Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-01-03
TIoIAL DoCU ME Mt
REPORT OF THE
SECRETARY or THE NAVY.

The first part Of Mr. Pre-ions Report is occupied with
sucrlnc account Of The condition Of The different squad.
r,ns IN actual service.
The Home squadron. under Commodore Parker. con.
slsts OF The flag ship Rarllao the sloop Albany the
steamers Vixen and " aer Witch, nnd the scnoon,r
Fir. The steamer All,ghany has been withdrawn.
and also the soop-owar Saratoga, and both placed in
ordinary.
The Pacific squadron, under Cummolore jones con
s,sis Of The ship Ohlo lleaie Savannah soops-nl
ST. NJ ry's, Falmouth Naudalia. Vlncenne. The store.
ships Caledonia aud ouha'npron and the steamer
Massachusetts. Captain Voorhees, has proceeded To
China. 10 the ST. Ma Ia relieve Cnmnnd re Gel. in
ger. who will return in that vessel. The Ohio il 10 e.
uIn home
"ihe squadron III the Mediterranean sea, undor the
command Of Commodure Nlnraan consists Of tho n,c.
ship faz Independence The irigate Consitnrlon the
tea'e Cumberland the steamer Mississippi the slwp
"i war Jamestown and tho sioeship re. The fripae
81 Lawrence. has also i,ued this squadron.
he force now employed in the Mediterranean
Is believed to be larger aud more efficient than AT
any prevpns period in history. with the exeeplirn
perhaps, Of HE years 1904 an! 1905, during The Tn
palltan war.
The Steamers Princeton, Commando Emile. and
Allegheny, IJruicnant C"nmtndng Hunter. were or
dered hume from the Mediterranean in consequence Of
the reports of The necessity for extensive rrpas "
The Princeton has been c1ndnmned and broken nm
The fancy, Steamer. has ais, returned from tie
M+dicrfanean and under Lieutenant W ASH is asspn-
ed the service oi testing new ruuics, and prtecling
discoveries o Lieut. Aaury the winds and currents
Of the
The Brazil squadron. under Com. Stnrer consiss of
the irigale Bran ywIne, and the sopr.oiwaf st Louis
he John Adins was ordered 10 this satinn hut was
afterwards sent to relieve the Decatur the coast of
Africa.
The African squadron under Commander Gregory,
consists OF the so1pS-oi-war Portsmouth. Yorktown
aud John Adnus, the briggs Pornosp, Banbr,Jpe
aud Perry. C,nmodoe Cooper. recently in comu n nd
was relieved on account Of leallh by CoDodnre Gro.
gorv.
The China squadron under Com. Geisinge,. (soon to
he under Cum. Nofheps) consists of the sloopof-war
Plymouth and the brig Dolphin.
Eilhi steamers used III the war with Mexico, were
transferred 10 the Navy Department. Only two If
hem the Massachusetts and the Edith were tit for nav
service. The Edith has been wrecked on the Caftun
coast.
Lieut. Davis has been charged with preparing the
Nautical Almanac.
Professor Charles Page is conducting the expert
mens 10 test the applicability Of the electro magnetic
motive power 10 naval uses.
Lieutenant Gllliss with his pariy is now at San.
lago, in Chill, experimenting asronimcal ob,erva-
iiuns.
The Secretary devoes good deal Of space to the con
tracts for mail steam service,
Under Arnold IIarrs's contract for Transporting The
mail between Panama and Astofio in Oregon three
steamers hase been accepted and IN service. The
contract aud law make no provision that these steam
ers shall be commanded by officers of The navy or
that passed mldsilpmen shall serve on them watch
officers
! Under the contract of r. X Collins s. Co, for mail
steamers Of 1000 bnrthen, tupy between New York
and Liverpool, it is possible that tho Atlantic" may
he ready 10 sail in January the pacific" by The
Isl ~ March and iva others mt earlier than the
LIST Of August. l75O. The 9TH has not yet been com
nenced.
A, &, Sloo bound himself tn establish, line nf FIVE
steamships b. fon New York 10 New Ofl.ars an.
b,ck, twice a month"; via Gharest, II practic ,ble)
Savannah and Hivana, and fom Havana Ia Chayrr,
sid ts9k, rtro month. Two Of the sesnlss sele Il