Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-12-09
SECOND EDITION.
The Navy.

sHrPs AND MEN in THE sERFIcE-oLD AND NEW
VESSELS.
In his annual report, Secretary Robson has
presented some facts relative to the condition of
our navy which are Of general interest. Que
year ago the navy consisted of 165 vessels, OF all
classes, armed with 1869 guns, exclusive of how
itzers. Since that time there have been added
to 1t eight new steam sloops two torpedo yes
sells and one despatch boat, and it has been di-
mnished by the sale of two wooden and eleven
light draft iron vessels, leaving as the present
number, 1853 vessels, with 1854 guns, the arma-
ment having been slightly increased by the in
crease in the number OF guns on the new ships;
OF this. whole number tMenty-six have SAL
power only and of these four are to be placed at
the disposal OF State and local authorities as
School or Training ships. Under the direct on
of the act of Congress providing for such dlspo-
stion. Seven are in use only as receiving ships,
two are old line-of-battle ships, which have been
on the stocks for many years, and eight are of
| old type and in bad condition, and Can be used
only for barracks or stationary echool ships,
leaving five which can be put to practical use at
| sea as storeshipR, TRANSPORTS or surveying ses-
sells.
Our steam navy consists of 1877 vessels OF all
| classes and in every condition. OF this number
| 25 are tugs, used, with Que or two exceptions,
| for yard purposes 81 are armored vessels, and
| 2 are torpedo boats, leaving 73 steam vessels
| are classified at present as follows :-FiIst-rats,
| five vessels, 1888 guns, 15, 1G3 tons second-rate,
| 81 vessels, $40 guns 57,528 tons third-rate, 81
vessels, 1873 guns 1886 tons fourth rate, sly
vessels, q guns 1888 tons, making total OF Il
vessels, 902 guns, including howitzers, and Sl,'
| $50 tons.
| The report says of the iron-cad or armored
| vessels, sixteen are of d class and in condition
for actual and efficient service, four others, Of
| the class of powerful double-turreted monitors
are actually on hand undergoing repairs, and
| the fifth is well worth the same attention, but
| the remainder may be counted as really useless
| for any active or efficient purpose. -Four of tn,
| largest of them designed and commenced dur
| ing the war, have never been launched, and con
sist in fact only of their wooden frames still OF
| the stocks, and their incomplete plating ant
| machinery stored at the navy yards, and thousl
| their names and designed dimensions appear OF
| the navy list and the remaining twelve of th
| GLASS; known az light-draught monitors, not abll
| to carry their turrets, guns and munitions o
| war, are valuable only as old material
| or the seventy-three steam cruising vessels
| five of over two Thousand tons each have re
mained on the stocks since the war, never hav
ing been launched, and not estimated to be worth
for war purposes, the cost OF completion Sevel
are condemned and laid up in ordinary as uni
for further ,use, three others with condemned
machinery, and fortv-one are in commission 10
| various duties. OF the remaining seventeen
upon which we must rely to take the place O
| the cruising vessela as they return home and ar
put out OF commission, two are laid up ready 10
SERVICE seven are repairing at the various nav
Yards and eight are building under special az
preparations OF Congress. Thus it will be sec
that one-half of the steamer navy adapted t
cruising is in commission and in actual service