Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-31
TIL E NAVY
ron THE NATIONAL ISrELLIaHEcrR.

| The whole country manifests renewed interest in
the condition and efficiency of our navy, and espe-
cially in the steam-branch of the service Congress
is about to legislate it into new shape, SO to
combine effectively the sail and steam-power on
board the fleet. 1t is the most important step yet
by the country to give strength to this long right
of national defence 1t is also high time do it,
for ten years behind the maritime Of Eu
rope in this respect
/ Twenty years ago Government recommended, and the
policy acquesced in by the country that should
await the progress made in steam for ships of by
other Powers and profit by their labors These twenty
years of experimental labors have rewarded them
Engand not only with the powerful steam feet in
the world but have reared for her in the process
officers and men-to whom steam element of is
as familiar and habtual the wind and We have
lost them the most valuable thing for which unwsely
waited twenty years, to wit, experience And to this
undoubtedly we owe the many failures in efforts to
create steam navy for the country.
The failure Of our steam navy may be traced in addi-
ton TO several other eoncurrng causes but in
ner to the one commonly assigned namely, that the
Government built the ships in the public dockyards The
hulls of all, except the ron-ships constructed in
the public dockyards they designed in the naval
bureaus and for model strength, and the purposes Of
war; these vessels in their hus have not only fail
ed, but are in fact unequaed by any others afoat
On the other hand the engines and machinery of all but
two small craft Vaterwitch and Hancock built in
private workshops and by contract The engines true
for the most part designed by the engineers
introduced into the navy. full grown from the civil
rine steam service. But however talented aud able
of these undoubtedly were the subject of steam applied
to to Them they had not the twenty years
experimental knowledge Of their brother engineers abroad
to guide them, and they and the contractors failed for
time, mot yet gone by as might have been expected
And SO with the naval administration. The subject
to the civil and naval officer. We had put off
knowledge for twenty years. and " stern chase is long
one This want of experience, for which England has
paid the full price to obtain by the devotion of twenty
years and many millions of money caused } trsist
in the dewhee steamer obstnately after the sys
tenn abandoned by wiser rivals the
1t laid open the adoption of projects by which years
lost and treasure squandered and the country left
with few powerless do its necessary work
We have at this moment in the United States one
single steamer that could take the to the
honor of the country from the reproach of nations 1t
is this Of experience which in the year 1858 forced
dispatch to Japan steamers like the Powhatan of
nearly four thousand tons capacity requiring fleet of
Golfers to feed her furnaces, to carry guns, dull
weldy thing under sail alone, crippled like beaten ship
when her engine breaks las it has already her boilers
and machinery above water exposed to every shot, and
liable to be beaten by gunboa
This ship land her class would have carried
fgates broadsde with her whole system Of machinery
boilers and ALL below the water-lne from HARM if
the modern and we-deveoped propeller system Of
the British navy flor which wated had been adapted
to her she it. The supply of Goals first taken in
would have lasted her to India and back again and
der SAIL with her fires put out, she would outsa the
| gu
half dozen frigates.
Misfortunes beget wisdom We know errors and
can avoid their repetition We also now know what
is wanted. We want side-wheel war steamers
that grape-shot may destroy, each costing Million to
carry guns and the transportation of coal mine after
her to keep her going; submerged propeers,"
nor 'bomb-proof" ships patent Lamb & Sumner
boilers, &c., nor speculative steam men of of any
sort but real downright steam ship of war; be she
soop, frgate, neobatte ship, with full broadside,
with fun ship rig. of full sail power, backed by
simple ful-power engine driving twobladed pro-
peer capable of being lifted when out of and stow
Cd conveniently bower-anchor such noc in
full and successful operation in all the modern war
steamers Of the British navy Add to these indispensable
requirements rcshwater condensng apparatus for daily
connected with the cooking galley which rely
your supply and have the fit for any
vice. Such IS the modern screw war steamer of the
British navy have seen them. The boilers below
the water-line, well all the engine except the
smoke stack single tank Of fresh is the whole
supply, the necessary quantity being made by the
denser daily fuel and provisions taking the place Of
ter-tanks.
Is it too much to demand Of navy officers Of our
constructors of machinsts, to equip for us
ships of combining in perfection each and all
Of these essential qualities? 1t is done elsewhere and
we should not be satisfied with less The counsel which
advises less is bad counsel and should be aside FOR
better. 2.