The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-05-06
THE UNITED STATES My.

The Uoited States navy now consists Of
seventy one steam men of war, carrying
from two tO forty-six guns each, besides
twenty three sailing vessels, twenty -four
IRON clads, two torpedo b0ats, twenty
seven tugs and small steamers attached 10
the various yards and naval stations, max
ing a!total of l47 vessels; though not one
half of this number can be- regarded ae
ffcient sea going shipss The largest
cruisers We have are the frigates Color ado,
Franklin, Minnesota and Wabash, carry
Jog from thirty nine TO forty six guus
each, but they are armed with old fashion =
ed. smooth bore guns, instead of having
ritled ordinance. The only vessel in onr
navy carrying rf1ed guns ia the new sloOi
Trenton, the flagship of the European
squadron. She has II battery of eleven
eight-inch rit1ed guus, converted from the
| old smooth bores by lining with steel
tnhes. the fr'gates Colorado, Franklin,
| Mime 8 TIA and Wabash cou d DO prepared
| for In week or two, ar u are suitable
| Tor any service upon our own coast I; but
| they are not furnished with modern
| e.g,pes aud are not fG to send abroad.
| The Niagara, another frigate of tho same
| cIaes, Is at Bnst"n. S ,me time ago an at
| tempt was mad to CONVERT her into an
| iron clad out it proved failure and 1t
would cost NOR. to rebuild her now than
| to buId new ship. Nuue of these vessels
Can attain much speed, aud ia Case OF u
light could DeIthtr capture an enemy nor
| run away from one. OF oar second rate
vessels, the reDnessee, flagship of the
AsiaiIc station, ia in good condition the
Peusscola, Hartford, r chmond, Omaha,
Ply mouth, and L.ckawamna, are ali good
ave oak s'hps, aud are now IN service the
Alaska, BeuIcla, TIconGerUSs, C4uandaI
qua, Munopganea, Shenandoah, l. iuca7Jer
aud BrOuklS u, are built of 1--we oak. aud
could soon be- fitted for sea the Alaska
"a a pa han. hn hay DIV "a,
her and couid soon be put on board ; the
Congress, at Ports "nuth. N. Il aud TIL
Severn, at New York, ara white oak
slips, built during The late civil war,
ana a'e at. no account ; tho Florida, laid
up at Now l. ,udon, Is u good hive
OAK Vessel, aud could be prepared for
SEA within thirty day; the Iuua, laid ~ a.
Buston, the Java, on the stocks at New
York, tue q 'nn-cticut, on the stocks at
Boston, and tho Worcester, at N 1rtolk, are
not regarded as good vessels, AID old ravai
| Off :ers speak In favor of cundemuIng all
| such ships by Board of Survey and sell
Ing them at puolc action, but every at
tempt to do 30 has met with opposition
and charges that there were jobs in 1t The
Suequehanna, in ordinary a. New York,
will not bs used again. Al attempt was
made some time ago to change her from q
paddle wheel to a screw steamer, but after
che work was commenced 1t was found that
the cost would be very great, and it was
Abandoned. The New York now on tie
stocks at New York is a good live oak ship
and should be completed. The Po~hatan,
on special service in the North Atlantic
station, is a paddle wheel vessel, but in sea-
going Condition and good for special service
which ste performs. Of The third rate
vessels the JuDiats, Ossipee, Q linnebaug,
s Satara, Gaena, MohIcau, Wschnsett,
Ir"qnois, Wyoming, Tuscar"ra and Kear
sarge are all g I'd ship the Vandalis, Ma
En- pflria
Nipsic. A ert, Huron and Ranger are mag
niicent vessels; some OF them are new aud
others have teen rebuilt, SO that they are
as good as new. The Ashuelot and Mono
cacy are light draft paddle wheel steamers
attached to the Asiatlc station, and they will
probably be- kept in those waters, AZ they
are suitable for ascending the rivers aud
will therefore remAiu in the East as long as
they are seaw"rthy. The Kansas, Saco.
Shawmut and Ydnrio are old vessels aid
will not be- used again. Most of the sailing
vessels are laid up at ths variOns yards,
aud other ia are used az store ships or train
ing vessels tor boys. The New Hampshire,
at Port r 'ysl, is the sore ship for the
North Atlantic station, and has supplies
enough on board to last the squadron ak
mouths; the Vermont has been turned into
barracks at New York, and could receive
l 800 Gecruits on board in case of an ener
gency. Or the iron clads, tho Al Ak, Ca
uonicus, CatskIli, D ctator, Lehigh, Maho.
pac, Manhattan, Montauk, Passalc, Saugus
and Wyaudutte are in service; the Amphi
uite, Miantonomoh, Puritan. Terror and
Mouadnuck are being Tepaire d, aud if the
appropriations we've Sufficient to tit out Sc
veral other iron clsds nov Ia 4 up, we
would have thu most formidable iron clad
navy in Jhe wOrdtor coast defense. We now
have 700 boys CD training ships, being ed
ucated r"r the service. Ournavy now con
srsts OF $40 men beiOg he smallest of any
IN the world, except that of Portugal. ! he
German navy, winch is the youngest sdout,
has 8 500 seamen.