Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-10-25
MISCELLANEOUS.
TIE LAST NAvY REPORT.
Nearly EoU- hundred Vessels In our
Navy.
a FLEET or FrrTY-Two Rox-cLADs.


ment pamphlet which is known as the Navy
Register arc not to he regarded as enter
tanning reading; yet, as circumstances always
alter cases, the last issue Of that periodical is
notable exception to the rule. Bearing
date but six weeks ago September first) it
brings us the fullest and best record that it
is possible to get of the actual strength Of
ourNavy,an suggests a varictyo reflections
Commencing the war with naval force
every way inadequate to the work required
, of it, we have added vessel after vessel to the
list, with a rapidity which is entirely unprc-
ccdented in the history any nation. Even
England, with her maratimc advantages, has
not done as much in any eighteen months of
her history rs the United States have accom-
plished since the outbreak of this rebellion.
England has neither our wonderful wealth
of resource nor our pushing spirit of enter
prise, and although her necessities have
often been as great rs those into which this
country was suddenly plunged, she has been
compelled to work more slowly than we, and
to-day is actually behind US in the race for
new improvements in naval warfare The
spirit Of our people, their inventive genius,
the native riches of the country, and the cx-
traOrdinary vigor of our naval administra-
tions, are the causes which have combined to
produce the gratifying results set forth in the
figures of the last Register"
/ In long article recently published in these
columns we showed how, at the commence
mcnt of the war; our navy, then feeble, was
rendered still less effective by it, dispersion,
and how quickly its component parts were
reunited and made the nucleus Of q new or
ganization which has since grown to remark
able dimensions. Looking back over the
history OF the past year and "A halt, il IS diff
cult to see in what better maurcr our naval
government could have been administered.
TO Secretary Wcllcs and his assistants there
must be awarded the nations vote OF thanks
for skill and energy in creating powerful
navy out of raw materials, outstanding re-
sources in such way rs to make every item
tell, and intusing vitality into all branches of
the service. Our shipyards have been stim-
ulatcd TO degree of activity which the
cNigencies of the mercantile service. pressing
although they have been, never called out
our mechanics have been driven with work
for many months, and are still working night
and day under call for new labprs: our toun-
dries are all busy; and thousands Of men
now building the vessels of our irOn-clai
fleet still find it difficult to keep pace with
the driving energy "f the Department.
/ The Navy has had its share OF the yicto-
rio, of this war, but the disadvantages under
which it laborcd were serious. There was
lack of proper material and there was tuint
OF treason at the start 50 that the one had to
be provided and the other expelled before
any effective steps could be taken. Yet, under
adverse circumstances ike these. the Sccrc-
tary and his loyal officers went steadily about
their work and performed it. II. in cNtrcm-
ity, a few worthless vessels were added to
the navy, or grasping spcCulatOr swindlcl
l.|4
times the value of the ship he sold, the tenn
porary misfortune or embarrassment was
rcmcdicd, and the work still went on. ia
rotten vessel foundcrcd, the Department
bought no more of the shipOwncr who had
sold it, but strai@htway began to build a
new and stronger one. Ii gunboat, by
chance, got badly damaged in fight. the
keel ut another was put down to tGiie its
place. and no blank was left in the Navy List.
Thus. by degrees. we have built up a great
Navy. According to the official record, the
aggregate number ofvcssels now in the naval
service ofthe United States is Mroo hHaRre8
anil ejgi'ySir. Ofthis number no less than
Ftty-tuo are iroH-ci1dS, fourteen of which are
a;loat and thirty eight building at New York,
Jersey City, Boston, Philadelphia. Ports
mouth, st. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburg,
Brownsville Chester and Wilmington.
We have eleven rams, five steam trigatcS
twenty-tour screw sloops, eighty four screw
steamers and ninety five side-whee steamers;
not to mention multitude of small steam
crS. ferry boats, slips-ot-thc-linc and old
sailing trgatcs
The most remarkable feature of the cata-
loguc is the rapid increase Of our igon-clud
ilcct. The duel between the Monitor aud
Mcrrimac, while it startled the naval power
OF Europe into sudden activity. gave Wig
orOus impulse to American enterprise in the
same direction.
Here are fourteen iron-clads actually in
service carrying an aggregate OF one hun
drcd and liity-thrrc guns, and counting u
total tonnage of fourteen thousand four hun
drcd and seventy five while the irOu-CladS
in course of construction number thirty y-eght
and a large proportion of these will be ready
tor service in three or four months, and all
of them next spring. Two Of these, now
building uhc Dictator and the DunderbcrgJ
are of unusual dimensions: the former being
three thousand and thirty-thrce tons burtheu
and the latter over five thousand. The
Dundcrbcrg is to carry ten heavy guns, and
is going on rapidly ut Mr. Webh's yard, in
this city. Her name is suggestive Of her
probable capacity for mischiet-"ThunIcr-
Mountain" Ii there are any rebels left when
| TINS snip ana Ncr Ct nsOrlS take 10 the water,
some of them will be quite likely toleceiye
serious damage. If there are none, Wen the
Dundcrherg and the rest Of the iron hee,
/ will bc "handy" in case of future compliCG-
tions occurring elsewhere.
/ The entire fleet of iron-clad vossels, when
ready for service will carry two hundred
and iitty-cight guns, and have m aggregate
/ burthcn ofiorty--cyon thousand, six hundred
| aud nincsiN tons.
! Seven gunboat, 0hc Easur gard, Ellis,
General Bragg, General Sterling Price, Gen.
/ Pillow, Little Rebel and Tvaser,D have been
/ captured from the Rebels, who were 80 ac-
/ commodating rs To exert Themselves in ship
I building for our special benefit These
seven vessels were chiefly taken ON the west
ern waters by the gallant sailors OF our gun
| boat fleet, and are turned over 70 the War
. Department, without change Of name, as
pleasing mcmcntocs Of lively night. and the
/ treason of the rebel leaders whose names
some of them bear.
/ The vessels in active service are divided
into nine squadrons ami hJrillas -d,signat-
sl rp-ps.tiyglv n the North Atlantic Nuuth