Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-12

they can have water-tight compartment
their repairs can generally be mo-
easily made, and from their great dur
bliity they are probably in the end n,
more costly. An iron vessel, moreove
can be taken from the water and place
on land for preservation, which cam,
be done with wooden vessels. The disa,
vantages of iron vessels are the seriou
local weakness of thin plates composin
the bottom of an iron ship. The DANCE
that would result from getting on rock
and from submerged oostructions. thei
liability of rapidly becoming foul in sal
water, whereby their speed become
greatly impaired. Their requiring to b,
frequently docked for cleaning; the grea
danger from shot striking below tn
armor plating, as they roll; the iniur
caused By the splinters of iron when tn
plates are broken or smashed by the cor
rosion inside from bilge-water; the diff
Guilty in making temporary repairs O
shot holes, and the limited number o
artisans yet to be procured having skill
IN this description of employment. Il
should also be borne in mind that, while
we have several navy yards for building
vessels, the Government possesses not {
single yard establishment for construct
ing these iron ones, nor even for making
the plates and shafting. -
While entertaining very high opin
ion of iron vessels and iron clads, Mr.
Welles thinks the Government should
have vessels of high speed constructed Of
wood, with which to sweep the ocean and
hunt down the vessels of any enemy.
The Secretary repeats his recon-
mendation made to the last Congress, to
establish naval depot, yards and foun-
dry at some suitable and accessible point
on one of the rivers in the valley of the
Mississippi.
de also makes strong appeal in be-
half of naval education. He says:
The naval service and the country
have suffered injury that can scarcely
be estimated from the want of thorough.
capable and well educated engineers.
Many o. our most efficient vessels have
been disabled and crippled in the midst
OF their cruise, and sometimes even at
the.yery commencement of their service.
in consequence of the incapacity of the
engineers, whereby the country has been
deprived not only of the use of the YES
sci for weeks and sometimes for months.
but the officers and crew have been con-
strained to inactivity, instead of being
employed against the enemy. Some
measures are necessary to counteract and
prevent these disasters, so injurious to
the country, and know none so thor
ough and complete as that of publicly
educating and training engineers to the
service The most important branch of
study OF the Naval Academy is, very ap-
propriately, seamanship. A general
knowledge of the application and use of
steam and practical mechanics should
follow, as almost equally essential The
line officers OF the Navy, of whatever
rank, should, moreover, have the privi-
lege of attending lectures, and parsuing
The study of steam mechanics, and, in
Iced, every branch that may be taught
carrying isstO'- ~--s--- !, !. 2 .
Fronting, as our country does, on the
two great oceans, this system would IN
sure to us, first, vessels built and ready
at all times for fighting purposes; sec
ond, an organization of able and efficient
officers, with we'll trained and educated
sealnen, actively employed, and always
ready for the naval service; third, rapid
mail communication with different parts
of the world; the whole furnishing a nu-
cleus for the Navy where both officers
and the better class of seamen would be
constantly improving and fitting them
selves for the highest public usefulness.
No better school or training could be in
stituted for moderate naval warfare,
when seamanship will be much in ad-
vance of what prevailed when only sail
ing vessels were known to the navy.
Such a system would, beside being a
nursery for the navy, contribute to the
expansion of our commerce, which 1t
would stimulate and encourage, and
with which it would not como in contact
The Secretary next considers the sub
jcct of rebel privateers and maritime
rights, as follows: an
"When the Sumpter, vessel stoler
from our merchants, made her escap'
and went abroad armed, but without 9
recognized nationality, to seize and dc
stroy our merchantmen on the high seas
she found among the Algerine Corsair
refuge and protection within the mar
time jurisdiction of the great Europea
powers with whom the United States wa
| in friendship; and, finally, after bein
followed by our cruisers into the port
Gibraltar, she was permitted by the az
thorities to remain not only twenty-fou
hours. but more than twelve months, an
was eventually transferred to an Englis
purchaser, went to an English port, ws
. re-itted and left English shores with
.. contraband cargo, and has since run u
, blockade, carrying supplies to the rebel
J The Alabama, the Florida and the Gee
: gia are armed cruisers, built in Englan
: have an English armament on boar
and are manned by crews who are almc
Il exclusively Europeans, sailing SON
8 times under the English and sometim
under the rebel flag. These rove
without port of their own which, tn
j. can enter, or to which they can send
Il single prize for adjudication, have rov
e. the sea, capturing and destroying
4 commerce of ships of nation at pea
= with Great Britain and France; but y
81 when these cruisers have needed repa
" or supplies, they have found no difficu
a. in procuring them, because it b
Ia been deemed expedient to recogn
: the rebels as belIigerents. Not {
vs. of the many vessels captured
n by these rovers, has ever been judicia
be condemned as legal capture. Want
.s destruction has been the object and T
pose of the captors, who have burr
g and destroyed the property of their n
d. chant victims. This theory of recog
or ing the rebels as belligsrents, so soon
they lift their arms against the Govt
r ment, and thus declaring them enti
u to the National privileges of the b
ec- seas, and in the harbors of the wo
although without port or navy of d
of own, is the Inauguration of a new po
. A. L:-t~- 80 rot,o,~ Enr q