'Tacoma:

Construction and repair.
Steam engineering--.
Equipment
Ordnance

Total

$150,000 40,000

20, 000

210,000

2. The cost of repairs under all bureaus on the following vessels, while not exceeding a total of $200,000, will, it is estimated, exceed 20 per cent of the cost of new vessels of the same sizes and material, and, under the provisions of the naval appropriation act approved March 3, 1907, special authority of Congress will be required for their overhauling.

Concord.-General overhauling under all bureaus, including the installation of new boilers by the Bureau of Steam Engineering and work in connection therewith under the other bureaus; miscellaneous alterations and improvements absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

The Concord was originally commissioned February 14, 1891, and after general overhauling was recommissioned September 16, 1905. Her boilers will require renewal prior to the expiration of the fiscal year 1910, and at that time she should also have a general overhauling under the bureaus other than steam engineering. The vessel is a gunboat and of excellent design for service in the Caribbean Sea and the Philippines; and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is deemed to be justified.

Yorktown.-General overhauling under all bureaus, including the installation of new boilers by the Bureau of Steam Engineering and work in connection therewith under the other bureaus; miscellaneous alterations and improvements absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

The Yorktown was originally commissioned April 23, 1889, and after general overhauling was recommissioned October 1, 1906. Her boilers will require renewal prior to the expiration of the fiscal year 1910, and at that time she should also have a general overhauling under the bureaus other than Steam Engineering. The vessel is a gunboat, and of excellent design for service in the Caribbean Sea and the Philippines, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is deemed to be justified.

Elcano.-General overhauling under all bureaus made necessary by the long service of the vessel since she was last generally over

hauled; such improvements and alterations as are absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

This vessel was captured during the Spanish-American war, and last commissioned, after general overhauling, November 20, 1902. She is a valuable vessel for service in the Philippines, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is believed to be fully warranted. Paragua.-General overhauling under all bureaus made necessary by the long service of the vessel since she was last generally overhauled; such improvements and alterations as are absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

This vessel was captured during the Spanish-American war and last commissioned, after general overhauling, February 13, 1904. She is a valuable vessel for service in the Philippines, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is believed to be fully warranted.

Quiros.-General overhauling under all bureaus made necessary by the long service of the vessel since she was last generally overhauled; such improvements and alterations as are absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

This vessel was captured during the Spanish-American war and last commissioned, after general overhauling, September 22, 1904. She is a valuable vessel for service in the Philippines, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is believed to be fully warranted. Rodgers.-General overhauling under all bureaus, including the installation of new boilers by the Bureau of Steam Engineering and the work in connection therewith under the other bureaus; miscellaneous improvements and alterations absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the ship.

The Rodgers was originally commissioned in April, 1898, and was again commissioned, after partial overhauling, in June, 1905. Her boilers are now in such condition as to require renewal, and in connection therewith a general overhauling is desirable.

Rainbow.-General overhauling under all bureaus, made necessary by long-continued service as flagship of the squadron commander of the Third Squadron of the Pacific Fleet and as distilling ship for the squadron; miscellaneous improvements and alterations absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the ship, including such minor alterations as may be necessary to fit her for service as mother ship for the torpedo flotilla on the Pacific coast.

Estimated cost:

Construction and repair.

Steam engineering.

Equipment

Total

$110,000 25,000

5, 000

140, 000

The Rainbow was purchased during the Spanish-American war and was fitted out for her present service in 1901, being commissioned December 1 of that year. She is a valuable ship for distilling, transport, or supply purposes, and is also capable of being fitted up at moderate expense for use as a mother boat for torpedo flotillas, for which purpose she has been designated by the department in recent orders.

Supply.-General overhauling under all bureaus made necessary by a long period of service as station ship at the island of Guam; miscel laneous improvements and alterations absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel and for her continued service as station ship at the island mentioned.

Estimated cost:

Construction and repair.
Steam engineering..

Equipment

Total

$100,000 25, 000 5,000

130, 000

This vessel was purchased during the Spanish-American war and was fitted out as station ship at Guam, being commissioned for that service August 1, 1902. Since that date she has had but minor current repairs and is now in need of a general overhauling. She is a valuable vessel for station-ship, transport, or supply-ship purposes, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated is believed to be fully

warranted.

Yankee.-General overhauling under all bureaus, including repairs due to grounding on Hen and Chickens Reef in September; miscellaneous improvements and alterations absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessel.

The Yankee was recently overhauled, but the damages due to her grounding must be repaired; also, incidental damage due to the access of water to her compartments while aground and to wrecking operations; also, such repairs as are rendered necessary by wear and tear since she was last commissioned. She is a valuable vessel for transport, mother boat, or supply-ship purposes, and the expenditure of the amounts estimated are believed to be warranted.

3. The cost of repairs under all bureaus to the tug Lincoln, a wooden vessel, are estimated to amount to a total of more than 10 per cent of the cost of a similar ship of the same size and design and of like material. Special authority of Congress for such repairs will therefore be necessary.

This vessel was purchased by the department in July, 1907, for service at California City Point, for which purpose her size and design render her suitable. The estimates given above are based on a survey actually held, and the expenditures are necessary for placing her in condition for continued service.

4. The naval appropriation act approved May 13, 1908, authorized the expenditure under the bureaus of Steam Engineering and Construction and Repair of $55,000 for repairs on each of the vessels Nicholson and O'Brien. This work to include the renewal of boilers and a general overhauling, together with such alterations and improvements as were absolutely necessary for the safety and efficiency of the vessels. Revised surveys since received indicate that this amount is sufficient for the total repairs to the vessels, although the present estimates indicate that the amount previously allowed for work under the Bureau of Steam Engineering will be exceeded, and that a small amount will be necessary for the Bureau of Equipment, whose needs were not previously provided for. The estimates of the amounts required under the cognizance of the Bureau of Construction and Repair have been reduced, so that the surplus under that bureau will be sufficient to cover the additional needs of the other bureaus. The amounts already authorized by Congress are, therefore, sufficient if the department redistributes the total amount among the bureaus in accordance with the actual surveys which have been made since the matter was first reported to Congress.

5. The estimates for the Elcano, Paragua, Quiros, and Lincoln, as given above, are based on surveys actually received, a moderate percentage being added to cover unforeseen contingencies. All of the other vessels are in commission, and, with the exception of the Maine and Alabama, are not available for survey. The Maine and Alabama have been surveyed, but the estimates under such surveys are not yet available. The estimates as given above for all the vessels, except the Elcano, Paragua, Quiros, and Lincoln, are, in view of the circumstances above stated, approximate, and are based on previous experience in the overhauling of similar vessels.

6. Total of the estimates above submitted:

Construction and repair__.

Steam engineering

Equipment

Ordnance

$2,514, 500

1,035, 000

525, 000

80, 000

Grand total

4, 154, 500

7. Attention is invited to the fact that the repairs to the vessels herein named do not involve additional appropriations over and

above those submitted in the annual reports of the several bureaus. Such repairs as can be undertaken during the fiscal year 1910 can be made from the current appropriations, if the amounts estimated by the various bureaus in their annual reports are appropriated, and the accompanying statement of probable expenditures is submitted in compliance with the specific requirement contained in the act making appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1908, and with the department's memorandum of the 5th instant, above referred to.

The following estimates for work requested on various vessels during the fiscal year 1908 were specifically recommended to the department for disapproval: