The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-12-16

% IL In the meantime, so that it nov
z consists OF the Hartford, Worcester
: f0lchdtdl, Plymouth, .Stcatdrn, Os
: spec, Alert, Huron, .SHaCu1tft. Ri
Brdro, Dispatch, Dictator, C1noaicIs
tug PSdtd, and stOre-ship PzlgEee.
: STRENGTH OF THE HONE STATIONS.
The fleet which occupies this station
7 u 'som etimes called the home soad
: ron. II now consists for general pur.
poses OF the ships above mentioned
out all our iron-clads, except two
which are attached to the Pacific fleet
really belong to it when in commits.
2 sion. ALI our vessels on detached
: service in the Atlantic can also be-
: readily attached to this fleet, - wei
: as our reserved force of receiving and
, training ships kept in condition fol
= service at the various Atlantic sta.
, tons. 1t could also be rapidly rein.
] forced at any time Ivy all the s6ip1 i'm
, ordinary at the several Atlantic 1avy-
/ yards which are fit for service. The
: ships of the European and South At
lantiD stations are also within call, and
| cOpld reach our shores in less than a
month should their presence be need
J Ell. By utilizing all these means We
should he able, IL required, to bring
lnFo actual service on our own shores,
ID very short time, fleet of at least
torty cruisers, carrying over 400 guns,
besides fifteen ironclads and two iron
torpedo ships. Considerably more
tan one half OF this f1rce is already y
in commission, and the remainder
might be put into service as rapidly
as their crews could be enlisted and
organized.
CONDITION OF THE NAVY YARnS.
On the subject OF navy.yards the
report states that for the past few
years no appropriations for new build
ings or other works of Improvement
have been made for several of them,
and the small amount appropriated
for repairs and preservation has prov.
cd insult hcient to keep the buildings,
stock, and wharves in that Thorough
state of repair and efficiency which
should charaGterize all public works
An appropriation Ia asked Cor build
ing boundary wall on the west side
of the Boston Navy Yard, and appFO-
priatiOns, to supply new buildings for
several in the yard now unfit for the
purposes for which they sfe now used,
asked. The Secretary reviews the rec
ommendation made in his last annual
report as to the conservation of the
valuable New York NRYy-YaFd in its
site and territory. In this yard moth.
Ing has been done beyond the current
repairs. The appropriations asked for
the protecting of that part of the yard
bordering upon the Brooklyn docks,
and for the improvement and enlarg-
ment of the ordnance dock are very
much needed. Quite 3 large area of
new ground has been filled in during
the past year without cost to the Gov.
eminent, and il now valuable ground
for all purposes of the Navy-Yard.
No appropriation for repairs was made
by the last Congress for the Washing
ton Navy-Yard, and the buildings will
necessarily require larger expendi-
ture of money to place them in thor
ough condition than if the repairs had
been continuously carried on. This
yard contains quantity of excellent
machinery, and as a manufacturing
yard las no superior in this country.
The excellent location of the Norfolk
Navy-Yard commends it to the favor
abs consideration of Congress. It has
been partially rebuilt, but much re-
msins yet to be done before it will be
restoredtO its former state Of eff
cheney.
Appropriations are asked for an adj
! ditionRl timber shed and for a shell
house at Craney Island. While it is
not deemed wise to place the Pensa-
cola ysrd in condition for building
ships, yet it is considered eminently
proper that it should possess all requi-
site facilities for docking and repair
ing the vessels of the North Atlantic
squadron. During the past year the
new building for equipment at New
London has been completed and the
wharf accommodations much enlarg-
ed. An additional appropriation for
the continuance of permanent i'm
provements at New-LOndon is recon-
mended.
THE PRESERVATION OF LIVE OAK.
The Secretary is constrained to re-
peat the recommendations of his last
report as to the wisdom-indeed, the
almost absolute necessity-Of secur-
ing, before it passes entirely away, as
great quantity as possible of our
sea shore live oak, the best ship tim
ber of the world. The rapid deteriOr-
alton OF all of our vessels built of other
wood, constantly warns us how in
valuable is this timber, now so rapid
ly passing away. [ have before said
it is the growth of centuries, and when
once gone will never 6e replaced. The
supply, which was never large, is be-
ing rapidly exhausted, and it becomes
yearly more difficult to procure, as
what is left is being largely bought up
for shipment abroad. All of it that
was laid up by old Navy COmmis- |
sioners was consumed during the war,
and the department has been endeav-
Oring for the past few years, whenever |
it had the opportunity and the means
to secure what could be had for the |
present use, or to be laid up to season |
for the future use Of the Navy. In |
the opinion of the department, meas !
ures should be taken, if possible, to |
prevent the eXportation of such of
this timber as is left on our Southern |
coast, and to secure it for the use of
the Government.
WORK OF THE ORDNANCE BUREAU.
The Ordnance Bureau has been
principally engaged in the arming of |
our men-of-war and supplying the |
requisitiOns of the squadrOns and !
single cruising ships abroad. At the |
same time experiments have been |
made with regard to the introduction |
of breech-loading howitZers into our |
system of boat armament, and the re-
suits have been so satisfactory as to |
warrant their manufacture and issue |
as far as the limited appropriation |
will permit. A very powerful addi-
tion, also to our boat equipment, is |
found ia the Gatling gun, which ia
now issued to all ships. The neces-
sity for making some provision for |
arming our ships with rlfie-canncn is |
go obvious and pressing that pending |
the construction of ne v guns, the de- |
partment proposes to convert a limit |
ed number of 12-inch smoOth-bOre |
guns into safe and efficient rifles by |
the inserting of wrought iron tubes. |
The recent experiments in this direc- |
ton made by the Army Ordnance |
Bureau having closely determined the |
practicability of making the conver-
sion with safety and certainty. The |
Torpedo School at Newport continues |
in a high state Of efficiency, and the !
knowledge obtained by the officers in |
the manufacture and use of every de- |
scriptiOn of this terrible means of |
warfare is of inestimable value to the |
service. A recent personal inspection |
of the station satisfies me that no
branch of our naval system deserves
more care and support. In cOnclud- |
ing his report the chief of this bureau
calls attention again to the dangerous
proximity of the naval nIagazine at
Ellis Island to the city OF New York
and to Jersey City. The subject has
already been brought to the attention
of Congress, and a board appointed
for the purpose Of examining into the
matter made report recon-
mending the removal of the magazine
to point up the North River. No
further action, however, was taken,
and the magazine is still kept on the
island. 81 .r
THE NAVY sTRoNGER THAN AT ANY
TINE SINCE THE WAR.
The Secretary has the following to
say upon the condition of the Navy:
'It is gratifying to be able to re-
port that the Navy is now in stronger
4 N =. 4