Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-15
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

luton Of the Hon. Mr.. Walker, of New York
asking information as to he fact, whether the
o lean mail steamers ''accepted'' by the Gov
eminent are, or are not in all respects fit for
service as war steamers. as the contractors
stipulated to build them:
! NAVY DEPARTMENT, March 10. 1854
'otr have the honor TO acknowledge the
receipt ct the resolution of the House of Rem
resentatlves adopted on the 9th ultimo that
me Secretary OF the Navy be requested to COM
! ii'uhlcate ~ TINS House, whether, in his opin-
ION, the steamships employed in To re ocean m all
service OF the United States are of proper con-
structlon to be converted into vessels of war
IN the event requiring their use for such pui
| pose, and, II so, how many, and which of
! them -
The ocean mail steamers accepted in the
Navy Department under contract are
lst. These running between New York and
LIyerpooi3 viz: The Atlantic, accepted April
II, 1850 built 1919; Pacific, accepted May Is,
| 1000, built 1919, Arctic, accepted October To-
| 1880, built 1919; Baltic, accepted November
| 1850, built 1880.
Cd. Those running between New York, New
Orleans, Havana and Chagres viz: Georgia
accepted January %, 1872, built IS49: Ohio
accepted anuary "a. 1881, built 1919; Illinois
accepted September 80 1851, built lS5I; George
Law, accepted February Is, 1854; built 1888
| jd. Those running between San Francisco
and Panama VIZ: California accepted October
,, 1913, built 1913: Panama, accepted Novem-
her =, 1913, built 1913; Oregon, accepted De-
rember o, 1o4o. built 1913; Columbia, accepted
| October |, 1850, built 1850; Tennessee accent
cd October l, 1850, built 1913; Golden Gate
accepted July 81, 1851, built 1851
The Tennessee of the latter line was strand
| ed on the coast In the summer of 1853 and
the steamer San Francisco, recently lost at sea-
vas intended to supply her place under the
contract.
| With view to aiding the Department to ar
| rive, with some approximation to accuracy, to
just and correct conclusions, l addressed a
! communication to several officers of the Navy
and contractors. inviting their opinions on the
| subject matter OF the resolution. Although
| some of these officers base their suggestions
upon general principles. without having had
the opportunity of personal inspection. there
are others whose duty it has been under the
| orders OF the department., to superintend the
construction of, and thus to acquire more ac-
curate acquaintance with, the ocean mail
| steamers.
| The papers containing the views of those
| intelligent gentlemen accompany this com
nunicatisn, and are respectfully commended
| 10 the attention and consideration of Congress
| This inquiry, however, has heretofore been
| instituted by Congress, and a report with ac-
1
| March, 1852: executive document No. 81, 32d
! Congress, lst session. / have carefully ex-
| atnined the numerous reports on file in the
| department in addition to those recently re-
| ceved, and, while these reports and the public
results demonstrate conclu>ivey the admira-
| bic adaptation of the steamers for performing
the service in which they are now engaged
| cannot resist the conviction that the demon
| stratOn is also clear, that the general princi-
Piles Of construction on which they are built
| are such that it is impractcable - to convert
! them into vessels of war; to be relied upon
| for efficient service as regular men of war
Tlat they however, in the event of war would
| b, very useful and serviceAble as transports
! Tor munitions and troops. and are susceptible
Of being strengthened and rendered capable
! If bearing small armament, such as would
enable them to annoy the enemy's commerce
| md do good service as privateers when not
| 100 remote from points Of supply of coal
1t will be perceived by reference to the re-
port made, that they are all paddle or side
| wheel steamcrs-modelled with view to speed
under steam, and with peculiar reference to
the accommodation of passengers-and the
| opinion is advanced that their sharpness re-
| iuces the room on the deck so rs to interfere
seriously with the proper arrangement of an
| armament at all corresponding with their ton
| age that with the machinery they have, it is
| hardly possible to place the main mast in a
proper position to sustain the great surface Of
| canvass necessary to enable the ship to sail
successfully without the aid of steam, which
| would necessarily make them very expensive
| md inappropriate for distant service that
their machinery is much exposed and liable to
| injury in an engagement. and that the large
space occupied by it, leaves, when viewed in
connection with the sharpness of the model,
but limited space for the Storage Of what is
! indispensably necessary in man OF war for
general service.
The Ocean mail steamers employed in the
| British service are also paddle wheel stemers,
| and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
have very recently appointed commission OF
pfficers to consider how far it may be possible
| 70 carry into effect a plan for arming the con-
| tract mail packet steamers.
The conclusion Of the committee is, that % not
| any Of these vessels would, in our opinion, be-
some efficient substitutes for regular men Of
war. Some Of them might be made auxiliary
10 war purposes; constituting, as it were, part
of the naval militia, under a very pressing
necessity for home service; but we should think
| them better calculated for armed packets than
| armed troop ships For the relative strength
and capacity Of the several ocean steamers, the
| probable durability Of the materials of which
hey are built aud their present condition,
| ports of Commodore kearHey and Constructor
| Shiddy, who are stationed at New York, under
| The orders of the Department, to give their
personal attention to the condition Of these
| steamers
[ have the honor to be, very respectfully,
4 your Obedient servant, j. G. DoBBlN
Hon. LINN BOYD, Speaker of the House OF
| Representatives.
The Surveying Party Of Lieutenant Strain,
U. s. N.-The last advices from Central Amer
lea and the Z. S. sloop-of-war Cyane, Com
mander Holins, have created painful appre-
tensions in Washington relative to the posi-
Die fate of the surveying party leaving the
| Cyane, under the command of Lieutenant
Strain. to explore route for a ship canal over
the Isthmus of Darien. This party consists OF
Lieut.. s., Mr.. Garland, a son Of Col. Garland
{. S. A., Passed AIidshipman Truxon, and
,wenty-four men. Their route was over re-
sion in which hostile and very treacherous
savages are accustomed to range. Before
| starting, we learn fom their friends in Wash
ington, they were iorcibly cautioned by the
Secretary Of the Navy to guard themselve:
against these savages. and were armed at all
points for their protection. 1t seems that they
have not been heard Of for an undue time and
all efforts from the Cyane to learn of then
precise position. have resulted only in painful
apprehensons for their safety on the part Of
| he officers Of that ship. We are, however