The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-23
saAIL THE navy Be IMPROVED
Discussion Of the Imperative De-
mands Of the Service. =,
MO N I % o r. s
Changes in Warfare and Their InAu
ence on Shipbuilding.

report ten ships Of war have been inspected before
going to sea- ana found TO be properly fitted out
and In nearly every case an improvement over the
previous year. a.. .na B
do not know that there IL anything more to be
desired In the manner Of ntting out vessels for
sea, except that further facilities for SION
~ SAVING LIFE n -.,.
should be provided. have not yet heard Of any
ship going TO or returning from sea, that had the
means 10 case OF fire or other accident, OF pro-
vding for the safety Of her crew BY boats or life
RATS for It quite certain that in the hurry OF
lre or collision, proper rats could not be impro-
vised. ....., ..., .,rfrrt
The last thing at an inspection Is to see what
facilities ship has for saving her crew. much
more important problem at present than In former
times, when t0rpedoes were not used IN naval
warfare Yet, as said before, IN no instance has
. United States vessel been found provided with
the means of saving her crew; and our boats are
even, IN many instances inferior for this purpose
70 those provided Tor ocean passenger steamers.
have referred to this important subject in
several reports to the department. and again
recommend that It receive the attention 1t merits
No ship can carry boats enough to save her crew
IN heavy sea, but lie RATS can be fitted to the
vessel In such Q way as not to cucumber her or
look out OF place, and with their aid whole ships
company could be saved.
Some oficers object to these life-saving appli-
ances as unsghtly, and make any excuse to leave
shem behind, and the gutta percha RATS are slowed
away In boxes, unused and without ventilation
until they become unserviceable.
would recommend, therefore, that every ship
IN the navy should have q monthly exercise TO
test the efficiency OF the means at hand for
transporting the crew, and the result reported
70 the department. / venture to say that at
every trial some useful experience will be gained,
and, in case Of the destruction OF any OF Our YES
sells BY torpedos the good results OF such practical
experiments would be seen. f.rLm rr ff
Inc best life rats are those Of Commodore
Ammen, TOrreys gutta percna and the hammock
X. B. Forbes q gentleman who has at his own
expense undertaken experiments IN life
T ha Sss
experiments Of Mr.. Forbes have shown the way to
save lie under all circumstances, and II the re-
~ al who have to encounter the periis Of the sea-
herewith enclose one OF Mr.. Forbes pamphlets
Nine ships have been inspected on their return
nom seA, and without exception have been found
IN creditable condition. THIS speaks well Tor the
who have pretty hard time IN maintaining dis
clpline among the Cosmopolitan crews with which
oar SHIPS are manned, with rules scarcely strin-
gent enough even for times Of peace.
M .afh CREWS.
j N examining the returns Of inspections abroad,
] md the universal excuse for deficiencies '.short-
ness Of crews" and although in some cases these
excusesare hardly admissible. yet. on the whole,
our ships companies are about fifteen per cent.
below the complement, which should not be the
case with vessels Of war; The calculations for our
ships companies have already been made very
close, and no supernumeraries, in former times,
allowed, consequently the loss OF ten u0) working
men would be ielt even In the largest OF our yes,
ses, and q single one must be missed in small
vessel Yet II a commanding Ofiicer should meet
with defeat owing to the shortness Of his crew.
count.
In my last report to you nearly exhausted this
she growing evn, again beg leave to suggest that
some legislation from Congress be procured by
which the ,, navy can be properly Manned both as
After careful study and an experience OF many
years at sea adhere to the opinion have hereto
lore expressed In my reports from time to time to
AN APPRENTICE SYSTEM,
based on the plan lately submitted to you, should
It has hitherto been thought that our merchant
marine would be school from which We could
always recruit seamen, whereas the navy Is now
actually the school from which merchants obtain
their best men, and the wages in the merchant
navy, the inducements held out by the latter
are insufficient to keep men IN the naval service.
are 6en @ aS ancss ana
The merchant service more desirable and more re-
muneratiye than the navy, which men enter
deeply IN debt for an outfit which should be fur
nlshed them Tree of cost
1t is possible that in adopting the apprentice
system as now existing in the British Navy we
might at the end Of i've years. apprenticeship be
still furnishing men for the merchant marine, but
M1s get sns again In tune % and
men educated In the navy and attached TO their
country and nag:
would eject to remain by the service and enjoy the
benefits arising from continuous employment.
tion Of the system and we should secure q larger
number OF native Americans than we have at
present In the service; Tor frequently when our
eDlps return from cruise about the only
tionaity they have is IN their oicers and the nag
nying az the peak.
NY last report was very full on this subject and
gave indisputaole facts to corrObOrate what now
write.
beg leave to call your attention to one defect
IN some Of the smaller vessels, which has on sew
eral occasions been noticed by the Inspecting
Board, ana which Is obvious to officers OF the navy
generally-that 10, the batteries too heavy for
OF beam. This applies more particularly S to the he
Plymouth class ana those below their tonnaSs
The breadth OF beam does not allow the working OF
scton they would Knock tSe%sevss 70 ' pece Is
against the coamings. without referring to other
DISADVANTAGES, | recommend that suitable
eight-Inch gun be substituted for the nine-inch.
There is but little difference In the weight and
range Of the eight-inch shot, and Its effects
destructive. Neither gun would have any effect
against an ordinary lron.clad unless acci-
a e. to
eisntincn guns in consciousness OF lighter
The eight-inch gun could also be more rapidly
handled with lever number OF men, and in my
opinion, at ordinary range, ten eight-inch guns
would be superior to eight nine-inch.
1t Is disputed point with some ofncers what
constitutes heavy guns; but certainly there can De
no doubt OF an eight-inch being considered heavy
gun as u one OF the avOrte guns OF the service.
ana only few years ago but Jour OF them we're
paceu on BOARD our largest frgates
In my last report drew your attention to the
VAN Oh steam capstans In the navy, and gave rear
SONS or thelr use ! recommend their adoption in
Inc smps now building. No ship-of war can De
thoroughly emciept without them. -
Also mentloneo The necessity of building more
0u0yant steam cutters, with models better adapted
20 heavy sea, such as steam cutters are often
ers are now all that required and are capabie of
driving boats OF larger size S-f"~-S "
some improvements OF late years have been
price OF living abroad causes oficers TO incur ex.
peDses iar beyono their means, and at the END of
cruise they arc often heavily in debt ~ VI