The New York herald., 1870-05-03
Our Navy Yards Compared W1h Those
OF Other Nations.


by the number Of ships-of-war she can put
afloat at short notice or the number she may
have iE commission, but also by her ability TO
replace losses in case her fleets are captured
or destroyed. When we commenced the war
against rebellion we had small navy of about
one hundred vessels and seven navy yards-a ]
much larger number of the latter than any
other naval Power possessed--yet when it be-
came necessary to build and equip large
number OF vessels our yards were found totally
inadequate for the purpose intended. 1t was
foreseen by naval officers that this would be
the case in time of war; for although we had
80 many navy yards no system was pursued
from wear TO wear to make them available in
time of war, and they were merely suitable lor
the equipment and repair of the dozen SHIPS
annually fitted out to supply relief to our squad
rous abroad. The yards were not efficient from
the fact that they were created through the in-
finence Of politicians, and were made use oil as
political adjuncts, to be filed with voters at
election time, and for party employees when
elections were not going on. This system mas
SO prevailed for many years that up to the
present time the navy yards are divided out
among politicians, and members OF Congress
claim almost entire jurisdiction in the appoint
ment of foremen and other civil appointments.
The result is that the labor in our navy yards
is not always of the best kind, and has
not been applied to objects that would
make them as important as they should be.
When the war broke opt our private ship
yards were at once filed with the vessels we
had TO buy and extemporize into men Of war.
and although it was pleasant to see that our pri-
vate establishments could find employment at )
time when work was scarce, yet to professional
men it was mortifyng to witness our many
yards 80 lily provided with appliances for fit
ting out ships.
When the battle between the Monitor and
the Merrimac took place England stood In
the pride Of her strength. owner Of hundred
| three-deckers, an equal number of seventy
| tours, more than that number of swift steam
| frigates and two or three hundred smaller
vessels. As soon as the news of the engage
| nent reached England the Lords of the Adml-
rally saw that the British navy was annlhi-
lated 40 far as contending with lron-p!ated
| ships was concerned. Like true sailors they
at once set to work to repair damages after an
| action which was as disastrous to themselves
as to the rebels The English had provided
their naval dockyards with all the appliances
| of war. They at once commenced to demousn
the great structures Of which their navy was
composed, and went to work building iron-clads
| as fast as the capacity of their dockyards
would allow. France did the same thing; 80
did all the European Powers; and now a
| three-d decker is one Of the things that were.
| Those stupendous and beautiful fabrics which
! once attested the power OF England ana
| France now serve no useful purpose except
for receiving and school ships, or as specimens
of the folly of putting together such huge
masses of wood which one little Monitor
would send to the bottom in short time.
Now the navies of the world TEEN with
powerful iron-clads, the mechanics hammers
are going night and day, and England and
France seem to he engaged in race to see
which can build the greatest number OF these
new engines OF war.
Napoleon l., who saw the necessity OF a
|
yards at Cherbourg, Brest and Toulon. The
former. on the open ocean, he enclosed with
great sea wall, that makes it the most secure
harbor iu the world and capable of holding the
entire French navy. II is filed with arsenais,
dry docks and every description OF War mate
rial When change Of war machines became
necessary France was ready to begin the wori
of reconstruction; and Though England mad
the advantage of her in the possession OF SC
many private machine shops and such private
backwards as those Of the Lairds, she ha
held her own manfully. Great attention has
been paid by both these powerful nations
to the building Of dry docks, there being
seven or eight in each OF their yards
while we can boast of but three in all ou
seven establishments We are only willing t.
spend money to perpetuate political supremacy
and care but little for the actual necessities Q
the navy. 1t is to these necessities that tn
attention of some clever man in Congress
should be directed. There are few member
of Congress now making capital out OF tn
various subjects before the country, and an
one of moderate ability can make name TO
himself that will be remembered as long
those of Senators Southard, of New Jersey, an
, Grimes. of Iowa These were the only tw
4 men in Congress who ever really comprehende
the wants of the navy and lent their utno'
, exertions to build 1t up. They stood, like bu
1 warks Of iron, resisting the attacks OF me
who desire to break it down; who talk OF dc
pending on a mercantile marine as means
y national defence, while they do nothing
J, reality to advance the interests of that marin
e which ought now to be the foremost IN tt
world.
IS These hints, it is to be hoped, will not K