The New York herald., 1869-12-08
NAVY DEPARTMENT..
Annual Report of Secretary
George III. Robson.

NAVY DEPARTMENT. Dec. l. .5so
respectfully submit the following report .: tho
Navy Department and the branch OF the puplIo scr
Vice under its supervision during the last year.
The head OF this departmenr has been tw1ee
changed since the sending in Of the last annual
report, and the report for this year must therefore
include the operations carried on during thas tune.
well under the superntendence OF Mr. Welles tths
former Secretary Of the Navy as under that Of my
immediate predecessor, Mr.. Borie, and myself.
or the period extending from the date OF the last
annual report to the coming In Of the present ad-s
ministraton, the detailed reports OF the severa
bureaus are naturally incomplete and l am. of
course, without authoritative information OF the
ideas which at that time governed the operations ~
the department 1t becomes me, therefore, to speak
OF 1t only In general terms, aud, showing simply tha
condition OF the navy at the commencement OF this
administration, state only results the snrest test
OF principles and practice.
NAVAL FORCE IN MARCH, 1889.
When my Immediate predecessor came into 0f1cc.
on the och day OF March last the navy OF the United
STATES consisted oftwO hundred and three vessels 0(
oil classes and in every condition.
These measured one hundred and eighty-throo
thousand four hundred and foriytwo tons, and were
calculated to carry, when in commission, thirteen
hundred and sixty six guns. exclusive OF hOwitzers.
or these ships one hundred ana ffty-one were
wooden and Hity-two were iron-ciau or monitors.
or the wooden ships thirtv-two were sailing ves-
sells, fttythree were steamers with some auxiliary
sail power; forty-four were steamers without any
efficient sail power and twenty-five were without
sail power Oh any kind.
the lron-clads are all steamers relying wholly on
steam under ali clrcnmstalces
OF all these classes only fortythree vessels, In
cinding stole ships, mounting three hundred and
htyslx guns OF every caiDre were attached 10 neetS
or returning thereiron. Six more. mounting thirty
Six guDs wee in commission for special servicos
aud SIX others at the various stations as receiving
SHIPS These, together with fourteen tugs and small
vessels attached To the various navy yards ana STA
tons constituted tue whole force OF the navy at thae
time effective Tor immediate service.
IL has since been found necessary to offer for sale.
on foreign stations, three OK these vessels. which
were condemned as unit for service and unsafe 70
send home, aud twenty-five more Of them have oeen
ordered home TO the various navy yards for repair
Philadelphia was nnder repair az tue time 0f tho
coming III OF the present administration.
Tue remainder OF tue navy not Ia commission con-
FirSt-FOrty-sfx iron-clads and monitors of every
class, laid up ut various stations, none or which
could be got ready Tor service without thorough
oyerhaung and expensive repairs to hul3. tur.ets
and macnlnery, thirty-two OF winch had been con-
demned and ordered to be sold as not ADAPTED TO
our service, twenty.slx Of them never having been
In commission.
the stocks, aud on which work mad oeen suspended.
Ihad-Sixiy-six vessels laid up IN ordinary. or
unit Tor active service in the future.
CRUISING STATIONS AND DUTIES, AND FORoH or
EACH, IN MARCH, 1869.
For the better distribution OF our force the field OF
our naval operations is divided into five cruising
stations, known respectively the North and SOuta
Atlantic, the Pacific, tue European. and the Asiatc.
Inc extent and limits OF these satons are carefully
defined and may be readily traced, ana to each are
assigned such proportions Of the ayanabe force AZ
the extent and circumstances OF each may from limo
TO time require
Tho Norm Atlantic station embraces the entire
eastern coast OF North America ana thar OF south
America as far as Cape orange, near the mouth OF
the Amazon, exterdlng eastward TO the forty-third
degree OF longitude west from Greenw ich To the
N Tod a nrf.f
OF all our outward-b0und AMI returning Atlantic
commerce, when west OF tue forty-thrd degree of
west Longitude; our coastlns trade on the Atlantic
and the oulf and that which We carry on with the
West Indies Mexico, the northern countries ol South
America and the lsthmus.
1t consisted on the sa OF March last OF six vessels
mounting IN all twentY-eght guns, the whole under
the command or Rear Admiral HON.
The South Atlantc station embraces the east coast
OF south America from Cape Orange to Cape Horn,
extending across from the iormer point TO ST. Paul
lie Loando ana along the southwest coast OF Africa
to the Cape or Good Hope. The squadron la charge
or our Important interests in these Yates was, at
the date last mentioned under the command OF Rear
Admiral DAVIS, and consisted OIL six vessels, mount
tiiR IN all nfty-six guns.
The Pacinc station Is one of great extent and I'M
portance, embracing the entire western coast OF
both North and south America, extending west ward
to the 10th degree OF west iongiiude, and thence
along the equator south Of ii 10 the l15ta degree
east, taking IN New Zealand. Australia and
New Guinea, together with the feelee ana otner
groups OF the south Pacific Ocean. The naval
orce this station Is looked TO FOR any needed pro-
tection to the interests OF the governments ana our
along the great isthInus and the whole coast Of
Soutn America; our whaling and fishing fleets she
Sandwich Islands. Chlna and Japan; our newly ac-
quired interests in Alaska and the adjacent Islands,
aud TO our traders representatives aud missionaries
Scattered among the barbarous or hRlf civilized
tribes whlcn people the Pacific grouvs.
ON the date last menroned TINS station was
divided into two squadrons, denomlnated the North
Pacific and the South Pacific squadrons commanded
respectively by Rear Admiral Craven aud hear
Admiral 1urner-the North Pacihc squadron con-
eight guns; and the South Pacldc squadron, con-
sistlng OF SIX vessels, mounting In al Iorty-nlno
guns Since tae coming in OF the present admins
tratlon, for the purpose or reader cominuncaton
aud 10 give to the small force In this extended
field greater efIlolency and facility for combined
action these two stations nave been Consolidated
into one with single neeL o1 I'VE - DIVISIONS, eaca
Win the whole under the general command OF
Tne Europeap station embraces the Atlantic with
It's connecting waters, north OF tho equator and a.
far west as the forty trd degree west from Green-
wien, aud includes tne whole west coast OF Europe,
the Mediterranean aud It's communicating seas, and
the coast OF Africa as lar as ST. Paul dc Loando Tao
squadron. commanded py Rear Admiral kadford.
and consisting, tue date aforesaid. OF seven YES
sells, mounting la all eigntynve guns represented
the naval power OF our country on the coasts and ia
the ports OF all the great nations OF Western and
southern Europe, well az those OF korthera Africa
ASIA around to hindostaa and thence 10 the Cape
OF Good Hope, taxing In Java Su,natra, Bors
neo, the. PMiippne Islands, Japan, and thu
Western Africa. Our growing trade In the
East, and the influence OF our government Tor
spread OF commerce anu civilization among tho
people OF Eastern aud southern ASIA projected
IN tuese waters Dy squadron maze up, on tnc date
last mentoned or ten vessels, mounting sixty guas.
under command or Rear ADMIRAL Rowan.
INADBQuAcY or FORCE.
IL VIII be seen at glance that these cruising sta-
ions comprise within their limits most Of the pol@
and seacoasts OF the Knowa wotld. anu tlt 10 ,nus
establishing them, our government mas atpempseu 70
extend its inluence and protection oyor every nsiu
into wncn, aiured by trade or science, or inspired
by religion, an American cisiSen mas oeen hDbe eo
penetrate. -
This la time OF peace. Is an appropriate ouu or
our navy and la Doaelss wtl Nv IA prop0raoa "