The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-12-08
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.


|
! n,ent of the pubic service. Ifr
Il The Navy at the present time consists Of the foi-
loving number and description OF vessels; One ship
of 100 guns nine ships OF the line Of 80 guns each
one of 62 guns; twelve 81 gun fnsaes one oo
gun frgate two As gun rigates eleven first class
sloops OF war of % guns each rec ~ gun sloops
five l6 gun sloops two soops Tor storesh'ps, guns
each. There aIe also four first class sloops on The
stocks nearly ready for launching. Eleven ~ gun
briggs and sch oners three ditto used as slere-shlps'
and one for a receiving vessel at Charleston Tie
steamship Mississippi OF y guns, the Fulton OF .
guns the Princeton (Ercson's propeller) oil ~ guns.
The Union of guns, with Hunlei's submerged
Wheels the Poinselt Of guns and an IRON STEAMER
the Michigan, of d guns, nearly ready 10 'auncn on
| Lake Erie. There are likewise four snail schnoners
employed as packets rece wing vessels In an sew
| eniy-six vessels of The various descriptions
| The w ash ngtun 80 gun ship, has been broken up
the last year. and the gale Hudson IS unh to repair
The sIoop Concord "a guns, was lost IN the Mozam-
bioue channel on the eastern of Africa on the
I'd of October 1912. The Commander, William
Boerum the Purser, B. F. Hart and James DAVIS
an ordinary seaman, were drowned, While crossing
the bar a. the mouth of Lorango river, in the Cap
tans gig. The surviving officers and crew were con-
veyed vessel chartered for the purpose 10 ho ia
nero and thence TO the United States
regret 10 report that the schooner Grampus has net
been heard from since he l4th OF March last, when
she was off Charleston s. c., and is supposed to have
been lost with ali hands in some OF the severe gales
which occurred about that time.
have also the unplea ant duty of reporting the loss
of the steamship Missouri his frigate departed ear
ly in August, fol the purpose ct CONVEYING me Noh
missioner for China The Hon. Caleb Gushing, To
Alexandria in Egypt en- route to Tue courl .. rsha
While che was laying in the harbor OF Gibraltar INTO
which port she had put for the pun pose OF
her fuel she took fire on the evening OF tile 10Th oil
I August and the utmost exerons OF her oihcers ana
men, during the trying and peiiious went were oh-
ayajIing in extingu- hing The fames and this cost
| IN he
ed The larger part of her officers and men have
reached the United States in ship chartered % bring
them home Her commander, Captain Newton, re-
mains, with portion her force to secure what can
be recovered from the wreck All the accounts of his
disaster concur ia representing the officers ana crew
as aving made the utmost exerons 10 ext
flames and that their conduct during this peri'ous
erod, when an explosion OF the magazine wa1 mo-
mentarily expected, was marked by great cooiasss
and intrepdiry. Captain Newton's official report a
copy of which is hereto appended, having been laid
before you further Investigations into the causes OF
this loss are post oned until after his return.
The ship franklin requiring heavy repairs has been
laid up at the Charleston Yard, awaiting more iav-
orable season for cuting such work The race
Independence has been ordered to The yard for
like purpose The Constitution frigate at Norfolk,
and The soop-ef war Yorktown, at New York, are
undergoing repairs, preparatory TO sea service ne
brig Dolphin, at Norfolk, l. awaiting repairs
INQUIRIES were instituted early IN the sumner as TO
| he Gust of building an iron steamer Of about 1000
tons at Pittsburg with Hunters submerged wheels
and in the execution Of this plan contract was en-
tered into, early in October, with Messrs Iom''nson
| & Co.. for building it al definite price per pouhd'
| and The whole cost not to exc ed, in any eveot,
s so 600 with guarantee OF speed at the rate OF
nine miles per hour from her steam power, In smooth
water 80
| Some months since an order given to build a
! small iron steamer at the Washington Navy Yard,
on Hunters plan TO be arlly of galvanized iron
| RI f,s
| for other purposes, that work is now suspended
| Instructions also given IN ApIil last TO- The
building of six sloops of war of the largest class
two of which have been launched and the Others are
on the stocks nearly ready for launching. The WORK
on two of these has been suspended for the present
In addition to these soops on the stocks there are
the vessels previously named as constituting par o
the avail force the following on the stocks, VIZ; th
Vermont and Virgins, 80 guns each, at Boston; III
Alabama 90 guns, al PORT mou;h, New Hampshire
the New York, 80 guns, at Norfolk the Sance FRI
cate So guns at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, an,
the friyate Sabine, SO guns, at New York
The vessels snoat ave been employed during the
pas, wear as follows In The Home Squadron, The
razee Indeps nd, nee commanded ly Captain String
ham until May, and since that time 10y Captain Nc
Keever; The s1oop Falmouth commanded by Com
ma nder J. Mcintosh up to Angus, when he ~as re-
lieved by Commando J. K. Sands; the sloop Vim
| cenpes commanded by Commander F. Buchanan
the sloop Vandalia, commanded by Commander w
/ j. McCiuney who was relieved in consoq lence ofill
| health in September, and succeeded by Commander
J. 5. Chsuncey the brig phln, commanded by
| Commander j. ID. Knight, who was relieved IN Dc
tiher by Commander II. 3 truce the brig Somers,
commanded by Lieut.. ]. w. West the brig Boxer,
co nn,anded by Lieut.. o Buus; the brig Banbfdse,
commanded by Lieut.. T.. F. Johnson, mo was ro-
| lieved in September and succeeded by Commander
J. Madison; and the schooner Grampus, Leu. a
T. Downes; the hoe uLdrr The command OF Com
modore Charles Stewart. The cruising ground o
this Squadron extends from the Banks IF Newfound
land to the River Amazon, and includes The Oun o
Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
In the MedteuaDea an Squads on, onfJrmably VIII
previous arrau gements, exchange of commands ha
taken place between Commodore MOTIFS anu MOI
gan. -,
: Commodore Morris sailed fro the Coast OF Braz
in the Delaware seventy-four Captain G. 5. McCeu
v on the 18th Of February, and arrived IN The Me
di; erranean on the Oh of April, when the comman
of the Mediterranean Squadron Transferred L
him 10y Commodore Morgan, and the latter sailed u
: June 18th the Columbus seventy-iour, Captain
Cooper, for The Coast OF BrozL The frigaie Con
rress Captain z. F VOORHEES, has been employed u
the Mediierra mean during The whole year, and is
pcced 10 ssIl in January for Brazil 10 n,erchang
with the friaate Columbia, Capt. f. II. Shubnck nov
on that station. ! he sloup Fairfield commanded b,
Commander A. Bigelow during part Of the year, am
e subsequently, by Commander S w. Downing, ha
also been atache TO the Mediterranean SOU idron-
This vessel will return to the United States u on lh
! arrival ou Of the new sloop of war Plymouth, nov
: about 10 sail under the command of Commander II
Henry. The sloop Preble, Commander 5. b. Wi
son, having finished her cruise IN the Mediterranean
srryrd at b, son he 3l- OF Au Just, and is read
: again for sea. The sloop Lexington has been en-
pnyeI az store ship for this squadron. Sao ho
made one voyage with provisions and stores, an
is now on her second trip.
The term OF Commodore Morriss command havn
expired, Commodore Joseph SIN til has been selecte
to succeed him. aud has SAILED for the Mederranea
: in he rgsle Cumberland, Captain L. Breese
which vessel will be the flag ship Of the squsdion-
a Upon the arrival out of the Cumberland, Commodor
: Morris will return 10 the United States in the Della
i ware, seventy-four.
j. The cruising ground Of this squadron embrace
the Mediterranean s,a.
In the BAIL squadron in addition to the Della
ware seyeptyfour, there have been employ ed the fri
gate Columbia, Captain f. K. Shubrick the sloo
John Adams, Commander Conover; The sloop Deca
: tor, Commander Fausgui, which vessel returned t
y the nited States the 18th Of February; and III
= schooner Enterprize, now in conmand Of Lieut..