Connecticut western news., 1873-12-12

United States Navy.

United States Navy.
 Thessecretary of the Navy, in bis report to
 the President, says there are now in the navy 165 vessels, carrying, exclusive of howiiz 2 ITS,
 l,269 guns, winch is a reduction since his last
 annual report, by sale and otherwise, of 13 vessels. general enumeration of these yes.
 sels presents 6S steamers. other than lron-
 clads and tugs, carrying S26 guns; 29 sailing
 vessels s22 guns; AS lron-,lad vessels, l21 guns,
 and 25 tugs. used tor navy yard and freight purposes. Of thls number there are at present
 ln commission for sea Servlce, distributed on the several foreign stations and on our own coast, 46 vessels. carrying 407 guns. THE CRUISING OR ACTIVE FORGE
 of the navy. as they may be called, and which | is controlled by the appropriation made aud
 the seaman authorized by law, is about the | saQe as last year. the places Of those vessels which have been put out ot commission within toe past twelve months from tue expiration of | the cruises or for other causes having been l supplied by commissioning and sending to sea | corresponding number of others. The Inst
 will show Q force slightly decreased Tn number l by the sale of sOmo useless vessels, which | were, while We retained them, only 0 source of expense, and 1t Is somewhat weakened also in strength by the condemnation and laylng up of several of our white oak crulsers which
 have reached the limit of thelr cruising life and can be no longer used with safety on the | seas. Many of the ships now on the navy list, aud winch serve-to swell the number to the l aS are renlly needed, and thelr true condition, | which has been often officially represented to Congress, can be fully underSL Lood and appre. | ciated by reference to the reports of the bureaus.
 LIVE OAK CRUISING SHIPS. Tn the meanwhile, however, we have been engaged iu completely repairing six of our | live oak crulslpg ships, which are now in vari- ous stages of forwardness at the several navy l yards. These are all of moderate size, and | none of then sufficiently advanced to be of | present use; but they are adapted to the wants of our cruising navy. and will in a few l m tn and efficiency.
 THE EIGHT SHOOTS
 of war authorized by the last Congress are all 1n process of bulldlng-one-hali at the various | navy yards, tnree under contract in prv0te contract iu tho navy yard at KitIery. The building Of these ships, with thelr engines and machinery. IS progressing rapidly, and the work, widely distrl butej at more than dozen naval stations and private establishments, is contributing to the remunerative employ ment maintenance of the very large number of per sons dependent upon their labor for support and education. It is not without eradication the Secretary Is able to report that, besides the great value and lm portance of thls work to the servlce, we have also been able so to utlllzo the hberaltty of Congress as to contribute materl- ally to the business interests of tne country ana to the support and comforts of many pro- ducing aud dependent people. The valuab work thus begun should not be discontinued. but the department should be provided with @ moderate amount Of runds and authorized to commence each year 10 build certain num. Der of tons 10 supply cuarly the regular yearly expenditure of naval force which will of necessity occur.
 The work of putting
 OUR IRON CLAD FORGE
 in efficient condition, referred to in the Secre- tary's last report. has been pI oceeded with as fast as the means necessary for the extraordt- nary work could be spared from the current appropriations for the support of the navy. The wisdom of thls action needs no illustration from him at this tune. Without it we would have been left not only powerless to assert our own rights, but almost dcfenceless against ar required has crippled our working bureaus in their general work, and 1t is necessary that thls should be reimbursed to them if they are to proceed steadily and efficiently.
 THE STATIONS
 have been unchanged during the year. As now established, they are deslgnated as :-The European, the Asatic, the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Pacific and the South Pacific. Over these, embraclng the freQuented waters Of the globe, are scattered cruising force of less than forty vessels which, by their presence. are rehed on to encourage our citl- zens and, if requ1red,to protect them and theIr property in all lands to which. by thelr lncl- nation or interest, they are drawn.
 The Secretary Rlves an account of the sever al stations. THE NAVY YARDS.
 The Secretary says of the Navy Yardsi-I beg to renew the recommendatloas made in my annual reports Of former years in refer enee to our navy yards. and to urge that their resources may be increased and developed to meet the emergencies of these wars to which even the most peace loving nations are liable. and which are best averted by a readiness for action should they bs thrust upon us: At the most of our navy yards little could be do no during the past year beyond making the re- pairs to keep them from falling to decay. AT MARE ISLAND,
 our only naval establishment on the Pacific, ' 9nn nrv arnf hn Unr inn ah0FN tor construction are we'll in hand and will add largely to Its resources. We have great naval strongly express the hope that Congress may slrenctbeu them by liberal appropriations to develop tbis admirably placed arsenal ESTIMATES FOR THE YEAR.
 The estimates for tue next fiscal year are s1s252 235 and to thls IS added the sum of s964 5S9 for current repairs of buildings, docks, and incidental expenses ln the navy yards. ESc. These estimates are less than those of last year by rather moro than $2O00, GOO, but they Go not Include any extraordinary expepdi- ture for the permanent improvement Of the repair of our iron-clad feet nor for the COIL ttnued prosecution of some Of the great works necessary to the proper condition of our naval establishments.
 THE vIRGINIUs DIFFICULTY.
 have felt it to Ds my duty, under the exist ing circumstances, to take promptly every mems ill my power to put our available 1oroe In the best possible condition for immediate
 
 of the depaI tmebt are now devoted to this end, greatly aided at.every point by the enthuslas-
 ic activity of the officers ot every grade of the service. D. thcult of accomplishment as our purpose at first seemed, difficulties. and even apparent 1mpossl0iltles, are found to fade away before determination ana organized ae- tivlty, aud the navy is already in such con- dlttOu that those to whom our interests and honor are entrusted may be relieved from the emba a-rassments of situation where just de- termination might be disregarded because thought to be pewerless. or decent consldera- ton be mistaken for fear. It is neither neces- sary nor proper that I should enter here into detallS of our preparations. Suffice 1t 10 say that a res pectablo force of war vessels and
 monitors IS already on the sea and cOncen- tratlng at the station nearest the scene of our possl ble dltiieultIes; that our whole available iron. clad feet IS III hand, and every war ves- sel that will float in active preparation at the various naval stations. These will be ready for sea, fully fitted, as fast as proper crews can Oe provided for them, and If the necessity for
 acuOn should come before the time for It ar rlvcs, all there IS of the American Navy winch can be put afnat on the Atlantic Ocean Will be in condition and position to take It's proper pa:t. InadeQuate as thls force may be deemed to the responsibilities anu preGentions Of a government like ours. and greatly at dlsad- vantage, as We certainly will be. m respect to the number aud character Of our vessels in 8 contest with the fleets of any respectable naval
 power, believe that the activity, skill, science and exprrieuce of our navy will be found | equal to auy difficulty which courage dare to meet energy will avnIl to conquer They | are thoroughly imhued With the spirit, educa- req ln CAe detllis, ana eXper1cucou lO tue war | like duties ot their protessior, skilled ln tue | use of all the terrible weapons which science has provided for modern warfare. aud | mind to meet any crlSlS without | shrinking from danger. Thus pre-
 pared and In thls spirit, they are l obligations. and who w1i! clearly reanzo InaG | dnnps constantly DOS poned are certain to be | more difficult ard much more eXpenslVe wIon | performed in haste, under the nTeSsure or lnl- | perious necessity. The department mas nau ] A | TONS,
 | even if 1t were lawful to do so; but the press