CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



201 



all the army bureaus proper (except possibly the Ord- 

 nance Bureau) are substantially fixed charges, which 

 can not be materially diminished without a change in 

 the numerical strength of the army. The expendi- 

 tures in the Quartermaster's Department can readily 

 be subjected to administrative discretion, and it is re- 

 ported by the Secretary of War that as a result of ex- 

 ercising such discretion, in reducing the number of 

 draught and pack animals in the army ; the annual 

 cost of supplying and caring for such animals is now 

 $1,108,085.96 less than it was in 1881. 



The reports of military commanders show that the 

 last year has been notable for its entire freedom from 

 Indian outbreaks. 



In defiance of the President's proclamation of July 

 1, 1884, certain intruders sought to make settlements 

 in the Indian Territory. They were promptly re- 

 moved by a detachment of troops. 



During the past session of Congress a bill to pro- 

 vide a suitable fire-proof building for the Army Medi- 

 cal Museum and the Library of the Surgeon-General's 

 Office received the approval of the Senate. A similar 

 bill, reported favorably to the House of Kepresenta- 

 tives by one of its committees, is still pending before 

 that body. It is hoped that during the coming ses- 

 sion the measure may become a law, and that there- 

 after immediate steps may be taken to secure a place 

 of safe deposit for these valuable collections, now in a 

 state of insecurity. 



The funds with which the works for the improve- 

 ment of rivers and harbors were prosecuted during 

 the past year were derived from the appropriations of 

 the act of August 2, 1882, together with such few bal- 

 ances as were on hand from previous appropriations. 

 The balance in the Treasury subject to requisition 

 July 1. 1883, was $10,021,649.55. The amount appro- 

 priated during the fiscal year 1884 was $1,319,634.62, 

 and the amount drawn from the Treasury during the 

 fiscal year was $8,2:28,703.54, leaving a balance of $3,- 

 112,580.63 in the Treasury subject to requisition July 

 1, 1884. 



The Secretary of War submits the report of the 

 Chief of Engineers as to the practicability of protect- 

 ing our important cities on the seaboard *by fortifica- 

 tions and other defenses able to repel modern methods 

 of attack. The time has now come when such de- 

 fenses can be prepared with confidence that they will 

 not prove abortive ; and, when the possible result of 

 delay in making such preparation is seriously consid- 

 ered, delay seems inexcusable. For the most impor- 

 tant cities those whose destruction or capture would 

 be a national humiliation adequate defenses, inclu- 

 sive of guns, may be made by the gradual expendi- 

 ture of $60,000,000 ; a sum much less than a victori- 

 ous enemy could levy as a contribution. An appro- 

 priation of about one tenth of that amount is asked to 

 begin the work, and I concur with the Secretary of 

 War in urging that it be granted. 



The War Department is proceeding with the con- 

 version of 10-inch smooth-bore guns into 8-inch rifles, 

 by lining the former with tubes of forged steel or of 

 coiled wrought-iron. Fifty guns will be thus con- 

 verted within the year. This, however, does not ob- 

 viate the necessity of providing means for the con- 

 struction of guns of the highest power, both for the 

 purposes of coar>t defense and for the armament of 

 war-vessels. 



The report of the gun-foundry board, appointed 

 April 2, 1883, in pursuance of the act of March 3, 



1883, was transmitted to Congress in a special message 

 of February 18, 1884. In my message of March 26, 



1884, I called attention to the recommendation of the 

 board that the Government should encourage the pro- 

 duction at private steel-works of the required material 

 for heavy cannon, and that two Government factories, 

 one for the army and one for the navy, should be es- 

 tablished for the fabrication of guns from such ma- 

 terial. No action having been taken, the board was 

 subsequently reconvened to determine more fully the 

 plans and estimates necessary for carrying out its 



recommendation. It has received information which 

 indicates that there are responsible steel inunufactur- 

 ers in this country who, although not provided at 

 present with the necessary plant, are willing to con- 

 struct the same and to make bids for contract* with 

 the Government for the supply of the requisite mate- 

 rial for the heaviest guns adapted to modern warfare 

 if a guaranteed order of sufficient magnitude, accom- 

 panied by a positive appropriation extending over a 

 series of years, shall be made by Congress. Ail 

 doubts as to the feasibility of the plan being thus re- 

 moved, I renew my recommendation that such action 

 be taken by Congress as will enable the Government 

 to construct its own ordnance upon its own territory, 

 and so to provide the armaments demanded by con- 

 siderations of national safety and honor. 



The report of the Secretary of the Navy exhibits 

 the^progress which has been made on the new steel 

 cruisers authorized by the acts of August 5, 1882, and 

 March 3, 1883. Of the four vessels under contract, 

 one, the Chicago, of 4,500 tons, is more than half fin- 

 ished ; the Atlanta, of 3,000 tons, has been success- 

 fully launched, and her machinery is now fitting ; the 

 Boston, also of 3jOOO tons, is ready for launching ; and 

 the Dolphin, a dispatch steamer of 1,500 tons, is ready 

 for delivery. 



Certain adverse criticisms upon the designs of these 

 cruisers are discussed by the Secretary, who insists 

 that the correctness of the conclusions reached by the 

 advisory board and by the department has been "dem- 

 onstrated by recent "developments in ship-building 

 abroad. 



The machinery of the double-turreted monitors 

 Puritan, Terror, and Amphitrite, contracted for under 

 the act of March 3, 1883, is in process of construction. 

 No work has been done during the past year on their 

 armor for lack of the necessary appropriations. A 

 fourth monitor, the Monadnock, still remains unfin- 

 ished at the navy -yard in California. It is recom- 

 mended that early steps be taken to complete these 

 vessels, and to provide also an armament for the moni- 

 tor Miantonomoh. 



The recommendations of the naval advisory board, 

 approved by the department, comprise the construc- 

 tion of one steel cruiser of 4,500 tons, one cruiser of 

 3,000 tons, two heavily armed gunboats, one light 

 cruising gunboat, one dispatch-vessel armed with 

 Hotchkiss cannon, one armored ram, and three tor- 

 pedo-boats. The general designs, all of which are 

 calculated to meet the existing wants of the service, 

 are now well advanced, and the construction of the 

 vessels can be undertaken as soon as you shall grant 

 the necessary authority. 



The act of Congress approved August 7, 1882. au- 

 thorized the removal to the United States of the bod- 

 ies of Lieutenant-Commander George W. De Long 

 and his companions of the Jeannette expedition. This 

 removal has been successfully accomplished by Lieu- 

 tenants Harber and Schuetze. The remains were 

 taken from their grave in the Lena Delta hi March, 

 1883, and were retained at Yakutsk until the follow- 

 ing winter, the season being too far advanced to admit 

 of their immediate transportation. They arrived at 

 New York February 20, 1884, where they were re- 

 ceived with suitable honors. 



In pursuance of the joint resolution of Congress ap- 

 proved February 13, 1884, a naval expedition was fitted 

 out for the relief of Lieutenant A. W. Greely, United 

 States Army, and of the party who had been engaged 

 under his command in scientific observations at Lady 

 Franklin Bay. The fleet consisted of the steam-sealer 

 Thetis, purchased in England ; the Bear, purchased at 

 St. John's, Newfoundland ; and the Alert, which was 

 generously provided by the British Government. 

 Preparations for the expedition were promptly made 

 by the Secretary of the Navv, with the active co-oper- 

 ation of the Secretary of War. Commander George 

 W. Coffin was placed in charge of the Alert, and Lieu- 

 tenant William H. Emory in command of the Bear. 

 The Thetis was intrusted to Commander Winfield S. 



