Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-16
NUMBER l29.
From the New York Courier and Enquirer.
Vessels of the Navy.

*
country in war with Spain, that war must be
naval one. Where are the ships that are to con
duct the bellgerent operations and also 10 furnish
protection for American commerce on every sea
against Spanish cruisersY This is pertinent qucs-
tion; and 1t cannot be considered without prodIt-
cling painful conviction that our government is
wretchedly prepared for any such business. Let
us examine.
From the report Of the CHEF constructor of the
navy, II appears that have but two ships ofthe-
line that could at once be made available for for
eign or sea service. There are three others onste
stocks, commenced about the year 1920, about
two-thirds completed, but a part of the work nl-
ready done must be replaced. The Pennsylvania,
ship ip-of-the-lne, requires to be rebuilt and the
constructor recommended that this ship, IA well as tho
Columbus be converted into auxiliary screw steam
frigates. The North Carolina and Delaware al 10
ships-ofthe-linc require to be rebuilt.
There are thirteen frigates on the Navy Register
The Constitution (Old Ironsides) was rebuilt in
l848. The United States requires to be rebuilt.
National pride calls for the preservation of these
two frigates at any cost but in the event Of war
they are too small to cope with the frigates of the
present day, having been built in the year l7g7
The other ten frigates, with the exception Of tie
Congress, were commenced in 1921 or 1922, and
two of them have only recently been launched
The Congress is, in fact, the only figate that has
been added to the navy in twenty-three years.
rebuilt before they could be sent to sea, which
would reduce the number Of our frigates to eleven
These ships the Sabine and Santee, recently
launched, having had their fore-ends sharpenc6
were built on the models approved forty years ago
being full forward and aft with the view
ofcarrying numerous guns, which were mounted on
the extremities Of the ship. The sharp end, or
clipper model, is now being generally introduced,
particularly in steamers Of great length intended
to carry few shell guns Of large calbre amdships.
With this class of vessels our fiigates could not
COPE as they have only four six shell guns, and
with steamers which could choose their distance,
their batteries Of small guns would be Of no SER
vice.
or the twenty sloops-ofwar on the list of yes
| sells of the navy, only two can be considered eff
ficient ships-these are raced figates. OF the
others several require rebuilding and four of them
the constructor remarks: "Taken into consider
alton the size and efficiency, (insfciency would be
better,) there will be no advantage in continuing
them in the service when they again require cx-
tensive repairs" The four brgs are quite as IN
sufficient or, as the contractor says, :" to be cf
fcient they should be Of larger size" They could
not well be made larger and it is presumed no
person will recommend the building of such usel. SO
craft. Doubtless, the Recommendation with regard
to the four second-class soops should be extended
TO all the frst-cass soops, they require exten-
sive repairs. One of them repaired some
years since ut cost of 1927, ,s45. In the event of
war, they could be Of no service and could be cap
tured by any second-cass steam vessel with six shell
guns Of large calibre. Our sloops generally carry
only four shell guns. and a steamer being able to
take her distance and position the same number of
guns would be no match on the sloop-ofwar.
There is another reason why we should have
second-class steamers, mounting four six long
shell guns, in place of the soops-ofwar Of eighteen
medium guns and only four shell guns. Steamers
nf thia cluaa wauld ha mr. afIicianf in tho
Of war than the soops-ofwar, and, with view
TO the increasing difficulty Of obtaining sailors the
sooner this departure from the old sloop building
Is commenced, the better The sloops require at
least one hundred and eighty Sailors and the
steamers, with four or six shell guns, and having
fore-and-aft sails could be worked with eighty
sailors. Firemen and coalheavers are always to
be obtained and do not require much previous
training. Some Of the old soops were built twenty
Eve years ago on one Of them the sum Of two
hundred and forty thousand dollars has been ex-
pended in repairs and this vessel now requires re-
building. Why should this class Of sloops be con-
tinued In the nayy9 In the event Of war they
could be Of no service, and would bring dscredit
upon our flag by their capture. Fa
The steam force of the navy consists of eight
steamers. One Of them Is on Lake Eric, aud an
other, the Fulton, the constructor only considers
ft for harbor or, coast defence. The Princeton,
also, according TO reports, cannot be considered
Of any account. The Mississippi was built in 1s4l,
and her utmost speed Is we believe, eight miles an
hour. The San Jacinto, screw-steamer, has not
as yet established a reputation. The saranac, a
second-class steamer, performs well. This reduces
our steamer navy TO two 6rst-cass steamers, the
Susquehanna and Powhatnn and these two can
compare favorably with the war steamers of any
nation. We have in course of construction six
irst-class steamers, with which, when completed,
our steam navy will consist Of but twelve steamers
r. ~ Il. ..xI nC Al
this number of ships we can add two ships-ofthe-
line, and nine frgates, available for immediate
vice and this is about the amount Of our naval
force suitable for war purposes. The sloope-of-
war, as they are called, could be of no use except
for harbor defence and for that the guns could not
much avail.
We fear the United States navy has become as
much the victim OF routine the British army,
and from similar cause. The English public, ant
is6ed with a system under which the victories in
the Peninsula war and the crownng glory of Wa
teroo were won, believed like results would follow
in the present war; and our American sefstiif-
cheney has boasted that the laurels won by the
navy in 1912 and 1915 would be confirmed in any
subsequent war, under the same routine. Happily,
a. yet no disastrous results similar TO those occur
ring In the campaign Of the Crimea, have dispeled
this illusion; and we have warning that should
not be sighted. The routine of repairing old ships
has been persevcred In for than twenty years.
thus reproducing old models and continuing in use
a class Of ships not equal 10 the figatcs of the
present day, built by the English and French.
The routine Of keeping our squadrons abroad for
three and sometimes four years, thereby destroy
ing the activity which would give life and vgor to
the service, if the officers more frequently at
sea for It follows, IL part Of the officers are Mt
sea four years, corresponding number must be
for that period inactive on shore.
The routine of enlisting seamen and others, for
tho naval service, has been unyarying for forty
years /; and by It's operation young men who have
never been at sea, are In a measure prevented
from entering the nayalservice. The tabular COM
pliment of frignte is about four hundred men.
OF these one half must be sed,en, one quarter or.
binary seamen, and the other quarter landsmen or
boys. Those called landsmen are persons who
have never been at sea. BY this routine enc out
Of four persons entered for the navy only can be
ncc hands; consequently, but few sailors can be
made in the naval service. Men on board of our
ships are considered only as things ft for par
icular place station, and II they will tsut that
Al. n.aI IN ha ranA