The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-07
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.


Of the puIslic service.
The Navy at the present time consists Of the fol-
lowing number and description OF vessels One ship
Of l2O guns nine ships OF Tho line of 80 guns each
one razee OF 62 guns; twelve so gun frgates SO
gun frigate two As gun irigates eleven first class
sleeps of war of ~ guns each; tnree % gun soops
five 10 gun soops two sloops for sore-ships, guns
each. There are also four first class sloops the
stocks nearly ready for launching. Eleven 10 gun
briggs and schooners; three ditto used sore-ships,
and one Tor receiving vessel at Charleston The
steamship Mississippi of ~ guns, the Fulton Of 3
guns the Princeton (Ercson's propeleD OF ~ guns,
The Union OF guns, with Hunters submerged
wheels) the Ponsett OF guns, and an iron steamer,
the Michigan, of guns, nearly ready to launch on
Lake Erie. There likewise four small schooners
employed as packets rece wing vessels In all sew
enly-sx vessels of the various descriptions.
The w ashington, 80 gun ship, has been broken up
the last year and the irgate Hudson is unfit TO repair
The soop Concord "a guns, was lost in the Mozam-
bque channel, on the eastern coast OF Africa, on the
ID Of October, le42. The Commander, William
Buerum, the Purser, b. 4. Hart, and James Davis,
an ordinary seaman, were drowned, while crossing
the bar the mouth Of Lorsngo river, in the Cap
tain's gig The surviving officers and crew were con-
yeyed in vessel chartered for the purpose TO Rio ia
NERO, and thence 10 the United States.
regret report that the schooner Grampus has not
been heard from since he lilh of March last when
she OF Charleston s. c., and Is supposed to have
been lost with all hands in some OF the severe gales
which occurred abou, that time.
Of the steamship Missouri This frgate departed
ly in August 10, the purpose Of conveying the Com
missioner for China, The Hon. Caleb Cushing to
Alexandra, in Egypt en- route TO the Court OF Pekin
While che laying in the harbor of Gibraltar, into
which port she had put for the pu pose of reenis hing
her fuel she took fire on the evening of the Goth Of
August and the utmost exerlions OF her officers and
men, during the trying and Perlous event, were un-
avaing ia exunguishing the flames; and TINS Costly
ship an ornament the Navy, was entirely destroy
cd. The larger part OF her officers and men have
reached the Unit, States in ship chartered bring
them home Her commander, Captain Newton, re-
MAINS with portion of her force, TO secure what can
be recovered from the wreck All the accounts OF this
disaster concur in representing the officers AMI
having made the utmost exeItIons To cat Dgush the
flames; and that their conduct during this periIous
Period, when an explosion of the magazine was mo-
me ntarily expected, marked by great GOODNESS
and intrepdity Captain Ncwton's official report
copy Of Which is hereto appended, having been laid
before YOU further Investigations into the causes of
this loss post oncd until after his return.
The ship Franklin requiring heavy repairs has been
laid up at the Charleston Yard, awaiting more fav
orabe season for prosecuting such work The razse
Independence has been ordered to the yard for
like purpose. The Constitution friaa,e at Norfolk,
and the siooL-of war Yorktown, nt New York,
undergoing repairs, preparatory 10 sea service. The
brig Dolphin, at Norfolk, is awaiting repairs.
Inquiries instituted early in the sumner as TO
the cost of building an iron steamer of about loco
TONS at burg, with Hunters submerged wheels
and IN the execution oil tofs pan contract was en-
tered into early in October, with Messrs. Tonlinson
g. Co., for building it at definite price per pound,
and the whole cost not to exc ed, in any event,
s so 600 with guarantee OF speed at the rate OF
nine miles per hour, from her steam power, in smooth
wafer.
Some months since an order was given 10 build
small iron steamer at the Washington Navy Yard,
on Hunters plan, to be artly OF galvanized iron
but ing the heavy drafts upon the appropriation,
for other imposes, that work is now suspended,
Inc, vpciinr uvsre ols Utypp in mil last he
building of six soops of war of the larges, class
two of which have been launched and the ohers are
on the stocks nearly ready for launchiog The work
on of these has been suspended for the present.
In addition these sloops the stocks there OF
the vessels previously named constituting par of
the naval force the following the stocks, viz the
Vermont and Virginia, 80 guns each, at Boston, the
Alab ana, 80 guns, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
the New York, 30 guns, at Norfolk the Sanlee fri
gate, 81 guns at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and
the frigate SSbiEe, 50 guns, at New York.
The vessels ailoat ave been employed during the
past year follows; In the Home Squadron, the
razee Independ nee, commanded 10y Captain String
ham until May, and since that time by Captain Me-
Kecver; the slnop Falmouth, Commanded by Com
mander J. Mcintosh up to Angus, when he was re-
lie,ed by Commander J. r. Sands; the soop Vim
cennes commanded by Commander +. Buchanan
the .oop Vaudalia, commanded by Commander w
j. McCluney, who was relieved in Consequence ofill
health in September, and succeeded 10y Commander
j. :. Chsuncey; the brig Do phin, commanded Ivy
Commander J. ID. knight who was r. lIe,ed in Oc-
| tuber by Commander ~ Bruce the brig Somers,
commanded by Lieut.. J. w. West; the brig Boxer,
co umanded by Lieut. o Bollu- the brig BalnbriJge,
mmanded by Lieut. Il. F. Johnson, who was re-
ie,el in September, and succeeded by Commander
J. Madison; AID the schooner Grampus, Lieut.. A.
T. Downes the whole VI DIR the command Of Com
modore Charles Stewart. The cruising ground OF
this Squadron extends from the Banks Of Ncwound-
land to the River Anaznp, and includes Ire Gulf Of
Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Ia IN y..l.t ftt1
PREVIOUS gcmen., an exchange Of commands has
taken place between Commodore. Morris and Nor
gan.
Commodore Morris sailed fro the cast OF Brazil
in The Delaware seventy-four, Captain &. =. McCsu-
lry on the 18th of February and arrived IN he Me-
d erranenn on the oh of April, when the command
Of the Mediterranean Squadron was uansfentd To
him by Commodore Morgan, aud the latter sailed 10
June with the Columbus seventy four, Captain b.
Cooper, for the Coast of Bre1l. The frga,e Con-
press, Captain p. F. VOORHEES, has been employed Ia
the Mediterranean during The whole year, and IS eK
pecie sail 10 January next for Brazil TO interchange
with the ffigae Columbia, Capt. T.. H. Shubrlck, now
on that station. TIL, slcup Fairfield, commanded by
Commander A. Bi,eow during part of he year, and
subsequently Ivy Commander s w Downing, has
also teen attach TO the Mediterranean SOU ,dton.
Tbs vessel III return TO the United States u, on The
arrival out of the soop Of war Plymouth now
abou, to sail under the command Of Commander IL
Henry. The sloop Prcble Commander s. b VIII
SON. having finished her cruise In the Mediterranean
arr we'd at B, son he 3l,t Of ,ust and is ready
again for The sloop Lexington has been en-
ploysI as store ship cor this squadron. She has
mado one voyage with provisions and stores and
is now on her second trip
The term of Commodore NORRIS comman nd having
EXPIRED Commodore Joseph SIN tn has been selected
10 succeed him, and has sailed for the Mediterranean
in he new lriestc Gu pberIand, Captain 5 L. Breesr
which vessel will be The Il x ship oi the squadron.
Up m the arrival out Of the Cumberland Commodore
Morris will return to the United States in the Della
ware, seventy-iour.
The cruising ground of this squadron embraces
the Med euaDran sa
In the b ALL squadron, in addition 10 the Della
ware seveny-four, there have been employed the fri