The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-04-07
THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
FORMIDABLE TRENGTH ON PAprp
BUT WEAKNESS AFLOAT

A Melancholy Exhibit In Tho NaQp,oc...
P"r'cr's Navv Kegistcr-Tbo Navy Go,ns
toDccny-The ships that are Worth Az
thing, aud wherct cy nre.
After an unusual delay the Navy Register n,
the United States for 1870 nas been published bv tho
Department No ono atenuyeiy eSamiqo Il.
pages without feeling that the naval arm Of our M,
tional defence is not what 1t gu ut to be It's p,r
sonnel IS magnificent, and viii favorablv COMPARE in
real genuine merit AMI efficiency with that Of anv
service in the world. although OF course Il ia ve,k
Ter numerically than the Of several OF the rreas
powers OF Europe While our officers are intolll.
gent. skilled and OF great experience and while oup
corps o seamen and marines can be suddenly en-.
argei by drawing from the merchant marine, our
force in vessels is entirely inadequate to the ueces.
stiles Of the nation, and dis race to the country
The fG0,Oo0,0oO expended on our Navy during tho
war seems to have been Of but little use The shios
constructed arc Of little or service In consequence
OF the character Of tho material used T timber and
wood ore green, an our snips have rotte and are
worthless. Many OF the vessels CONSTRUCTED on
models prepared in WASHINGTON, utterly faiiel 10
fulfil the ntentonso Of lie DESIGNERS. ships buni
for speed tiat C ud become last only by sacrifcina
every element that II esteemed essential to 4 rood
war. Millions OK endei on machinery
that having proved worthless Is lying In store as SO
The department has attempted tn make nee OF
some OF these monstrosiies in marine engineering,
MAKE thi,gs worse Oilers n, tIese costly and
-..t, ~. -. q. ~. ....t..- a a. a. as.,.. =. ~
immense sums Of MONEY invested by unprofessionAl
men will finally rrove a dead loss to the country.
TODAY the Register bears the names Of 1853 ves-
sels of MI kinls and r1tea lint cri cel Inyestgn.
,,on al .hov 20 a. , c.,dt5 roaJor Tho, onr Nav 10
weak. inefficient and comnarativcy worthless, placed
ny the sde o. that OF thlrd-rne poWer h<o cpiln.
or tie 1G3 vessels In the Navv but four are htet-rae,
and three ofthese were structod before the war
These sniua are ali over 600 tons or second rates
unsre ue 2'In ,neNMV, U, WHICH nine "a '" .on
mission our are h'ln3 Ior sea- ann i've ~ re-
pairing. Ten are on the stocks. hight are lald ~
are In ordinary.
erablv edlciont when sont 10 sea IL will require a
or i"ner 10 nnt No ea iii the alma of tits rate
80 ". .ito' w W, ", ~ ~ INV W 'i' '@'''
NJ a cost OF some millions OF doli,rs. ,
lnere are torty vessels IN the NV tnird fNe In.
the line ard rigates or these only eighteen are az
sea or ready for sca seven are repairinv aud hrce
orc atting for 500 Tho ,brd ela.a uivea Tho ,naat
i -, -, 49,. a." 49,. .....taa WV WV '"
i ~, s Y, u'sc. w w. ser~v H., - A..
that there are at sen In commission ell ,hteen and
fourteen In use. Nine are repairing aud thirty -nnp
laid no
~ VIII tnus DC seen that We nave out OF 10 yes
solS ohIt 4, w cohnisson:' utung ",' hnu - un-
derEoIng repairs total, II leavinV ~ vessels or
more thhn one-naH our navy w no corm'i0n 'ot
service. ~ WIN require m."y mllons oi uounf- 70
pace our navy IN emcient nghtng conuton' Mean
Wnle tleS lnps are going " decY. -
vice admiral Porter, win his cnstomnry m1gnln-
cence OF stye' denomlnte. tneh IN tne new ieegls-
yer fse's, 20 we inh Ihnt We nrc rep,esen n
n.