National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03
REPORT oE THE sEEGRETARY OF THE

ShyI pEFARrNENL WARRINGTON, Nov d, tsJ9
SIR; respectfully submit the following
report Of the Navy Department, and Of the
naval service for the past years
The navy Of the United States numbers lTS
yessels, carrying 1873 guns exclusive Of
% steamers, go guns.
81 sailing vessels Of all classo., S29 guns.
81 lron.clads, l27 guns.
~ tugs.
OF tho steamers, are unfinished on the
stocks are in use by the quarantine author
Itles OF New York, arc undergoing repairs
81 arc IN commission for squadron and special
service, aud Is arc in ordinary.
VI the salllng-vosscls, are on the stocks, @
arc In commission as cruisers and storo-ships
b are IN commission as recclvng-ships, o are
used Tor quarters and other special purposes
ut tne navy yards, tho naval academy, and
3 are In ordinary.
OF the lron-clad vessels, Q arc In commits
elon on the North Atlantic station. Ia In use
at the Naval Academy, and the remainder
hte u9uorgolng repalg or are laid up at League
VI tho tugs, ] Is In the service Of the expc-
altlOf toward the North Pole, another on the
Aslatlc station, and the remainder with tho
exception OF q few undergoing repairs are
IN use at the yards and stations.
fouTtcen vessels have been commissioned
during tue yoar, 10 have been put out Of
commission during tho same period, and I
arc returning from foreign stations, their
term of service having expired.
Jnorc arc - vessels In commission for sea
service, Qncluding 8 used as store-ships, }
carrying 462 guns
These vessels are distributed as follows,
NORTH ATLANTIC STATION.
Guns-Worcester 10; Canandaigla, 10;
Wyoming, 0; shawmut, 8; Nipslc, 8; Terror,
:; sGugus, q Pawnce (storcshlp;) Kansas, 81
P9whatan' III Richmond, II; eleven YES
SOUTH ATLANTIC STATION.
Waspi three vessels, SO.
EUROPEAN sTATIoNs
Gnns-Wabash, IS; Brooklyn, 90; Congress,
10, Saho ii II; Plymouth, l2i Wachu-
AsIATIo STATION.
Colorado, 45guns; Hartford, 1Sguns; Lack
awannn, l0gunsi Alaska, 10 guns; AshuolOt, q
guns; Monocacy, guns; Iroquols, 0; Yantic,
guns saco, guns; Palos, gun; Idaho, I
guns. Eleven vessels, li6 guns,
NORTH PACIFIC STATION.
California, u guns; Benlcla, ~ guns; Sara
nae, il guns; Narragansett, 3 guns; Saint
Marys, 10 guns. Five vessels, O5 guns.
SOUTH PACIFIC STATION.
PENSACOLA, ~ guns Omaha, IL guns; Tus-
carora, 9 gnnsi Osslpoe, guns; Onward,
(store-Shli) 3. Five vessels, 81.
SPECIAL SERVICE.
sbe.latiUn, 10 guns.
The following, named In the abOre, uru re-
turning to the Atlantic States; Colorado, 45
guns; Ossipee, 3 guns; Alaska. IL guns, Saint
Mary's 10 guns; four vesse 8, 81 guns; which.
when put out Of commission, viii reduce the
force, unless others are fitted out, 10 IL ves-
sels, carrying 3Sl guns;
This shows an active force slightly increased
IN strSngth since the date Of The Inst report,
with improved efficiency on account Of is bet
tor distribution In greater number Of smaller
and mOre-Rctive vessels. The limit of our
power Is, however, almost reached In this az
rection, since We have no mOrp small cruisers
which can be put In commission without re-
pairs Of an extent and At an expense wholly
inadequate TO tho results to DO obtained. OF
the ships built during the war, Including those
which, commenced then, have been hnlshed
since It's close, many were designed for spe-
cial service, and are not Of character adapt.
cd 70 our present needs; most are too large
Tor the economical and efficient distribution
Of our small peace force, and almost ALL built
hastily OF unseasOn0d timber, have now full.
filled tho measure Of their useful life.
To spend money In the constant cndeavor
~ keep those ships ahOat Is the most expen.
siyo way OF maintaining navy since con.
stantly Increasing expenditure Is answered by
constantly Embarrassing results Of rood. II
would be the wisest economy at once to afford
the means and the authority to build a mum
her OF small, active cruisers, Of live oak or Of
iron, which, adapted TO the duties and thu
means Of our navy In time Of peace, and ltteC
with the more modern and economical ma
Chinory which has succeeded that In use a
the commencement Of the decade, could b,
maintained and employed with more effect
and for some years with comparatively lttlt
expense for repairs.
This subject has been constantly presset
uPOn he attention Of Congress, and ngail
REPEAT II, because am constantly warned, q
ship after ship Is withdrawn from active ser
vice, and laid up without hope Of uscfulnes
In the future, that the limit Of our old re
sources Is being rapidly reached, and tina
without new material our active force on tn
several stations mnst rapidly decrease, unit
our cruising navy will In few years pass al
most entirely away.
IRoN-CLAD FORCE.
Early In the past year the attention Of th
Department was arrested by the fact tina
many OF our irOn-clad fleet needed extenslv
repairs to make them NJ for efficient service
Several u then, and these the most powerful
are buUt Of WOOL, while the beams and muc
Of the frames Of those whose hulls are Of iO
arc VI the same material. This wOOdwoT
WOs found, on inspection, to have decayed =
VIuch that there seemed to be no way loft bu
10 replace II with Iron, and II was neccssar
to do so Immediately, unless we were wlllin
10 DO left entirely without effective lrOn-cla
force TO meet any duty which might arlEl
This was ut once done, and we have now III
satisfactiOn Of knowing that several Of OF
monitors are In complete repair, and moi
effective than ever for any appropriate Sc
vice. This emergency has not, however, Doc
met without considerable expense, and II hi
caused u heavy draft upon the appropriation
to the Bureaus Of Construction and Stea
Engineering, which should be reimbursed
thom, II the efficiency Of our cruising navy
TO be maintained.
In addition to Its ordinary duties tho ma,
has continued during the past year to supp
officers for lighthouse duty, and the men Al
officers OF the coast survey, and mas been Ell
gagged In completing the surveys of Il
Isthmus and In making photographic surve
safety and interests Of one people seem to d
mAnd It,
Tho various neutrality-suspicious., with Il
duties respectively assigned to each, remR
unchanged since the date Of the last rVpOl
except In the case Of the Pacific station. viii
was on the LIST day Of October last divided
hereinafter mentioned.
EUROPEAN STATION.
Roar-Admiral James Alden, In his flags Il
the Wabash, arrived at Vile FTnnche DeCel
Der 80 last, and on the LIST Of January folio
ing relieved Rear-Admiral Charles 5. Bog
Ofthe command of the naval force on the Z
rOpean station, the latter returning home.
The vessels now on this station are I
Wabash, % guns, (nag-shipO the BrOokly
20 guns; the Congress, 10 guns; the Plymon
10 guns the bnenhnuOan, IL gums tue W
Chnsett, guns IN all, o vessels and 10 gul
The Guerriors and Juniata have return
from this station and have been put out
commission; the former ut New York
March, and the latter at Boston In July. I
force has been increased by the addition
the Congress In April.
During the months OF January, Februa
March, and April the vessels Of this statit
with an occasional exception, were kept
getheT, and visited the principal ports
France and Portugal, some Of the ports
Germany, and the waters Of England. II
have recently returned to the MediterTane
and will be spread over the station, and v
visit the ports and countries Of the East, 0
the north aud west coasts Of Africa.
A most gratifying exchange Iof cOurtcs
has taken place between the fleet and
authorities VI the countries visited, and
officers and men have been received with ey
evidence Of kindly feeling for the Cove
ment and the people Of the United States.
The movements, In detail, Of the vessels
this station, as well rs Of those on the OF
stations and on special service, will be fOl
In the appendix to this report.
AsIATIC STATION.
The vessels now attached TO this stat
h. nj. H., A