Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-12-08
WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENTS.
secreta,y Rob sons Report.

sells without steam power, of which number four,
namely, the Santee the Dale, the Saratoga and
tae Portsmouth, are in use as training and prac
flee ships; two, the Saint MarJs and the James
town, are assigned to he States as school ships,
d der the act Congress providing therefor;
three, the Pdwnee, the Saint l. us and the Saint
Lawrence in use as hospitil-shps or as quarters;
six. the Antetam, the Ohio, the Vermont, the
supply, the Onward and the Guard as coal, store
ana supply ships at he various stations and for
ire several squadrons; SIX, namely, the hide
pendence, the New Ham, shire, the Relief the
IA biue the Potomac and the savannah in con-
mission as receiving ships: two, the Macedonia
ard the Cyane laid up in ordinary as useless for
any present purpose, and one, the New Orleans,
remaining, as las been the case for the last half
CENTURY, OF the stocks at Sackett's harbor. The
Constellation is useful practice ship. These
ships, though most of them are useful Tor the pur-
pose to which they are assigned and 20 some eX-
tent necessary part OF the naval service, are In
IA mere representatives of the navy OF the past.
'uli remaining on the register to be utilized as
test may be, but OF little value as part Of
an efficient force for either the cruising or fight
ing purposes OF the prese At day.
only circumstance has isen within the
limits of the command to mar the pleasant and
usually existing intercourse. Ii became nece e
sary in August last TO order two vessels 30 Trip
ola TO inquire into insults offered 10 the consul Of
me United States by sailors of the Tripolitan
squadron
The Hartford, then just ont of the canal, ION
the way home from tn Asiaiic statior.) WAS
q egraphed TO touch at TripOli, aud Rear Admi-
raj Worden received orders TO send one or more
ssels of his command, if necessary to that point
Tor the purpose stated, and he accordingly dis
pa ched the Congress. Both vessels arrived
about the same time, the 18th of August, and the
senior in command entered upon the duty to
ieh he assigned They were not we'll re-
&c we'd by irresponsible parties on shore,
WHO MADE SOME RUDE DEMONSTRATIONS
49, ts.g,a
suitable atOnement being made by the fripo itan
vernment, ana the two vessels took their de-
p rture on the 2sth Of AUGUST, after full resto-
alton OF the previously existing friendly rela
o. ms.
The steam vessels of the navy, as distinguished
from iron clads ana torpedo-shils, number in he
" hole ninety-tiye, of which, however, twenty fve
are tugs,
EMPLOYED AS TOWING.
ferry or torpedo boats at the various navy yards
or stations, or in use as surveying vessels. or IN
the service of the FISH commission, In accordance
It'll the law directing the same.
OF the wooden ships eighteen are new. the
Trenton, Adams Essex. Enterprise, Alliance,
Alert, Huron and Ranger being the eight new
sloops built under special appropriation. and ten
otbers, the MOnongahela, Tennessee, Mohican,
Swatara. Vardalia. Marion, Quinnebaug,
Galena, Nipsic and Tallapoose being rebuilt with
1--we oak ana supplied with substantially new ma
chinery during the two or three years last past.
lesides such OF these new ships as are in commits
Sion, thirty-two others, including the large and
most efficient ships of the navy, in actual ser
vice as cruisers or training ships, and twelve OF
The remainder though requiring more less re-
pairs to their boilers and machinery, could, il
needed, be put in good condition for service as
soon as sailors could be enlisted to man them.
The report gives detail of the work of the
navy on the various stations, aud, concerning
the European stations mentions
The force on the Asiatic station, probably The
most important of any of eur fore On stations.
consists of the Tennessee, dag ship,) kearssrge,
Iantic, Ashuelot MOnocacy. Saco and Palos,
and is under the command of Rear Admiral Win.
Reynolds. Rear Admiral Alex. M. PenDock,
YhOm he succeeded relinQuished the command
at. Yokohama, June "a, on account OF ill health
and returned home by mail steamer TO San Fran.
cisco. Commander X. +. X. Lewis, the senior
officer on the station, was left in command until
the arrival out of Retr Admiral Reynolds. The
latter sailed In the Tennessee from New York,
June e, and proceeded TO his station by way of
the Mediterranean and the SueZ canal The
Tennessee touched al Gibraltar and Palermo,
passed safely through the canal, thence to
Adm Bombay, Colombo and Penang, at which
latter place Rear Admiral Reynolds reported his
arrival on the 10th of september. He has prob
ably reached Yokohama, the
HEADQUARTERS OF THE STATION.
A plan is given of the services on the North
Paeinc station, commanded by Rear Admiral
Almy, and which consists at present OF the flag
ship Pensacola and the Tuscarora Aluston is
made TO toe unfortunate loss of the Saranac in
Seymour Nsrrows on the Is h of June last, the
official reports OF which nave been previously
published; 10 the deep sea sOund1ngs and other
important service Of the Tuscarora, and to her
important service in conducting, at the instance
claims, or c0mpla ANTS of American citizens
against the natives of that group. This duty
WAS performed ia a highly satisfactory ami pru.
dent manner. and the course of her commanding
officer and those associated with him such as
TO inspire a feeling OF friendship and gOoa will
between he rulers Of Samoa and the citizens of
the United States.
Rear Admiral AImy has given much of his
time 10 the Hawaiian group. probably the most
important and interesting quarter OF his CON-
mand He sailed from there on the 25th of Sep
TENDER last for Lower California aud the west
coast Of Mexico, and rs looked for at San Fran
cisco ahout February
The South Atlantic station is commanded by
Rear Admiral VIM. +. lie Roy, and consists OF
the brooklyn. tfagship,) Monongahela. Wasp
and Fr0lic. Tue Brooklyn joined the station
May D., taking the place of the Lancaster and
the Frolic has probably reached it. The latter is
TO SUCCEED TEE WASP
which is about worn out, and not being in a con.
ditien to make the passage home, has been
dered to he sold out there.
The Nor Atlantic station, which comprise
The Hartford, Worcester, Powhatan, Plymouth.
Sw3tara, Ossipee. Alert Huron, Shawmut Rio
Bravo ID spatcb, Dictator. Canonieus, tug Pinta
and stoFeshp Pswnee, is aiIud ed to at nsderahe
length 10 the report. Il comprises within lis lin
It's ali the west Indian and az lacent islands. the
waters o. the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mex.
leo, and those that wash the shores OF the great
lsthmus. Central America and the Spanish main.
Here 1t is that most of our home and eoasting
trade touches foreign waters and comes In act
with 70 egn authority. Here are centred the
most delicate interests of our commerce. and here
arise the most difficult responsibility which rest
upon US in cur relations TO other governments.
The fleet which occupies this station is some
times called the home squadron. l now consists,
ioFRenerai.putp s, of he ships above mentioned,
but all Que ir n-cads, exec II two witch are at.
taehed to the Pacific fleet. really belong 10 it
when in commission. ALI our vessels on de ached
service 10 the Atlantic can also be readily at
tached TO this fleet, as we'll as our reserved force
81 receiving and training ships, kept in condition
for service at the various Atlantic stations Il
could also be rapidly reinforced at any time by
all the ships in ordinary at the several Atlantic
W "A far wrfnn tkr chi
Of the European and South Atlantic stations are
also within call and could reach our shores in
less than a month, should their presence be
needed. BY itizpg all the means, We should
be able, II required. bring into actual service
on eur own shores, in very short time. feet of
At least 20 cruisers. carrying 500 guns besides
10 lron-elads and iron torpedo ships. Consider.
ABLY mo than ore half OF this
FORCE is ALREADY IN COMMISSION,
and the remainder might be put into serviee as
rapidly as their crews could be enlisted ana
rhe report refers to the interoceanic canal sur
veys, ant, in transmitting the report o, the com
mission appointed ny the President TO consider
the whole subject OF communication by canal be.
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans over the
Is linus, says: This report is very concise, stat.
tng only results, and is made in advance OF their
more Ella borate and fiual report giving the data
upon which these are founded.
Al er q careful examination of all the routes
proposed their unanimous conclusion rs that be
one known as 1.-The Nicaragaan route" beginning
at or near GreytOwn on the Atlantic side and
ending north of the Rio del Brito on the Pacific
affords the most advantages and presents the
tewest difficulties of any route yet found across
the lsthmus.
Upon the subject of the photographic Office the
Secretary refers 70 the report OF he hydro
gTapher TO the bureau of navigation The DE
pertinent Is July alive TO the subject OF conduct
ing foreign surveys, especially In the Pacific
ocean, OF employing our navy officers during
peace IN work so portant TO com nerce and TO
geographical science, and of adding our mite 10
The explorations constantly carried on by other
great maritime nations, in the surveying and
mapping out the unsurveye ed world W hich still con
stitutes about one half OF the coasts and wafers
of the globe. Referring TO navy yards, the See
rotary remarks that the past few years no appro-
priations for new bnildiDgs or other works OF i'm
provement have been made for several of. our
navy yards, and the small amount appropriate ted
for repairs ana preservation has proved inSufi
eient TO keep the buildings, stocks and wharves in
that thorough state OF repair and efficiency which
Should CHI .racterize all public works.
In New York nothing has been done beyond
the current repairs The appropriations asked
Tor the protection of that part of the yard border
iDg upon the Brooklyn docks, and for the im-
provemeDt and enlargement of the ordnance
dock, are very much needed. Quitea
LARGE AREA OF NEW GROUND
has been filled in during the past year without
cost to the Government and is row valuable