The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-12-28
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF
THE NAVY.


THE Navy.
Tho main points Of Secretary Robson 3
report are as follows:
The navy Of the United Sfates now
consists of 176 ships, Of all ell asses These
are calculated to carry, when in commits
sion fnr service, 1890 guns, exclusive OF
howitzars end small carronades OF the
whole number, % are sailing ships. and
the remainder aide wheel steamers or
sailing vessels with auxiliary screws !;
SO Of them, armed with 60l guns, are in
the service, attached t.,the various feeta
and stations "a regular cruisers, despatch
boats. hospital, store, receiving, and
practice ships; these, with he tugs aud
smsl II vessels in use at the various navy
yards and stations. make the force in
commission for all the purposes of naval
service. OF the remainder, are nearly
ready FIR sea, and will Join the various
sQuadrnns ~ soon as their crews can be
enlisted and organized
Ont nf SO monitors only one is now in
commission, the balance being laid up
At various stations, but prlncipally ut
League Island, where in the fresh wa er
Of the Delaware, their iron buttons de
trrioate wl'li far less rapidity than in the
salt water of the other stations Y are
under repairs ut the various yards (;
10 are ON sto ks never having been COM
plated and launched and tho balance If
those whose nam"s are IN the List are laiS
up in ordinary Ofthee ia+Er, v1r.
large proportion, inclu.iing almost all of
a d.
unit for use, and cannot be repaired with
ad vantage
During the year the navy has supplied
10 Ulcers and $50 man far duty in the
Coast Survey s"rvice; has completed the
survey Of the D&rien and Tehuantepec
routes, has made extensive surveys and
standings for telegraph cables, and un
der the direction of Congress, fitted ou
aud despatched three store ships loaded
with provisions by the charitable people
Ut our country, for the sufferers from the
Eu opean war, and has, under like direc
ton, sent out vessel, completely fitted,
cquipntd, and supplied, TO explore the
Artic Ocean toward the North Pole"
The report of the Tehauntrpsc survey,
ing expedition, under command of Cap
tam Shufeldt, shows that u ship canal
across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ia not
only prac icabss, but that the obstacl 8
in the way of the canal route are Of tbs
most ordinary nature. The total lengths
IF such n canal will be one hundred and
seventytwo miles, including river navi
CATION. 1t will require locks t. over
cnmc height Of seven hundred and
thir'y-two feet. The Coatzacoalcos Riv
er, forming the harbor ut the Atlantic
side Is we'll sheltered, and will REQUIRE
dredging at only few points.
The survey of the Isthmus of Darien,
under Commander Selfridge, shows that
the Atrato is navigabls for ships If the
largest size, having width of 1900 feet
and depth nowhere less than 80 feet
The actutl leng h Of the necessary canal
Is III 10 miles, the distance from the
Altroto River to Cupica B ", OF which %
miles IS LIT plain, With rise Of 80 feet
and no difficulties Of construction. The
remaining Smiles present the only en-
gineeripg obstacles. Commander Self
ridges estimates Of cost are based upon q
canal 100 feet wide and 90 feet deep. II
Is proposed to lock up to summit level
OF so feet, at which point the canal is fed
by the Napipi River with volume, at
is lowest stage, Of over 10000 cubic feet
per hour-a quantity which can be
doubled by q feeder three miles long.
The Secretary again calls attention to
The necessity of developing our most
important navy yards The Com mercial
nations Of Europe, from their enormous
arscnals(be says arc able to strike our
shores sharply and suddenly. Our own
yards are generally small, in area and
very deficient in water 'front.' developed
on no wellc"nsideted plan, they are i'm
perfectly adapted TO the changed cundi-
ton OF construction and equipment.
Iron ship building yards are also spoken
OF, and Mr. Robson hopes ID be able here.
afTer to present some system to be ma
tured under the deliberations OF Congress.
The whole expenditure of the Depart
ment and the naval service sincs the date
OF the last reports is $40. 265, 24O.52
Inc appropriations ioi the current fis-
cal year amount to $50, 1884, 25
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1873 amount to 1926 507 %,
aud to these is added the sum of $780,, 300
tor permanent improvements at the sew
eral navy yards and stations.