The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-10
THE ANNUAL REPORT
OF
SECRETARY CE TEE NAVY.

During the past year the ST. Lawrence, frigate of
have been launched The shores we'll "a the lower
tmbers OF the frigate found on exam nation, to
be so decayed by the long time she had been the
stocks that security would have required repairs
at large cost and it deemed omca to launch
her She has been put in commission, and is a spen.
did addition to the Navy The old ship house in the
Boston yard, which covered the Vermont, stood
near the boundary line of the pubic grounds, that
tie experienced officers in charge of the bureau Of
struction, andin command of the yard concurred in
the opinion officially communicated that the ship md
the valuable public property in the yard exposed
to danger destruction by fire from the contiguous
private buildings satisfied that If the shiphouse
had taken the ship could not have been saved.
The admirable stone docks it would have been de-
stroyed and public property Of the value of several
same fate and therefore that ship should
be launched and secured from injury untl the wants
the services would require her to be fitted for
This has been done the ship house has been taken
down and the materials used for other purposes
The construction of the four steamships of war au
thorzed by the act OF Congress OF Sd of March, 1S4
is in satisfactory state of progress The Saranac,
built the navy yard at Kittery has been launched
iadelphia the San Jaointo at New York, may be
launched ready for in the of the next
year. In the models and construction of thsse
steamers and manufacture of their engines and
machinery, great has been taken in the skiful
execution OF the work. and in careful Inspection by
competent officers make them worthy of the SERVICE
and doubt not they will fully meet the expectation
40 an addition to our naval force have been
liberal, and the officers, mechanics and constructors
have exerted themselves to prove that we can be as
successful in the construction Of steamships war,
we have been in the sailing OF the navy.
There unfinished en- the stocks at the several
navy yards four ships of the rate of ~ guns and
frgates of forty four guns They securely shelter
ed, and it has not been considered judcious con-
sent with the interest of the service to launch them
They completion that they be readily
launched and fitted for service on the shortest
tce, public exgencies shall require. The vessels in
commission during the past year have been employed
follows
In the Pacific the shps-of theliu Ohio and Column
bus frgate Congress- sloops Ports
mouth, Warren, Cyane, Dale and Preba, with the
store ships Erie, Lexington and Southampton. The
Of Commodore Biddie arrived in the United States on
the 18th March last, and placed in ordinary. The
frgate Congress, Capt Lavalette, having been in
mission than three years. has been ordered home
and may be expected to arrive in the coming spring
The Portsmouth, Commander Montgomery, arrived in
the United States on the 5th May last, and
again ready for sea. The Cyane, Commander Dupont,
arrived at Norfolk the 9th October last and has bsen
placed in ordinary. In the month of May last, the
Preble, Commander Glynn, sailed from the West
Coast with orders to take to China Commodore Gels
senger, Commander of the East India squadron, and
after having performed this service to return to her
station. The sloop st. Mary, Commander Crownin-
join the Pacific squadron
With view to the regular supply Of the squadron in
Of nvads or men whose time of enlistment may have
expired, and who desire to come home, orders
given months since that one of the three
chips attached to that squadron shall SAIL her
turn to the U nited States, semisnnuay Under this
arrangeme mt, one will be with the squadron,
her way home, and one will be going out with fresh
troops
Il. Lieutenant
Comman ding McBsir has sailed to the Mediterranean
by the Cape de Verbs with stores for the African and
Mediterranean squadrons and the Fredona. Lieuten-
ant. Commanding Neville, has sailed from New York
for the Pacific.
When Commodore Biddle left the station he was
In the command of his squadron by Commo-
dore Shubrick, and he relieved at his own request
by Commodore Thomas Ap Cstssby Jones, who
sumsd command in the month of May last. Com
updore Shubrick was authorized by the Department
II detach himself from the squadron, and return home
across the Isthmus but deemed it to his duty to
n n n q
cruise to the Sandwich, Feejee and other islands in
the Pacific where the presence OF q shp.of.war was
considered of great Importance to the interest OF
American commerce. The Independence may be ex-
peced to reach the United States early in the spring
of the next year.
The home squadron continued under the command
of Commodore Perry until the goth Nov. last when
his request to be relieved Of the command duties
OF which had been very arduous and satisfactorily
command. During the past year the squadron con-
sisted O. the frgate Cumberland; soops Albany,
John Adams, Georgetown and Saratoga of the
steamers Mississippi Spitfre, Vixen. Scorpion, Wa
ter.witch, Sceurge. Iris Petrits Of the schooners
Refer Petrel, Bonito, Flrt, Mahenes, Falcon and
Tappico and of the bomb vessels Esns, Stromboli,
Vesuvius and Hecla, with the store ships Relief and
Electra.
The frigate Cumberland bearing the pennsnt of
Commodore Perry, arrived ia New York in July last,
with considerable number OF of fever beard
and, finding that it did abate, but assumed more
malignant type, it was deemed unsafe to send her
again into the tropics until she could be thoroughly
broken out In oola cn m Sne mas oeen put In
her place in the squadron. The John Adams, Com
mander Adams, arrived at Boston in September last,
and is undergoing repairs. The steamer Mississippi,
Commander Macken ze returned to the United States
in April, and undergoing repairs Of her hull and
The Petrita wrecked in the Gulf of Mexico The
Water witch and the Iris at sea- The store ship
donna to the Pacific The other steamers and vessels
have been sold and the proceeds paidinto
vic. in the Quiz Of Mexico during the war and were
mot suitable to general naval purposes.
In the squaoron on tne coast OF AFRICA, commanded
by Commodore Bolton the sloops Jamestown. Com
mander Mercer; Portsmouth, Commander Arm,trong;
Decatur, Commander Barne; and briggs Boxer Lieut.
Commanding Bell; Porpoise, Commander Gordon, and
Bainbridge Commander Slaughter, have been
ployed. Commodore Cooper sailed in the soop York
town. Commander Marsten, the I'D November,
with orders relieve Commodore Bolton, In command
OF the squadron. The Boxer arrived in Philadelphia,
in May last, and being condemned, survey as un-
worthy Of repair, sold. Commodore Bolton has
ORDERS the arrival of his relief to proceed in the
Jamestown add relieve Commodore Read in command
OF the naval forces Of the nited States in the Med
terranean Sea.
There have been employed, during the year. in the
Mediterranean, under Commodore Reed, the frigate
United States, Captain Smoot; sloop Marion, Com
mander Smons; steamer Princeton, Commanaer En-
Hunter with the store ship Supply, Lieuten ant Com
mandipg J. Lynch. The Marion having finished her
cruise arrived at Boston In the month OF September
the steamer Allegheny Lieutenant Com ma nding W.
w. Hunter has been ordered from the Brazil station
to the Mediterranean; and the frgate Constt on,
Captain Gwynn has sailed for the station. On
the arrival CT his relief, Commodore Reed, having
finished long cruise on the coast OF Africa and in the
Mediterranean, has orders to return home In tho
frigate United States. In consequence of our being
compelled to discontinue the depot at Mshon IL be-
necessary to supply the squadron with stores,
by of storeships The storeship supply, Lieut..
Commanding Ly ncn, sent out with full cargo of
stores, In the month Of November 1871. Having de-
vcfed them to the several ships of the squadron from
time to time, they required she is on her return
home ana the Erie beer loading and sent out to
continue the service. Commodore Read has made a
temporary arrangement for landing stores, for the
squadron at Spezza There some objections to
this place depot, account Of its position and
in present very disturbed condition of Europe It
is uncertain VIII Their the arrangement will be perma
neptly continued.
ON the coast of Brazil, under command OF Commo
dore Storer, the frgate Brsndywne, Capt. Boremau,
the brig Perry, Lieut.. Commanding rnton, and the
steamer Allegheny. Lieut.. Commanding w. w. Hum