The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-04


navy yards, the Naval Academy ANA other Aa-
tions, are undergoing repairs and are in Or
binary.
OF the iron-clad vessels, are in commission
on the North Atlantic station. l is in use at the
Naval Academy, and the remainder are under
going repairs or laid up at League Islam d and
New Orleans.
OF the tugs, 1 is in the service of the expedi-
ton toward the North Pole, another on the
Asiatic Station, and the remainder, with the
exception of few undergoing repairs, are in
use at the yards and stations.
Fourteen vessels have been commissioned
during the year. 10 have been put out of com
mission during the same period, and are re-
turning from foreign stations, their term of ser
vice having expired.
There are IS vessels in commission for sea
service, Gncluding used IS storeships) carry
ing 462 guns
Early in the past year the attention Of the
Department was arrested by the fact that
many of our iron-clad fleet needed extensive re-
pairs to make them fit for efficient servicei
Several of them are built of wood, while the
beams and much of the frames of those whose
bulls are of iron are of the same material.
This woodwork was found, on inspection to
have decayed so much that there seemed to he
no way left but to replace it with iron. This
was at once done, and we have now the salts
faction Of knowing that several of our monitors
are in complete repair, and more effective than
ever.
In addition to its ordinary duties the navy
has continued during the past year to supply
officers for lighthouse duty, and the men and
officers for the coast survey, and has been en-
gagged in completing the surveys of the 18TH
mus, and in making hydrographical surveys
and soundings in both oceans Whenever the
safety or interests of our people seem to de-
mand it.
With regard to the construction of an inter-
oceanic canal, the Secretary says that the pres
emit tn he ODnOrtuna for n To
take into serious consideration the reports of
the surveys and explorations made upon the
American Isthmus, with the view of solving, if
possible, the engineering and commercial prob
lens involved, and establishing water COM
munication between the two oceans 1t will
be noted, in the physical structure of the con-
tinents of North and South America, that the
meridian of New York is about that of the
Isthmus of Daren, and that the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec is near the longitude of Omaha,
while a ship bound from New York to San
Francisco is compelled. in rounding Brazil and
| doubling Cape Horn, to sail further eastward
than the entire direct distance between the
two cities, AID the countries of three-fourths of
the South American and all of the Pacific coast
are nearer, by steam or sail, to the ports of
Europe than to the Atlantic harbors of the
| United States
But the Gulf Of Mexico belongs to US and to
our Atlanhc commerce, and the great interior
outlet through the Mississippi, stretches its
arteries from the Alleghanies to the great lakes
and drains region larger and richer than all
Europe west of the Adriatic, and the resources
anu requirements Of that great region, under
| the favorable circumstances of ship commune
| cation across the American Isthmus, would
soon appropriate and repay much of the trade
OF the East No more powerful impulse oould
be given to the swift development of our south
ern and middle tiers of states, nor any greater
boon conferred upon the valley of the Mssls-
sippi than such a connection with the Pacific
| Ocean. and certainly no more effective stimu-
lus could be applied for the revival of the
commerce If the Atlantic and Pacific states
with South America and the East, the fostering
| OF which demands, now that swift and costly
steamships have almost banished sailing YES
seis from the ocean, that no needless day shall
be added to the time of their passage, nor an
aVoldable mile to the length of their voyages.
The report closes with recommendation that
our navy yards shall be further improved, that
a naval prison be built, and with statement of
the expenditures for last year, and the estimates
for next year,
THE STEAMER NEW BRUNSWICK IN THE ST.
JOHN GALE.-Exciting scenes attended the pas
sage of the steamer New Brunswick, which ar
rived at Eastport Friday afternoon in the mid
| die OF the snow storm, and left for st. John at
3o'clock Saturday morning, having on board
more than hundred souls. When she reach
ed the Wolves the storm burst on her in all its
fury. When Point Lepreaux was reached it
was blowing perfect hurricane, and after that
place was passed the sea was so heavy that the
steamer would not steer at all, although there
were four men at the helm. About o'clock
in the morning the steamer gave plungs
downward, bow first, as if she intended to 90
to the bottom, and at the same moment huge
wave boarded her. The effect was startling,
and, indeed, terrifying The sea struck the
| starboard bulwark and stove it in for distance
| of more than 20 feet. 1t carried away about
| twenty feet of the starboard rail off the prom
enade deck, and striking the pilot house smash
| ed in the glass front and the sash on the star
board side, filling the pilot house with water,
burying up for the moment Capt. Pike and the
wheelmen, and breaking the glass even in the
back OF the pilot house. Everything in the
| pilot house was, of course, turned upside down
and most of the articles broken. But the dam.
age did not end here; the same sea burst in the
forward door on the starboard side of the mai
saloon, sending heavy column of water pour
ing through the saloon, almost its entire length
| going as far back as the after stove and pour
ing in mighty cataract down the saloon stairs
to the no small astonishment and terror of those
who were in its vicinity One of the hands had
one of his legs severely sprained, but not brok-
en-, by the sea, and another received bad cut
on the head BY great good fortune and by the
sklllful and courageous conduct of the captain
she was able to put into Pisarinco at ocock
| a. m, where she lay until / D. M, and then
! proceeded to st. John, arriving between two
and three, not much the worse for the storm,
though showing that she had got good drub-
bling.