The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-09-21

The recent appointment, by Secretary ToUcEy,
of a Board of Naval officers, 10 examine the con-
dlon OF the sailing vessels of the navy and to re-
port upon the practicabty of converting them into
steamers, marks in our naval history 1t is at
least indicative Of desire TO improve that arm ofthe
service, although the mGeyid to be acted upon is.
we fear, none OF the best. 1t is somewhat diff
cult, and more than ordinarily costly matter, to
transform even the very best sailing vessels into
respectable steamers, and wherever it has been nj
tempted in the English and French navies, the re-
suits have rarely been regarded as sufficiently sat-
isfactory to warrant The change except in special
cases. We gave the other day a list of the ships
in our navy, which are to pass under the inspec-
ton OF the Board, and a glance at their
respective ages, will be Of itself sufficient
to raise q doubt as TO whether they
can be turned into steamers without I'M
dergoIng such repairs and notifications as their
subsequent value and degree of usefulness would
not justify. We have, first of all, the United
States, which has attained the ripe age of sixty
three years; another is the line-of-battle.sbin
Alabama, which has been for the last fortv-two
years on the stocks; third is that once famous
old ship the Pennsylvania forty years DID, at least,
from the time her keel was laid. She suffered
greatly from dry rot before she was launched in
1887, has never been TO since, and is now used
as receiving ship. She is huge and cumber-
some thing, and it is doubtful whether her con-
version into steamer would improve her quail
ties for active service. The Constitution-s'Old
'Ironsides is also put upon the list for inspec-
ton. She is of the same age as the United States
rft--fl ,roo a.
be broken up, and is now the Scholarship in An
napolis harbor. She is TO our Navy what Nell
SONS ship the Victory is TO the Navy of England;
and however staunch she may be- for so old
vessel, yet the heroic memories that cluster
about her should protect her from the
innovation Of paddle wheel or screw. The
North Carolina is forty years old and is re-
ported to be rotten. The OHIO is of a similar
age, but is perhaps in somewhat better condition
The NeaC York has been in process of construction
for nearly half century, and the Nep Orleans and
the Virginia for nearly as great length of time.
Ofall the vessels now remaining in the service the
Sloops-of-War are the hest and most serviceabe.
1t is possible that portion of these may be al
tered into Steamers, not only with economy but
TO advantage. With regard to the Frigates and
oi'Ps- III many ipotoANOS tnO attehPt
to transform them would be money thrown away,
and the usefulness of the others when transformed
is altogether problematica. Upon these points,
however, the Naval Board will report to the De
partment, and that report will be laid before Con-
gress previously to any further action being taken
in the matter. The necessity for larger and more
efficient steam marine is SO apparent that no one
who desires to see the honor of our fac main
tanned will dispute the propriety of a reasonable
appropriation for that purpose. But whether such
a marine can be obtained by reconstruction of
our old sailing vessels is a question which
has never yet been satisfactorily answered.
That such changes have been made in the
navies of England and France we know