The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-21
THE AMERICAN NAVY.

pts Materiel and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Of the Former Over That OF All Ma
lions and Faults Of the Latter-Com-
narrative Statement OF tho Personnel Oh
the Navtes OF the Chief Maritime
Powers-ThoroughlyE Educated sc"men
Demanded by Both Naval ana Mer-
chant Marine Service, Sc.
well fortified coast is of greater importance 70
maritime nation than the nviolabily OF territory is 10
q continental one The territory OF the a''er may DO
by invading army bu'' SOONER " '"'er 'na'
force will meet its check IN rehcohres WIN counter
forces or will be embarrassed by the harnesses oil The
,,c, inhabitants of the threatened land Destruction
And damages will occur but Of that nature which can
me ouiekly repaired remedied 1t is not with tho
ma rhine nation coast In Of easy TO
enemy for the sea, within easy reach Of it,
mat the great commercial cities founded 1t is there
sbai nations wealth Is principally stored that the
collected To leave the coast defenceess
abe greatest calamity may result; immense fleets Of
merchantmen will be captured destroyed, mer
ctandise and wealth seized, rudely shaken,
II not annihilated.
Before the invention OF steam there less danger
pf successful coast attacks for the maneuvring OF
railing vessels demanded time; their motion was COM
paatvely slow and uncertain in light variable winds
Steam cancelled these Obstacles it attracted military
minds the importance of defence To fulfil the
naval force to compete for supremacy-the true
point of departure In a nations defensive operations.
Special corps should be established solid basis,
having two great divsionsthe materiel and the persn
mel Most nations the former the United States
in a degree superior TO any other They only have
develop keep pace with the progress of bastc
siences 1t is not with the personnL II does not
exist. The name could not be given 70 the bands Of
good and inefficient seamen who volunteered to serve
few months and who were grouped around the batteries
OF the fleet BY nature rovers, they dispersed the
end Of each cruise, when discharged
battery, whether shore afoat, becomes valua-
be through pc sonnet Matter can assume the most
ingenious FORMS the personnel alone give it the soul
Good gunners will take advantage Of bad guns
will bad gu take advantage Of good ones; elemen
tary truths which should not lie forgotten. Let bear
IN mind that without well organized personnel formed
by experience and discipline the finest n.dterel the
world will be useless case dangerous one too in the
hands Of the nation which created H. dangerous sent
out in charge Of incompetent to its success
for IL will probably pass into the enemys possession
PERSONNEL OF THE BRITISH NAVY.
In beginning this article by referring FIRST TO Eng
lands naval personnel do so because its organization is
within the recollection Of superior naval officers
ENGLAND concluded that 'if it took twenty years TO
raise man, and ten years Of that time to make him
good sailor II took but second to destroy work SO
laboriousy prepared" To organize effective naval
rerSn~d became necessary TO facilitate the diffusion
Of nautical instruction and practical knowledge thereof
- q large number OF men as possible in order that
dsposahle reserve Englands first step in the organza-
SION OF her personeI the formation Of corps sea
men gunners and the creation Of school of app caton
70 naval artillery She next organized the Custom House
force dstr bued along the coast of the United Kingdom
into Seamen Coast Guards. They required pro-
sect the against smugglers and likewise defend IL
against foreign aggression Very thereafter tho
necessity OF RESERVE Coast Guadn the occasion
Of the mastering Of the Coast Volunteers composed
the coasters, fishermen and seamen Of the locality.
While England increased the personnel OF experienced
squadron of Coast Guard vessels and gunbOa which
necteJ the military ports with those Of refuge. the land
batteries with the batteries &c in word, England
interllnkcd her land and floating defcnces
BY study ng the organizations OF tho different military
having its origin in the schools Of application and IL
kept by reserves that H. by deros OF instructed men
was 60 in England as far back a. IsI7 Land artillery
had It's Woowich, the marines had their schools and de
pots in the navy yardsnaval arl r alone had not its
guns Of the feet did not tempt intelligent to ship
But, while thinking OF the members the head to DO
wy ps xe es s 10 50 rs e
ooble profession Of the seaf should not 40 IN
:cssnt admiralty provide them with centre Of
inaspeasaS % ssa sT''a and
INSTRUCTORS Il would NO, do 70 pe,ec. them from that
pr delt the marine artillery because Of their lack
Of nautical experience and Of the sailors prejudice to that
branch OF the service The objection 10 the sailor proper
his rowing vagabond dspos tion, contempt military
exercises, &c How to reconcile him TO the new system
reward Such was The answer Of those who knew him
best BY good pay number Of young, active and in
men gunners 10 re-cnIist provided occasional shore
duty and leave Of abs granted them BY pla,-
ing over these men officers Of known ab,y they would
be certain to obtain by careful recruiting solid ami
.stion, ready for any emergency This plan adopted
resulted In the practice gunney ship Excellent
placed in commission the 18Th OF Juno, 1880. The
Instructions and experiments made under the d-
rsctson Of General Douglas and Captain Sir Thomas
Bzstings the Excellents commander. Two years cxpe
yseDce brought forth the following order
Their lor-hps have recognized the necessity Of establish
sIplds,on FOR oe"rs and petty ccer Of the navy They
fSss
The order in substance follows:-
The EIccllents will be composed Of two hundred
se he M Is Tho
nS % he and prsssrSsson p ord
sRas viii % 0' ''e
.sn Tor % srSf se used y1s
psss w be- q a2a re Sanse With
ss.ss. and M The carr w be Mscn to
snss 70 BE- made viii be sSs%,ea ss Bureau q 5
The experiments be conducted with prud.nce
n dangerous they should be made board Officers
authorized propose improvements which, their
splnons required In the ssa,t and IN the exercises
Records Of experiments made Will be kept and will
.. base Of reports 70 the Admiralty Register c daily
practice result airing Of gunner will
kept the latter will Indicate the most competent 10
she performance different duties the
Weekly reports will be made 20 the Admiralty
few year Of experiments enlightened the govern.
ent " the importance OF the gunnery ship In 1889
Che Naval College Of Portsmouth became accessory TO
she school ship, and received number o. half pay
seen destined 70 follow the experiments and TO UNDER
90 thorough Of gunnery. The Admiralty Ia its
desire 70 obtain practical determined that the
twenty i've dsbipmcn and twenty cadets OF marine
artillery should undergo series Of practical and theorct
a, drills on board the school ship Az the end of sx
months heutenants commission would be- the ard
sr the most meritorious Indeed, TO encourage the
study o; gunnery the title OF 'Gunnery 0fccr became
ciaim TO the Admiralty's favors From 1852 W 1881
W." sehool of Gunnery produced six hundred and ten
Eunnery oAbcors
After years schooling the best seamen sunners
we're transferred 10 seagopg vessels there 10 remain
We balance OF their enlistment They acted a. petty
eeers ana Instructors TO guns A. the exptrn-
Nn ~ tnelr service they induced 90 enlist by
o ant of extra paw
The schooishp statistics show 1881 1851 out Of