The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-12-10
Report OF the Secretary of the Navy.

Report OF the Secretary of the Navy.
| rt l NAVY DEPARTMENT, Nov. 25, 1913.
SIR IL have the honor to present to you the an
nual Report of the condition and operations of this
| Department of the public service.
The Navy at the present time consists of the following
number and description of vessels One ship of 40 guns
ships of the line Of 80 guns each one razee Of ~
guns twelve 81 gun frgates one so gun igate two as
each three % gun sloops; gun soops sioops
for store ships guns each There are also four first class
sloops on the stocks nearly ready for launching Eleven
ships and one for receiving vessel at Charleston The
steamship Mississippi of 10 guns the Fulton offs the
guns with Huter's submerged wheels the Ponsett of
guns and iron steamer the Michigan of guns near
y ready to launch Lake Erie There arc likewise four
small schooners employed packets receiving vessels
In ALL seventysix vessels of the various descriptions
Ihe n ~ gun s mas Dsfn up
| sloop Concord 81 guns was lost in the Mozambique
channel the eastern coast of Africa the 2nd of De-
tober, 1872 The Commander William Boerum, the Pur-
SER B. f. Hart, and James Davis, ordinary seaman,
drowned while crossing the bar at the mouth Of Lo
range river in the Captains gig The surviving officers
and convey chartered for the pur-
pose Rio Janeiro and thence to the United States
regret to report that the schooner Grampus has not
been heard from since the l4h of March last when she
was of Charleston s. Co. and is supposed to have been
lost with all hands in some of the severe gales which
the unpleasant duty of reporting the loss OF
the steamship Missouri This frgate departed early in
August for the purpose of conveying the Commissioner
for China, the Hon. Caleb Cushing TO Alexandria, in
Egypt, route to the Court OF Pekn. While she
/
put for the purpose of replenhng her fuel she took fire
the evening Of the Goth Of August and the utmost
ertons of her officers and men, during the trying and
perilous event, unavailing in extnguishng the
ames and this costly ship an ornament to the navy
men have reached the United States 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 dis
aser in representing the officers and hav
ing made the utmost exertons to evtngaish the flames;
and that their conduct during this perous period when
an explosion of the magazine momentary expected
was marked by great GOODNESS and nrepdity Captain
Newtons official report copy of which is hereto append
ed having laid before further Investigations
the Of this loss postponed until after his return
The ship Franklin requiring heavy repairs, has been
season for prosecuting such work. The ndepen-
The Constitution frigate Norfolk and the sloopoiwar
Yorktown, at New York, undergoing repairs pre-
paraory to service The brig Dolphin at Norfolk is
Inquiries instituted early in the the
cost Of building iron steamer of about thousand
tons, at Pttsburg with Hunters submerged wheels and
in the execution of this plan contract entered into
early in October with Messrs Tomnson Co.. for build
am a With
speed at the rate Of nine miles per hour from her
| power, in smooth water ~.
Some months since order given to build small
iron steamer at the Washington Navy Yard, Hunters
pan to be partly Of galvanized iron but owing to the
heavy drafts upon the appropriation Tor other purposes
Instructions also given in April last for the build
ing of sloops of largest class two OF which
have been launched and the others are on the stocks
nearly ready for launching The work two Of these
has been suspended for the present In addition to these
soops the stocks there of the vessels previously
named as constituting apart ofthe naval force the follow
ing the stocks viz the Vermont and Virginia. 80 guns
New Hampshire the New York. 90 guns, at Norfolk ;
the Santee frigate 50 guns at Portsmouth, New Hamp
SHIRE and the frigate Sabine, 81 guns, at New York.
The vessels aoa have been employed during the past
year follows In the Home Squadron, the indie
ms ed y aptn am until
mouth, commanded by Commander Mcintosh up to Au-
gust when he was relieved by Commander j. r. Sands
| the sloop vncennes, commanded by CommanderF. Bu-
chanan the soop Vandaa, commanded by Commander
McCluney, who was relieved consequence of i'll
health in September and succeeded by Commander
Chauncey the brig Dolphin, commanded by Commander
d. Knight, who relieved in October by Commander
II. Bruce; the brig Somers, commanded by Lieut. j. w
West the brig Boxer, commanded by Lieut. o. Bullus
the brig Bainbridge commanded by Lieut. T. f. John
mander j. Mattison and the schooner Grampus, Lieut.
Z. Downes the whole underline command ofCommodore
extends from the Banks Of newfoundland to the River
Amazon and includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Carb
| bean Sea. .,.I fli., I...f f.t I'D. dos
In the Mediterranean squadron confomably with pre.
vous arrangements exchange of commands has taken
place between Commodores Morris and Morgan.
Commodore Morris sailed from the Coast of Brazil in
the Delaware seventy four Capt c. $. McCauley the
10th Of Februar and arrived in the Mediterranean the
9th Of April when the command of the Mediterranean
squadron transferred to him by Commodore Morgan
and the latter sailed in June with the Columbus seventy
four Capt Cooper, for the coast of Brazil The frgae
Congress- Captain P. F. Voorhees, has been employed
the Mediterranean during the whole year. and is expected
to sail in January next for Brazil to Interchange with the
ton The sioop Fairfield, commanded by Commander A
during bart Of the year and BY
Mediterranean squadron. This vessel will to the
United States upon the arrival out fthe sloop Of
Plymouth now about to sail under the command of Com
| mander H. Henry. The sloop Prebe, Commander S.
Wilson, having finished her cruise in the Mediterranean
arrived Boston the 3st of August and is ready again
for sea. The sloop Lexington has been employed
store ship for this squadron She has made
with provisions and sores and is now on her second trip
The term of Commodore Morris's command having ex-
PRED Commodore Joseph Smith has been selected
coed him. and has sailed for the Mediterranean in the
igate Cumberland Capt s. L. Breese; which vessel will
be the flag ship Of the squadron Upon the arrival out OF
the Cumberland, Commodore Morris will return to the
United States in the Delaware seventyio
The cruzing ground Of this squadron embraces the Me
| In the Brazil squadron, in addition to the Delaware
seventyfour there have been employed the frgae Co
lumbia, Captain L. r. Shubrick the soop John Adams
Commander Conover the sloop Decatur, Commander
Farragut whichvesel returned to the United States
in command Of Lieut. j. NJ Watson. Commodore Nor
gan arrived at Rio dc Janero in the Columbus seventy
wh hSd ne s
nm IN the command OF the squadron This latter vessel
turn to the United States upon the arrival out Of the fri
gate Rarita now preparing for sea under the
Pendergras has sailed from Boston relieve the John
| Adams.
The brig Pioneer lately used az receiving vessel at
Baltimore is now fitting out at Norfolk as storeshp for
this squadron Lieut. Shaw has been ordered to command
| her.
The cruising ground of this squadron extends from the
mouth Of the River Amazon to Cape Horn, along the
Equator eastward to the southwestern boundary Of the
African station, Cape Negro thence along the
Africa to the Cape OF Good Hope.
The Pacific squadron at the commencement Of the year,
consisted of the frgate United States Captain James
Armstrong the soop Cyane Commander Stribling the
sloop Yorktown. Commander Nicholas the sloop Dale
Commander Dornin the schooner Shark Lieut. Eagle
and the storeship Relief Lieut. Serct The whole under
| the command of Commodore Thomas APP G. Jones' On
the oath of January Commodore Jones recalled and
Commodore Al dallas ordered to him the com.
mand Of the squadron. Commodore Dallas sailed from
Norfolk the soop Vandaa for Chagres arrived at
Caao the latter part of July On the 9Th Of August
he had not met with Commodore Jones' who absent
| on cruise to the Sandwich Islands.
The Yorktown returned home on the ID of August and
the Dale the 10th Of October having board the re-
mains of Commodore A. Claxton who died while in COM
mand othe SQUADRON The places of these vessels hive