her weights, or corresponding weights, in position on board. The board has completed its examination of these vessels, and the specifications for completing them are nearly finished. The largest amount of work remaining to be done by the board is the completion of the plans, which, as soon as they are received, will be forwarded for your information. The work of completing these vessels could then soon be commenced.

In the event of only one of the large vessels provided for under the act of August 3, 1886, being built at a navy-yard, I have to recommend that it be built at the Brooklyn yard, as that yard is now in condition to commerce any such vessel and carry on the work with some rapidity. I respectfully call attention to the recommendations made in the last annual report of this Bureau, relative to the necessity for the Govern ment putting its navy-yards in condition to meet any demand that might be made upon them in an emergency in the building of armored or unarmored ships of war.

The greatest necessity exists for having better docking facilities in all our navy-yards. This is rendered more important on account of the frequency with which the steel unsheathed vessels will require to be docked to clean and paint their bottoms. In the event of a foreign war this great deficiency would be seriously felt, perhaps more so than any other of our present wants. It is therefore worthy of grave consid eration whether immediate steps should not be taken to place our navy. yards, in this respect, in the most thorough condition of effectiveness.

While other nations are increasing their docking facilities, which are greater in one of the English dock-yards than in all of ours combined, we are doing nothing but theorizing.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. W. C. WHITNEY,

THEODORE D. WILSON, Naval Constructor, United States Navy.

Secretary of the Navy.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF PROVISIONS

AND CLOTHING.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

BUREAU OF PROVISIONS AND CLOTHING,

Washington, D. C., October 18, 1886.

SIR: Herewith I have the honor to submit a report of the operations of this Bureau for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, together with schedules of proposals received for furnishing supplies, statement of contracts made, and account of sales of condemned stores for same period (numbered 1 to 18, inclusive), also estimates of appropriations, under cognizance of this Bureau, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888 (marked A, B, C, and D).

SUPPLIES.

In its operations during the past year it has been the aim of this Bureau to exercise the strictest economy in the purchase and providing of supplies coming under its charge, and the result that has followed demonstrates that there has existed a large field for the introduction of more careful business methods in its administration. The largely excessive amounts of provisions, clothing, and other stores heretofore kept in store have been and are being gradually reduced to the proper needs of our naval establishment, and the expenses incident to cost of labor in care of same, and large losses from deterioration, are thereby correspondingly retrenched. Your action in this connection, favoring the covering into the Treasury of nearly one-third of a million dollars, surplus clothing and small-store funds, will practically remedy abuses made heretofore possible by the existence of excessive available funds. In the necessary purchases of supplies during the year the Bureau's contracts will exhibit gratifying results in the general reduction of prices, accompanied in many instances with manifest improvement of quality of the stores obtained. The policy of supplying our vessels abroad by periodical shipments of supplies has been found in its operation to be quite satisfactory. Availing itself of the low-freight rates of certain seasons the Bureau has been able to furnish our ships with home products of superior quality, and at much less rates than purchases can be made abroad.

CLOTHING FACTORY.

The operations of the clothing factory at the navy-yard, New York, show most progressive results in the character of its products during the year. The economy of the present system of producing clothing for the Navy is so obvious that vessels of the Revenue Marine Service, as

well as foreign war vessels in our waters, have sought to avail themselves of its advantages in procuring uniforms for their crews. The establishment of the carefully devised uniform regulations, under date of July 1 last, which provides that there shall be kept at the clothing factory a standard sample, to be adhered to in the manufacture of articles prescribed by such order, makes it possible, for the first time in the history of our Navy, to uniform the officers and crew of a vessel in exact conformity with regulations.

INCREASE OF PAY CORPS.

The Bureau takes this means of calling your attention to the fact that it believes that greater efficiency and security in the receiving and care of public stores at the several navy-yards and stations may be attained by assigning the duties of receiver and assistant receivers to junior disbursing officers under the senior officers now in general charge of such stores. The duties of receiver are of such responsible character that it is obvious that a bonded officer should be the proper person to fill that office, in order to enable the Government to exact due accountability for the valuable property, for the receipt of which they are responsible. The annual pay of an assistant paymaster on such duty would exceed that of the receiver by so small an amount that the slight increase of expense would be more than compensated by the greater security that the change would effect. The limited small number of assistant paymasters now in the service are nearly all employed, so that to enable the Department to adopt the course herein recommended it would be necessary for Congress to increase that class of officers to the number of twenty-seven, or ten in addition to the present number. To this end the Bureau would suggest that doubtless there are many young men now graduated annually at the Naval Academy in excess of the vacancies for them in other corps, who, having inclination and adaptability for accountants' work, should be well fitted for appointment in the Pay Corps, and anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity to remain in a service for which they have been educated by the Government.

DISBURSING OFFICERS' BONDS.

In connection with the subject of disbursing officers' bonds the Bureau respectfully recommends the desirability of a modification of the laws governing the same, to the extent of authorizing the acceptance of corporate sureties when of such a character as to be of undoubted solvency. The inconvenience and embarrassment attending the securing of private sureties in the periodical renewal of bonds, is quite seriously felt by many disbursing officers, who, from causes, incident to frequent changes of duty and station, are deprived of opportunity of establishing in a community friendly or social relations of a duration sufficiently extended to warrant them in soliciting a favor which embodies the strongest test of friendship.

SALES OF EXCHANGE.

In the procurement of disbursing funds by pay officers abroad through the sale of drafts on the Department and its agent in London, during the past year, the gratifying fact is presented that the total sales netted a considerable premium, while heretofore the Government has, on the contrary, sustained average losses in such transactions. This result

has, in a great measure, been attained through increased care and vigilance exacted from disbursing officers. Seasonable shipments of coin by the Department to our ships stationed in localities where sales of exchange could not be advantageously effected has also aided in procuring the above result.

INSPECTIONS.

The Bureau would respectfully state that at the inspection of provisions and clothing at the navy-yard, New York, where almost all the stores under the cognizance of this Bureau are received and distributed, additional room is now required, owing to the dilapidated condition and necessary removal of the building used for the storage of beef and pork, and which now necessitates the storage of those articles in the cellar of the inspection building, which in many respects is not suitable.

In conclusion, the Bureau would respectfully suggest that the stationery now received at the navy-yard, New York, and which is distributed from there to the various Bureaus and yards, could be handled to more advantage at the inspection of provisions and clothing at the ordnance yard here. The facilities for printing blank forms, headings, &c., at the Government Printing Office before distribution would save much labor and loss of time. The nature of the duties performed by the inspector of provisions and clothing now stationed at that yard would amply permit of his attention to the receipt and distribution of all stationery, blank forms, pay-rolls, &c., used at the various yards and stations, including the Navy Department, and in the opinion of this Bureau would facilitate the much-to-be-desired result of greater uniformity in the forms of blanks used by the different Bureaus.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the report of this Bureau for the past year, together with estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1588.

The recommendation of the Fourth Auditor of the Treasury in his present report, "that some system of property accountability be instituted by which an audit of the accounts of officers in charge of pubiic property may be had," has been anticipated by this office, and in the "Instructions for Medical Officers of the Navy," issued by your order at the beginning of the present fiscal year, such a system of accountability as to the smallest details is effectually established.