The New York herald., 1870-07-24

ii,Azd New Distribution of Mont
tors on tho Atlantic Coast
PuILADELPHIA, July 81, 1870.
The serious complications in political AFFAIRS In
Europe and the great danger of general European
war turn mems minds 10 the contempa ion OF the
position In which the United States are at this moment
in regard to their defensive and offensive resources
critical survey OF the field at home ia not at all
encouraging. From a great naval Power we have
deteriorated In vigor and effective force that IL
very doubtful whether we could compete on the
high seas even with Spain; and as for sustaining
| marine conflict with France, England or Prussia
we should require millions Of money and time to
create navy for the object.
OUR NAVY AT THE CLOSE or TIE WAR.
At the close OF the war navy was strong
in iron. clad vessels OF various STYLES, heavily
armed and admirably adapted for coast do.
fence. We had only one broadslde iron
| c,ad the New Ironsides, fit to go to sea
as cruiser, and she is wreck Off League Island
| In the Delaware river. The double turreted moni
tors, such as tho Monadnock, Miantonomoh ana Ter
| ror, had made voyages to foreign lands, and had
clearly shown themselves capable Of taking care or
| themselves In stormy weather at sea, although no
| one claimed that they could conduct conflict in
| heavy sea-way. Our cruisers are now, and have
always been, wooden ships satisfactory enough In
their way but quite unit TO meot the foreign IRON
| clad broadsde ships, which are now seen as regu-
| lar cruisers in al ports OF the globe.
In case OF war with any OF the leading European
Powers, or in case OF less serious complications
when 1t became necessary to display naval force
OF the greatest effective strength to meet any
gency, it VIII be interesting to know exactly what
We would be able TO do.
TIE GREAT IRON-CLAD STATION.
Tnn fha Src, nfn1 of III
United States, lies six miles below this city, on the
Delaware river, and to the popular eye, so much
having been written about ii, 1t must be grand and
magnificent naval arsenal, with immense dry docks
| huge machine shops. splendid storehouses and all
the other necessary buildings on a Scale commen-
surae with the demands Of first class navy. Leav-
| Ing the Philadelphia Navy Yard of It's tugs,
the enthusiastic visitor TO League Island filed with
| splendid visions Of second Touon. would find his
| fine faDces rudely dispelicd when his eye first
% 81 e ons wh"s ow sy and
nearly half OF the iron-clad navy Of the United
States, resting ana rustIng 'in ordinary"
| AN ISLAND SOMETIMES UNDER WATER.
| The island lays so low that spring freshets over
flow 1t and enable adventurous sailors to
| row over better part OF 1t In small
boat. Former proprietors either a protection to
their crops or TO save the island itself from the rapa
slight stone wall on the river side which has except
In two or three instances, tolerably well protected
the Island from Hoods
Before The Navy Department can attempt to make
any expenditures on works OF permanent nature
on the Island must construct first class wall,
| lest raging Hood might some day sweep OF the
l2it sandy SOIL and carry on with II the entire ma
val station forever
| On the island there are two or three houses now
occupied by the boatswaIn and carpenter Of the
station. Such or the officers OF the station as
| are compelled to reside there find quarters
on the Old sailing sloop-ofwar st. LOUIS which has
| been housed over and lifted up to accommodate =
The ST. Louis is moored alongside the island, and
by her s the tremendous iron-clad vessel the Purl.
tan designed by Ericksson but yet IN an incomplete
| state.
Is single turreted monitor, TO carry two twenty.
| inch guns, with long sharp wedge-like ram, cal.
cuatcd to run through any ship aoat II her engines
could drive her at the speed intended Her immense
turret is still laying In her hold ready to be put up
at any time. II would require more than six months
Of the eoossa rsa1A for IS Sea a LSae as
nihcent'y costly failure, the Chattanooga, a
bs ship designed for sw
rotten ere she ever breasted or plunged through the
seas OF the Atlantic. Her engines, costing more than
eight hundred thousand dollars are to be taken out
and placed In the Connecticut, larger craft now
building In the Boston yard. The only return the
government VIII ever receive for its outlay OF nearly
| eight hundred thousand dollars her hull Will be
Tor the Old iron, copper and decayed timber which
may come out OF her when she Is broken up. Astern
OF the Puritan, with her turret and smokestack
properly covered lies the single turreted monitor
Canonlcus, carrying one hfteen-nch aud one eleven.
inch gun. She has seen service during the war and
bears in many places honorable scars gained in the
hot conflict the Canoncus is the only ironclad ut
s" sse can ''i be coaed ie a. and % sent to to H the
front. Il that be not too far distant. In
| one week. She has been recently repaired and
| made ready to respond at a moments call, and Is,
for that class OF vessels very elcent and valuable.
| TUE INSIDE CHAENEL.
On the inside OF the island. snugly bundled away,
| with turrets and smokestacks covered and every
thing carefully arranged to prevent unnatural dete.
Iteration and decay, lie fifteen monitors OF various
| styles and sizes. Some OF them were originally OF
the famous light draught descripuon-so light, in-
deed, that they could not carry their armor. libe
| raj expenditure OF money applied to building up
their decks obviated that trnng defect their or
| THE MONITOR IEoN-cLADs
| thus laid up in ordinary on the inside channel Of
s St sns JASON guns nes y
| Nahant 2; Nantucket, 2; Napa light draught l;
Nansett 2; Nobe 2; otsego, q passaic. 2; snncook,
and splendid service In Charleston narbor and od
Wilmington, and would doubtless be as equally
batteries OF all these vessels laid away at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard, as there is as yet ord
gInes are carefully covered with coating OF bees
wax and black lead, which protects the iron and
could be got ready for sea In several months but
eventually could be put In excellent condition. All,
OF course are designed for home defence and could
aid our forts and the torpedo force in keeping out OF
harbors an enemy's feat OF iron-c -cads but they are
IN no sense fitted for offensive warfare to be carried
not yet been designed, much less built.
While Congress VIII not appropriate money
by strict economy n to to- prevent ' in measure measure
the destruction OF what force we already possess,
built up as 1t was for home uses, and Is very slowly
adding to small force Of wooden ocean cruisers.
Especially has 1t exhibited commendabe care IN pre-
serving as well as may be our neet OF iron-clada.
THE PERSONNEL AT LEAGUE ISLAND.
| At League Island strong stan OF our cleveresl
and most experienced engineers are retained on
duty, to keep constant watch the vessels lying
there and 10 do all In their power to see that they
suffer no more than the usual depreciation auseo
by time and non-usage In their hulls ana machinery
am confident from a careful examination tnaI
I nothing could De better managed than the work en-
trusted TO our officers at League Island.
/ THE NAVAL Station or THE FUTURE,
Some OF these days In the far distant future great
naval station may be laid out and constructed al
| League Island 1t does not seem me to be jus
the spot but presume with an expenditure OF from