The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-12-05
r Fl e N A v =.
Annual Report OF Secretary
Robson.
Operations of the Department
for 1877.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.,

The Navy OF the United States now consists OF 1T9
ships OF all classes and all conditions. These are
calculated to carry, when IN commission for service.
1880 guns. exclusive Of howitzers and small CARO-
nades.
Since the date OF the last report the news OF the
loss Of the Saginaw. ON the 29tn day OF October.
1870, at Ocean Island, In the Pacific, was received
at the Department and IN May last the tug Primrose
was sold at the Navy Yard In this city.
or the ITO ships remaining on tns navy list
twenty-nine are sailing ships and the remainder
sldewhcel steamers. or salinr vessels with
auxiliary screws; fftytnree OF them. armed
with eI guns are IN service, attached
TO the various neets alj stations a. regu.
lar cruisers, despatch boats hospital store, recely-
ing and practice ships These. with the tugs ana
small vessels use at the various navy yards and
stations, MAKE the force in commission FOR al the
purposes Of naval service. t##
OF the remainder, six are nearly ready for sea,
and Will join the various squadrons as soon as their
crews can be enlisted and 0rgauzed; 1fty-tw ara
monitors, only one Of which IL now In commission,
the balance being lad up at the various stations,
bat principally ar League Island. where IN the
fresh water or the Delaware. their iron bottom,
deterorate with far less rapIdty than In the salt
WAFER OF the other stations seventeen are under re-
PAIR at the various yards thirteen are the STOCKS
never having oeen completed and launched, and the
balance VI those whose names are Oh the list laid
W IN ordinary.
o. THESE last very large proportion. including, as
seasoned White OAK, are unit Tor use and cannot
he repaired with advantage
THE CRUISING STATIONS
The limits anu duIles assigned co the various
cruising s5atl0ns have not been changed since my
not oesn ma erlaIiy changed Tne vessels actually
III commission on some VI the stations are less
NUMBER tnan formerly; but tnis decrease Is rather
apparent rnan real. for III slm all there mas Deen
an actual increase OF tue active force. This has
been done ny putting out Of commission the un.
&C Va n
harDor or were lowed slowly and at great expense
from port 10 port aud substituting for them, as far
Us tue Department mas been abe, small and active
continually larger extent OF cruising ground and
visit more frequently the ports assigned 10 each sta
ton, ana generally to render effective service
In every department OF plonc AFFAIRS where the pre-
sence ami AID Oi the navy are necessary, without
greater expense or men ana money.
The force on the North Atlantic station Is still I'M
der com Gand OF Rear Admiral ). r. Lee, VINO held
that poSiCiOn at tne making OF tine last report The
force on tniS station CONSISTS OF the Severn, tao
Pawnee, the Terror with the Worcester and Canaan
daiyua just lifted Tor the station, ana the Shawmut
South Atlantic-ln all ten ships nonntlns seventy
guns, ali active CRUISERS except the Terror which Is
an iron clad OF the Monitor class.
ine South Atlantic station remains as at the date
OF Inc last report, under command OF Rear Admiral
Lanman, WITH heel consisting Or tho Lancaster
lnagsnip., the 1lc0nderoGa and the Wasp, Win the
Wyoming already ntted Tor the sIation-rour ships
mounting iorV guns, besides the snawmuE de-
tanei Tor the present on duty on TIE North Atlantic
station.
me neet on the Pacific station, still comm andei
BY kear Admiral Jonn A. Wlnslow, consists Of the
California. the Pensacola, the Narragansstr, the
Saranac, the Monlcan The Reslca, the O,sipee, the
mounting ninety nine guns ana divided into two
squadrons VIZ, the North Pacific ana the South
the European station 10 now commanded by Rear
asso On the a n 4 Tao
snips belonging 10 THIS neet are the brooklyn, the
naudoan. the Juniata and the WABASH with tue
Congress about TO sai-an all egat ships, with $50
On the Asiafic station OF which Rear Admiral
iona Rodgers 4 stu the commandment we have the
Monocacy, the Idaho aud the Paios, with the SaoO
now on ner way through the Sues Canal and the
lrOquols, under orders 10 Join the squadron-ln all
nine ships, mounting nineSy-seven guns
MIDWAY ISLANDS.
In my sss ,h rePoIs was tnss the
prosecuted unier tine authority Of an act OF Con-
gress approved March l, 1859, gould OF necessity
October 1870, account OF the exhaustion
OF the 1uni appropriated for the purpose Accord
ingy work on the cut was discontinued on the 2lst
OF The month named, AMI the working party en-
barxed the Saginaw october ~, for San Francisco.
Commodore Sicard estimates tnat 10 complete the
six months work. at q cost Of $4,000. without
counting the cost or removing the debris or 'smaiI
Slun.n Sucn would, ne THINKS. cost as much more.
TEHUANrEpEO CANAL
The Department Is IL receipt OF the report and
cxpedlIlon under tina command OF Captain IL. W.
Shnfcldt, United states Nayy.
ibis cXpeultlOn was aut00r1Ze0 Dy act or Con-
gres3, and an appropriation made therefor. small
corps OF naval officers was detailed for the work,
aud tue steamer Maynower placed at the disposal of
Captain Snufeldt. The Kansas was ordered 10 ac-
company the expedition Tor the purpose OF survey
Ing The river Coatzacoacos and ils bar. The Cyane
was ordered to assist the expedition IN the survey
OF tne haroors AMI iagoons on the Pacl1, coast
The party was joined, on tue 10th OF January, by
by three MEXICAN commissioners, who worked IN
perfect accord with our own force.
Tie season OF tine year prevented the running or q
line to the Atlantic; yet, rom the thorough surveys
previously made for railway purposes and the gen
erat Information gathered on The frequent journeys
at the mead waters or snip navga len OF the river
CoaLzacoacas and run thence along Its right bank
and me valley OF tributary 70 tae dividing ridge at
1arfa, descending troIgn the Tarlfa Pass, across
The plains, 10 It's Pacific terminus. The total length
OF such canal VIII pc 172 miles, inclad-
to overcome height Of Ssi feet.
| Ataniic side Is well sheltered and will require
| dredging at only lew points Tue Salina Cruz
Haroor, on the pacitc Is exposed to the south
this roadstead into safe harbor No estimates
have been made rs to tho cost OF tine work. since a
quired larger means AMI more tms than were at
tue disposal OF the 0ftcsr IN charge.
DARIEN CANAL.
The survey OF the Isthmus OF Darlen under Com.
mander 4. .. Selfridge which had been Interrupted
Been IN spite Of tse aa
obstacles met IN making way through o dense ana
almost lmpenetrabie Wilderness
Inc Guard and Nipsc were detailed for this
service upon the Atlantic coast and the Resaca
upon the Pacific. Commander Seliridge sailed from
New York IN December last HIS attention for the
past year mas been directed mainly to that portion
OF the isthmus bordering upon the valley OF the
Atrato. known properly as tho Tuyra and Napipl
routes.
the route Of the Tayra and Atrato Rivers mad been
reported upon most fdy0raUly by former explorers,
and hopes were entertained that these reports
might prove true. Five mouths were spent IN tho
examination OF this route line OF levels Ia) miles
long was run from ocean 10 ocean, ana though the
aiv,ue IN one portion was found TO be not over 400
Ieet IN height the very broken nature OF the country
which was developed seems 70 render this norton
OF tue istnus impracticable for this enterprise
The survey or the Nappi route mas been product.
I've OF FAR more favorable results. iiu srated
| the possibility OF . snip canal between the two
oceans "
The line adopted by Commander Seifridqe com.
mepces ut the mouth OF the Atrato, IN tho Gull OF
| DarIen, ascends that river for $50 miles 10 the
mouth 81 the Na1ipi and thence across the valley
OF Inc latter TO the Pacific Ocean, at Cupica Nav.
The Atrato Is navigabc the whole OF this distance
Tor shps OF the largest size, having width OF 1900