New-York tribune., 1870-12-06
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
NAVY DEPARTNfENr. Dec. 1. 1870.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
NAVY DEPARTMENT, Dec. l. 1870. .
SIR: | respectfully submit the following re-
port of the Navy Department and the naval service for
the last year:
At the Of my last report the navy OF the United
States consisted of ships Of all classes calculated TO
carry when in commission, 1S22 guns exclusive OF
howitzers. Since that time four small gunboars-the
Seminole and the Clinton tug home and the Maumee
and the Unada in the East-have been condemned as
unseawOrthy and sold. The tug Rescue also Sold
under an act Of Congress- TO the government Of Liberia
through the agency Of the President of trepubc who
visited this country with authority carry out the
qurements OF the law.
On the sd of January last the tug Maria into
and Long Island Sound with loss OF four men,
and on the night the of the month the
soop Oneida cut down by the English passenger steamer
Bombay sunk in the Bay Of Jeddo with the loss Of most
of her officers and crew.
Thus reduced the navy consists at this time OF sl
ses calculated carry 1909 guns. OF these Of the
iron-cad monitor class Of the remainder 80 sail
ing vessels without any steam power and the balance
steamers sailing vessels with auxiliary steam power
or these As vessels including store and hospital ships
mounting 45 guns attached TO the several fleets and
four Others mounting guns in commission for
special service These with ak receiving ships at the
various stations, and the tugs and small vessels duty
at The nayyyards and stations make the naval force
now in commission Ten others, mounting guns,
ready for and Will join the several fleets soon
they receive their complement OF These, however,
be enlisted till the ships which returning
this country shall discharge their OF the
mander, whose names are borne the register l3
the stocks in various stages OF fOrwardness,
under repair at the various yards and the balance
laid up In ordinary, unfit for service repair.
On our own continent I'm the West Indies and COM
plcatiOns the fishing banks have called simultaneous
iy for the presence our cruisers both exremtes OF
the North Atlantic station From the isolated groups Of
the Pacific and from every struggling Government OF the
South we called upon to protect the persons and
property OF citizens. Everywhere the shores OF
civilized Europe, from the Baltic TO the Bosphorus the
security Of American interests and the rights OF Ameri
citizenship demand at this iuncture the presence OF
hag and in the halfciyilized East commerce ia
constantly startled by outbreaks which DEFY the power OF
even friendly governments
At Our last advcos Christian missionaries frightened
from their chape and school houses being returned
ou-bOard manof-war, aud any day may hear that
representative Of Government than 10 900
miles from capital has found his only safety under
cover Of our naval guns.
CRUISING STATIONS.
The naygable waters Of the globe embracing an area
OF 100000 square miles, divided for the Dur
pose of naval operations, into vs distinct cruising
stations 10 each Of which is assigned such OF our nava,
force the circumstances OF each may require and the
means at the command of the department permit The
limits Of these stations have not been changed since The
date Of my last report has the department been able
70 increase To any great extent, the force
The North Atlantic station, extending northward from
the mouth OF the Amazon and westward from the forty
thrd degree OF longitude west Of Greenwich embraces
more than 5000 miles OF coast line on the Allan.
uc ana the Gun, ana includes within its limits all the
West India Islands and the coasts Of Mexico the Isthmus
and the northern countries OF South America The force
On this station under the command Of Rear Admiral
Lee, who relieved Rear Admiral G. b. Poor the 18th
Of August last. IL consists OF the Severn the Congress
the Iuscarora the Swatara the Nantaske the Yantic
the Kansas and the Epsc with the tug Pilgrim and the
Foneads Dictator, Terror, Ajax and saugus and the
PaWnee as hospital ship making in all fourteen ships
including the tug, and mounting 70 guns or this fleet
a put four yesses-the 1uscar0ra the Nantasket the
Dictator and the saugushaye been rhtted or repaired
during the past year The principal headquarters of this
Meet IL at Key West selected the most convenient
stauOn, within six hours sail Of Havana and In direct
sonmunication by telegraph with Washington. Otthis
meet the -FOUR MONITORS with the hospital ship tug
cannot be considered cruisers the latter stationed
permanently at headquarters, and the former, whose
movements are slow and expensive kept ready for
emergencies and move only 10 points where's display OF
force ls called for. The steamers Hipsic and Kansas OF
TINS are at present engaged special service
connected with the surveys Of the Daen and Tehusnte
pee routes During the past year the vessels OF this fleet
nave been largely engaged In cruising among the
lnda Islands especially In the DeighborhOOd OF Do
nngo, 10 the Government OF which Repubic extend
our protection under the terms of the pending treates
ana IN ths waters OF Cuba, where condition of civil
ste denandedt the constant OF ships for
the protection OF American interests These waters
brace al area OF t0oO Ues. The island vi San