Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-19
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Report of the Secretary of the Navy.
Navy DEPARTMENT, December a, Is4

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Dst eT9osr q, 1915.
During the pas: year The 81. Lawrence a ri
| gaze OF The first class, ana he Vermont ship OF
the line have been launched
The construction OF the tour steamships nf war
authorized in the ACT ii Congress 81 of March,
1917, is in satisfactory stale OF progress. The
Saranac, built al The navy yard al kiltefy, has
been launched. The Po@hal;an al Norfolk, the
Susquehanna, al Philadelphia, the San Jacno al
New York, NAV be launched and ready for sea
IN The course Of the neti yraf.
There ere unhGisbe va the stocks a. The scgc-
raj Navy Yards, four ships Of he rate Of Il guns,
and Two iriga,es of ory-iour guns.
The vessels in commission during the pas, year
have been employed a follows:
In the Pacific, the ship-oi-the line Ohio and
Columbus, raZee Independence, irisate Congress,
| soops Portsmouth, Warren, Cyane, Dale and
Preble, with the store ships Erie, Lexington and
| Southampton. The Columbus, Capt Wyman,
bearing The broad penant OF Commodore Biddle,
arrived in The United States on the 18th OF March
last, and was placed in ordinary The lrisae
Congress, Capt. Lavale,te having been in com.
mission more than three years, has been ordered
nome, and may be expected 10 arrive in the COM
| ing spring. The Portsmouth Commander Mont
sonery, arrived in The urled States III The 5 h u
My las, and was soon again ready for sea. :
The C,ane, Commander Dupont, arrived al Nor
ordinary IL he month Ct Nay la, he Pfebe,
Commander Glynn sailed from The Yves; Coast,
with ordets 10 lake 10 China, Commodore Gels
seneer, Commander ot the East Inta squadron,
and afer having performed this service 10 return
10 her station. The sloop S.. Mary Commander
Corwins.ields, on the llth April last, sailed
from Norfolk 10 join The Pacific squadron.
The Erie has come home and under Lieuren-
AMI Commanding McBIair, has sailed 10 The Me-
duerTanean by the Cape de Verbs, with stores Tor
the African and Mediterranean sQuadrons, and
The Fredonia, Lienlenan-commanding Neville
has sailed from New York I 7 The Pacific.
When Commodore Biddie leil the station he
was succeeded in The command ui his squadron b.
Commodore Snub:ick, ard n vas relieved al hi
own request BY Commodore Thomas Ap Cafes
by Jones who assumed command in tn month
OF May last. Commoure Shubrck was au'hc-
riZ.d ny The Department 10 Ge.dch himself from
the squadron, and return home across The 18th
mus; bu he deemed il 70 be hi, duty TO remain
on board The Independence, AMI i, now on
cruise to The Sandwich, Fecjee and other islands
IN The Pacific, where the presence Of a ship IL
war was considered OF greai mprrance = Inc in.
terest 81 Am. rcan commerce The Indenen.
dence may be expected Q reach the United States
early in he spring 81 he next year
The iiea.e Cumberland mas been pn, 10 otdi.
nary. The iIigae Rari'an, Cart Page. has Ia
ken her place in The Home squadron. the John
Adams, Comm ander Adams, arrived al Boston
IN September las, AM i Undergoing repairs
The steamer Mississippi, Commander Macken-
zie returned 10 the Unied States in April. and i
undergoing repairs O, her hull ard MACHINERY
The Vixen is also undergoing repairs. The Pc
,ria was wrecked 10 In. Gut Of Mexico The
Water. Witch and The Iris are al sea. The store
ship Relief has sahed with stores Tor Brazil, and
the Fredonia 10 The Pacific.
ln The squadron on Inc coasl OF Africa colE-
manded by Commodore Bolton The sIoops James
town, Commander Mercer Portsmouth Com
mandcr Armstrong, Decatur. Commander Burke
poise, Commander Galira. IA 5ainh,12,
COMMANDED Slaughter, have Deen .mp'oveti.
Commodore Cooper sailed 10 he slnop York
town, Commander Mafsien, IN The -! Novrill-
ter, with orlrr> L. ,t.i"gc ;n;Hnaorc Bolton ia
The command u The squadron Tn Boxer A.
rived in Philadelphia in May las, ans being
condemned a, nn~orhy 81 repair, was oil
Commodore Bottom has ofd-fe IN !hc ARRIVAL
81 his relief, q proceed IN The jamestown and
relieve Commodore Read in command 81 ~
naval forces Of Inc U. ). III he Mediterranean
Sea
There have been employed, during The year, il
The Mediterranean, under Commodore Read, the
ffigale United States, Captain Smool, slooP Ma
rion Command er Simons, steamer Princeton
Commander Ensel; schr. fancy, Ii. Comnds 9
G. Huncf; with The store ship Supply, Lieu'. Com
m .ndlDe Lynch. The Marion, having finish
ed her crnise, arrived al Boston in The month 81
SeptembeI; The steamer Allegheny, Lieut. Com
mandIns w. w. HunreT, has been ordeie! from
the Brazil station 10 The Mediterranean, an he
rigaie Constitution, Captain GWrnn, has sailed
Tor The same >'alion. On the arrival 81 alS T.
lief Commodore Read having finished tong
IN lh,4g AZ an n he, N4.lt
rancan, has orders 10 rc'uin home in the ifigale
United States. La consequence at our bring com
PEELED u discontinue Tie depot a. Alah1n, i BE-
comes Necessary 10 supply ihe squadron with
stores b. means Of sioir snips. The slOre-shp
Supply, Lieutenant Commanding Lyach, was
sent uu with iull cargo III stores IN Inc month
ul Novcmb.r 1911 Having deliva-ed them II
the several ships VI The squadron from time l.
time, as they were required she j. on her rrtnfa
home, and Inc Erie has been loaded and sent ON
10 continue The service. Commodore Read hns
made a temporary arrangement Tor landing Stores
tor The squadron a. SpeZzia. There are some
objections 10 his place rs i Depot, on account 4
ils position and in the present Very disturbed con
dion Of EnropH, j, is uncertain whether the az
raneemenl will be permanently continued.
On the coast of Brazil, under command of
Commodore Storer, the frgatc Brandywinc,
Captain Boreman, the brig Perry, Lieutenant
Commanding Tilton, and the steamer Allegha-
nv, Lieutenant Commanding W. w. Hunter,
have been employed the sloop ST. Louis Com.
mander Cooke, sailed from Norfolk in Augus,
last TO Join The squadron, and carried orders for
The Allegheny 10 proceed 10 The Mediterranean
In obedience 10 your direction, and with an
anxious desire 10 give protection 10 our CON.
merce with the East Indies, dispatched for ttat
station, in the month Of March asst, the sloop
Plymouth, Commander Gedney; she carried Out
as q passenger the Hon. Mr. Davis, Commis-
sioner 10 China, and landed him at .acao, on The
| 18th day of August. The brig Dolphin, Lieu
tenant Commanding Ogden left New York in
the month Of May for the same station.
In the present political condition of the North
of Europe, and IN view Of the existence Of war
between Prussia and Denmark, il was deemed
| important that ship of war should be sent 10
the North Sea and The Baltic, 10 give protection
| TO American commercial interests IN that quar-
ter. The frigate ST Lawrence, Captain Paull-
ing sailed from Norfolk in the month Of Sep
TENDER last with instructions to touch al Bremen
haven and 10 enter the Baltic if the advanced
| slate Of The season did not forbid his dong so.
! If such should be the case, he was instructed 10
cruise during the Winter between Cape Finnis
| terre and CadiZ, touching al Lisbon, and IN the
| Spring 10 return 10 The Norm ard execute ms
orders. Captain PsuIding, on his arrival at
Breme .-haven, found that The war was suspend
ed by an armistlce, and that The Winter was 50
near at hand as 10 make it lmarudcnt for him TO
take his ship into The Baltic | am happy 10
learn that the arrival Of the ship has been hail.
ed with universal satisfaction.
| THE Secretary acknowledges, in terms OF
meri,ed eulogy, the i'm poriant services rendered
BY the Navy during The Mexican war
The Nayal system of The United States has a
capabili.y Of expansion, that just fes compa.
raiiyely small establishment in time OF peace.
Docks and yards must be maintained, and ships
constructed ready for launching Efficient crews
and abundant supplies VII be forthcoming when
the exigency occurs to demand them. Blu, Off
GERS competent 10 command and direct must be
trained by long experience in all the grades OF
the service. or course, the list must contain