The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-12


1900 men in the naval service at the commence.
ment of the rebellion, the number was increased |
to 81 800 at its close. In addition to these the
aggregate of artzans and laborers employed in |
navy yards 16 $50 instead of 4, s44 previous
ly in the pay of the government.
The secretary evidently considers the enlarge |
ment OF the navy yards a subject of special i'm |
portance. lie SAYS not one of them presents the |
full requisite conveniences and facilities for |
promptly hitting out in an efficient manner, more
than single vessel at time. Vessels which
ought to be repaired in three months, often
detained for year. There is not public yard
where an iron vessel can be constructed, an iron
plate made, where shafting can be forged, or
steam machinery manufactured, except on a
moderate scale; nor, with the exception of Mare
Island, California, and Norfolk, have we a navy
yard with sufficient room to erect the necessary
works for even present wants. England, besides
her great public navy yards, with which we can
bear no comparison, possesses several private es-
Establishments, in each of which there are more me-
chanical appliances than possessed by our
whole country. The immediate Indispensable and
truly economical remedy for all this disadvantage
is TO enlarge the navy yards at Boston and New
York, to complete the yard at Mare Island. on
the Pacific, rebuild those of Norfolk and Pensa-
cola, and sell the present restricted grounds at
| Philadelphia after establishing & ward of suffi-
cient capacity at League Island, or some other
| proper location on the Delaware. There are ser
| ious objections to the yard at Kittery, a naval
station, on account Of its proximity TO the ocean,
| but if it ia to he continued, the proposed ac-
QUESTION of Seaveys Island should De carried in
| to effect.
| OF the monitor class of vessels the secretary
| says, they stand as the undOututed and best de
\ fence of our shores against any naval armament
| in existence. Several ight-draft vessels of this
class, drawing but eight feet of water, have un-
deItaken sea voyages with entire safety, and one
| made a voyage from Boston TO CharIstOn :. c.
! where she is stationed and performs With entire
| satisfaction all the duties required of her. Tie
accompanying report of the chief of the Bureau of
| Medicine and Surgery gives some interesting and
extraordinary facts and statistics concerning the
! comparative healthiness of iron cads and wooden
vessels, from which it appears that there less
| sickness on board the monitors than on the
wooden ships with equal number of men aud
/ in equally exposed positions.
| A change in the location Of the naval seade-
my Is recommended, to some point in Chesa-
| peake Bay, removed from the city, aud where
| more ample accommodations may be secured
! The eXpediency OF appointing OBe-bsif the mid
| shipmen from the enlisted apprentices instead
OF from congressional districts, is also suggest
! ed.
The law of congress that the hours of labor
! and the rate OF wages OF the employees in the
| navy yards shall conform with those in private
establishments is said TO be a of dissatis-
/ faction ard discomfort. and it, repeal is recon-
meuded. Other abuses in tie yards have been
| done away by disseminating tine Office of navy
agent" aud prohibiting the assessments formerly
/ levied for electioncering purpose.
The number of vessel5 captured aad sent 20
! the courts for adjudication from Nav l. 1861 10
! the close of the rebellion, was Liz, valued at
not less than S25, 10000, and 355 vessels valued
at 81, 900 900 were DESTROYED making total val
ue Of not less than $50, 800, 600, most of winch
was British property. The gross proceeds of
property captured the blockade and con.
demned prior to the first of November, was S2I-
S29 54S 60 cost and expenses SI6I6 1928 &c;
net proceeds for distribution $50, sol 1927 90.
\ strong recommendation i made ia favor of
increasing the pay of naval officers.
The total expenses OF the department from
4th OF March, 1891, to tie Both OF june 1s65
were S3lS. TO. 200, 6S-ln average annual expeI-
diture of S12 juo|9O,G3 The estimates for the
year ending June 50, 1867, amount to S2S, gS2,-
457, 80, which includes 81, 800. 600 for the cree
ton OF branches, purchase of land and other
improvements of permanent character.
In describing the operations OF the rebel-En-
glisli cruisers StOnewall and Shenandoah. the
secretary says he was informed in an official
communication that the crew OF the latter were
all British Subjects that many of them belonged
to the royri naval reserve, and that some forty
or fifty OF the Alabama's men were among
them.
The opinion is expressed that the act of con-
Gress March 5, 1860, 'to incorporate a national
military and naval asylum" should it ever 20 in
10 effect will be likely operate iujuriouslv to
the naval service. The tastes aId pursuits of
the sailors and soldiers are 20 diss!nnilar that
they can scarcely be made to harmonic IL il
suggested that home be established for soldiers
exclusively, aud that the present grounds and
buildings OF the naval accrdemy at Annapolis
could At slight expense be converted to this pur
pose.
On the LIST of November, 1865, the navy pen
sion roll included , O27 persons, receiving S24S-
529 80, being an increase during the year of AIS
persons, receiving pensions amounting to S5S,-
SO 40. Attention is called to an unjust discrim
inatinn against pensioners who have lost both
hands or feet, or both eyes, in the naval service
The law gives increased pension for such injuries
in the military service, but has been construed so
a. not to include those in the navy. There are
also several grades of naval officers for which no
provision Is made.
The accompanying reports of the chief of the
various bureaus presen some interesting details
IN addition To the general statements of the sec
retary's report The number of seamen enlisted
in the navy from the 4th of March, 1861, to the
LIST of May, 1865, was llS,Oi4. The chief of the
ordnance bureau recommends a course OF expert
ments with torpedoes, and to establish a corps o
operators Tor future service. The total Dumbef
of casualties in the navy during the war was B.
22O-l 400 killed, Loss wounded, and I76 Miss
ing
The reports from the war department, iu-
GLIDING the report of the secretary of war,
and also OF Lieut.. Gen. Grant, are, either of
them, about twice the length of ths presi-
dent message, and too long for our columns.
They contain very little of Importance which
has not been published in the papers long
time ago, aud often in much better form,