National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-07
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
4NNUAL REPORT OF THE SECRE-
TARY OF THE NAVY.

BLE-COSDlTION OF IkON-CLADS-THE
vRGIEIUs AFFAIR-COLoSIZATI OF
ALASKA THE MARINE CORPS - THE
GREAT NAVAL DRILL.
The annual report Of Hon. George N. Robson,
Secretary Of the Navy has been submitted TO the
President. 1t Is in some respects the most inter
esting report that has been made by the Navy
Department since the war. 1t shows the navy to
be in q remarkably efficient condition, both as
| CARDS the number of vessels, their armament and
| sea-going qualities.
"One year ago the navy consisted Of 1e5 vessels
Of all classes armed with 259 guns, exclusive OF
howItZers. Since that time there have been added
| to it new steam sloOus, torpedo vessels, and
sale Of two wooden and IL lightdraught iron yes
sells, leaving as the present number loj vessels,
sIIti tS3 esd NV me increSss in the humber
| of guns on the new ships. OF this whole number
% have sail power emily, and Of these arc 70 be
placed at the disposal Of State and local authort
ties school or training ships, under the direc-
tiOn Of the act Of Congress providing for such dis
position. Seven are in use only receiving ships,
are old incIof baltic ships, which have been on
the stocks for ma1y years,la land are Of old type
and in bad condition and can be used only for
barracks or stationary scholarships, leaving
which be put to prG etical use at sea as store
ships, transports or surveying vessels.
"Our steam navy consists Of 49, vessels Of all
classes and in every condition. OF this number
IS are tugs used, with one or two exceptions for
yard purposes; 81 are armorod vessels, and 2 are
torpedoboats, leaving IS steam vessels originally
of class adapted for cruising. These are classi-
ned az present as follows: First ratc--5 vessels
Iss guns Is les tons; second rate-3l vessels, SO
guns 81, s2s tons: third rate-sI vessels, is3 guns
1885 toIs fourth rate-o vessels, p guns 3,Is3
tons, making total Of % vessels, 912 guns, in
GLIDING howitZers, and 4,s3 tons"
1t appears from the report that the Secretary
has given special attention 20 placing
THE IRoS-oLAD VESSELS
Of the navy In condition for active and efficient ser
vice. The report SAYS: "OE the irOn-clad or ar
mored vessels, 10 are Of class and in condition
for actual and efficient service; 1 others, Of the
class Of powerful doubIe-turreted mentors, arc
actually in hand undergoing repair, and the fifth
is we'll worth the same attention. but the remain
der may be counted as really useless for any ac-
tive and efficient purpose. -Four Of the largest Of
them, designed and commenced during the war
have never been launched, and consist, in fact,
only of their wooden frames, still on the stocks,
and their incomplete plating and machinery
stored at the navy yards, though their names
and designed dimensions appear on the navy list;
and the remaining u, Of the class known light
guns, and munitions Of war, are valuable only as
old material. Of the - steam cruising vessels, s.
OF over OOO tons each. have remained on tho
stocks since tho var never having been launched,
and are not Estimated to be worth, for our pUr
| poses, the cost Of cOmpletionj are condemned
and laid up In ordinary as unit for further use;
| others with condemned machinery, and Al are
| in commission for various duty. OF the remain
iEg Il, upon which We must rely to take the place
eff the cruising vessels as they return homo and
are put oct Of commission, are laid up ready for
service, repairing at the various navy yards,
and are building under special appropriations
| Of Congress. -.I
'Thas it will be seen that enc half eff the steam
navy adapted to cruising e N commission and In IN
| prudently diminished; bat If 1t is to be main
tanned there should be gradual andeonstant add-
| tion to the navy to supply the places Of those
which are each year foundt to be WON out and unfit
for further service, and for this purpose q fixed
5%GuG1 Of tGna2Es % Ss s9S S SyeT sa
slant and unfailing. To this end the Depart
ment has accumulated large amount Of liYe-oak
yearly improve in condition and be available as
the very best material for the frames of any ships
| it may at any time be necessary or desirable to
"The rapid and almost complete disappesrance
of this mostvaluable ship timber from our shores,
(arge quantities being sent abroad, should ar
| rest the attention of Congress, and measures
should be taken to secure what remains. 1t is
the growth Of centuries, and once lost Will never
During the year no change has been made ia
the number or designation of the cruising sta
| lions which comprise SIX separate commands.
| The vessels temporarily Withdrawn from the
| European and the'SOEth Atlantic stations, dur.
| ing the threatened difficulty with Spain about
THE yvRGINIUs AFFAIR,
have been replaced. In order to complete the
record of the action of the Navy Department
! with regard to this matter, the Secretary gives
/ the following recital Of facts:
| Commander Cushing, Of the Wyoming, upon
| receiving information, through dispatches from
1 LQe SOltul-de1BTIl Vi lnc Oulleu OlaLGe Al
| Havana, Of the capture OF the Virginius and the
execution Of a part Of her crew. very properly
sailed Immediately from AspinTall, where he
ing there on tho 10th of November. He put him
| self at once in Communication with the authsrt-
ties Of the port and protested against the further
execution Of prisoneFs Of the Virginius. In tho
meantime the Kansas, Commander Reed, and the
Juniata, Commander Braine, then at New York,
| had been instructed to proceed to Santiago dc
Cuba for the purpose Of inQuiring into all the
| circumstances connected with the capture Of tho
| Eirginius and the execution Of members Of her
| crew The former sailed from New York NOvem-
Der II, and the latter November 10. The Juniath
! reached santiago de SuDa november - ana the
| Kansas, meeting with severe weather, did not
| arrive until December 2. Commander Bratne,
! the senior otieer present, entered q protest
against the further execution Of prisoners OF the
Virginius, and took every means in his power to
| encourage them and cOnduce to their comfort.
1.-THE Departments instructions were judIciOus-
" complied with. In CARRYING out the provisions
Of the protocol of December s. the Juniata was in
stTucted 10 receive on board the survivors Of the
! Virginius, provide them with comfortable accom-
mOdatiOns, and convey them to the United States.
| These survivors, one hundred and two in number,
| were so received December Is, and safely lande d
| at New York on the 18th of the same month. As
another provision OF the protocol contemplated
| the saluttng of the American flag at Santiago dc
| Cuba on the 2jth day of December, 1873 and the
Canandaigua, Captain Lowry, was dispatched to
that port TO be present when the salute should be
Delaware December Il, and reached her destina-
tiOn December 10. This ceremony having by sub
sequent arrangement been waived, she remained
u
"In fulhllment of third condition Of the pro-
tocOl, viz: the delivery Of the Eirginius at Bahia
Honda to n war vessel Of the United States, on
the 18th Of December the Despatch was sent to
hatplace for the purpose of receiving her. Cap
tain Whiting, chief Of staff Of the North Allan
tic feet, was intTusted with this duty. The Vir-
girfus was received at the point and on the day
mentioned, provided with q suitable crew, and
conveyed to the Tortugas. Here she was placed
under convoy of the Ossipee, and dispatched to
the North. Unfortunately, but unayOidably, In
view Of her condition and Of the fact that she en-
fhn bal safT,r Of
her convoy and Of the officers and crow which
had been put on board Of her were unaYailing to
save her from the dangers incident to a winter
passage on the coast, and she foundered oil Cape
Hatteras, on her passage to New York. The
several officers to whom were intrusted duties of
this delicate nature, touching the settlement Of
an important International question, were IN
stTueted to elOthe, in carrying out their orders,
the tirmness required with the utmost courtesy
In their intercourse with the officers, both ashore
and afoat, with whom they might be brought in
contact, and these conditions were studlously OBJ
served in every particular"
Referring to the late
YELLOW FEVER
epidemic at Pensacola the report says:
THE navy yard at this station had not been
visited by yellow fever for number of years,
Bile to Key West. The season just past has not
justihed this assumption, although the monitors
stationed there were comparatively free from the
epidemic which carried of so many valuable Off
GERS and seanen. On its appearance on board the
monitors, the senior officer Of the station was
authorized to remove thom to any healthy loca-
tioD and to take any steps calculated to prevent
spread Of the disease, and one OF them, the Ca
nOnicus, received on board a number Of officers |
and men, and proceeded with them K. quarantine |