The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-23
Number and Condition of Our
National Vessels.
THE PERSONNEL OF THE SERVICE.
Necessary to Con-
tinued Efficiency.
Benefits to Commerce from a Proper
Naval System.

secretary Thompson. WILL u Is believed. do much
toward advancing the efficiency OF the navy. Such
board has long been favored by prominent naval
officers, who have carefully studied the condition and
requirements Of that branch OF SERVICE and Il i.
hoped the Recommendations ana suggestions Of the
Board viii have due weight With Congress-
coxDIros or
The United States Navy now consists OF seventy one
steam mcr-of.war, carrying from forty SIX guns
EACH besides twenty three sailing vessels twenty our
iroucads, two torpedo boats twonty seven tugs and
small steamers attached to the various yards aud
naval stations, making total OF l47 vessels though
not onehali oi this an regarded AS efficient
sca-goiug ships
0CR LARGER CRUISERS.
The largest cruisers have the frigates Colo
RADIO. Franklin, Minnesota amt Wabash carrying from
thrty-nne 10 forty six guns each, out they armed
with old fash ioned smooth guns instead Of having
rincd ordnance the sly Of armament used in the
vies Of other nations The only navy
rying red guns tho sloop Trenton tho flagship
o the European squadron. She has battery OF eleven
eight inch rl1ed guns converted from tho old smooth
bores ny lining with steel lubos Tho irgates Colorado
FRANKLIN, Minnesota and WABASH could DO prepared
Tor sea In week or two and suit
able for any service upon own coast,
but they not furnished with modern engines ana
1Io MOI NJ w scuu huToau. luO niagara, uuOtner
frigate Of tho class, Boston. Some time ago
al attempt was made TO convert into ironclad,
but It PROVED failure and II would cost more 10 re-
vessels can attain much speed. and OF fight
could mother capture enomy away from
one.
SECOND RATS VESSELS.
or our second vessels tho Tennessee flagship or
the Asiatic station Is III good cond,tlon Tho Pensa-
cola, Hartford, Richmond, Omaha, Plymouth aud
Lackawanna all good live oak ships and arc
now in service. Tho Alaska, Bcnicia, Ticonderoga,
Canandaigua Monongahela, Shenandoah, Lancaster
and Brooklyn are built OF live oak and could soon
be atod Tor sea- Tho Alaska wants new boilers, but
they arc ready for her, and could be put on
board Tho Congress. at Portsmouth, N. H., and the
Severn, At New York, white oak ships built during
Tho late civil war, and are OF account Tho Flor
Ida, laid up atNew London, Is good live oak vessel
and could be prepared for sea within thirty days The
Iowa. laid up u: Boston; the Java, the stocks ut
New York; tho Connecticut, on the stocks ut Boston,
and the Worcester, at Norfolk, arc not regarded
good vesscs, and old naval officers speak in favor of
sondemning all such ships by "a board OF survey and
selling them at public auction. but every attempt to
has met with opposition and unjust charges 10
tho effect that rings formed or that there wero
jobs IN sales. which havo prevented tho sala
Tho Susquehanna, In ordinary ut New York. will not
be used again. An attempt made some timo ago
to change hor from paddle wheel to steamer,
but after the wtsk commenced 10 found the
cost would be very great and u was abandoned.
Tho Now York, now on the stocks at New York, Is
good live oak ship ana should be completed.
Tho Powhaan, on special service the North Allan.
tic station, paddle wheel vessel but in sea-gopg
condition. and good special service, which she per-
lorna
THIRD RATE vEssxIs
OF the third vessels tho Junata Osspee. Quin-
nebang, Swatara. Gaiena, Mohican, Wachusctt, Iro-
quois, Wyoming Tuscarora and Kcasargo are all good
ships The vandalia, Marion, Adams, Alliance, Es-
SEX Enterprise, Npsic. Alert. Huron and Ranger arc
magnificent Vessels.
Some OF them new and others have been 70.
built, so that they good The Ashuclot
and Monocacy are light draft paddle wheel steamers
attached to tho Asac station, and they Will probably
be kept in those waters they are suitable for
cendng tho rivers and will therefore remain tho
East long they scaworthy.
Tho Kansas, Saco, Nyack, shawmut and Y antic arc
old vessels and will not DO used again. Tho latte
named vessel 10 now on her way homo from tho
Asatic station.
SAILING VESSELS.
Most OF the sailing vessels lard up at the various
yarss and others used store ships or truining
vessels Tor boys Tho New Hampshire, ut Port Royal
is the store snip for the North Atlantic station and
has supplies enough on board 10 last the squadron
months
rhs vermont has been turned into barracks at Now
York. and could receive 500 recruits board
oil nn emergency.
The IRox-cLADs
or the ,ron.cads tho Ajax, Canon'cus Caskili Die
taor Lchigh. Mahopac, Manhattan, AontAuk Passaic,
saugas and wyandotte arc in service. Tue Amphi.
trite, Mantono;noh, Puritan, Terror ami Monadnoc
being repaired, and u the appropriations SUI
nclent 10 III out several other ron.claas laid up
would have The most formidable IRON clad navy In
the world tor coast defence.
Experienced naval officers express the opinion that
the United states navy should anve At least 10000
trained seamen. lniiiatory steps Tor this purpose
have already been taken, aud have 700 boys
ships being educated for service II Con-
grcss would allow larger number Of boys to be edu
Gated, and make proper provision for them, we could
soon have an efficient force Of trained scafnen.
Row THE VESSELS ARE MANNED
Cur navy now consists OF 1900 men, being the
smallest OF any nation IN the world, except that Of
Portugal The German navy which Is the youngest
aioat, has 800 scamen.
WANTS OF NAVY.
The next rcqusite Tor our service is ried ordnance
in conformity 10 the plan adopted by every Power
the face OF tho earth, and next tho construction Of
ships. II argued that IL should DO the policy tho
government TO build certain number OF ships every
year ana sell OIL the Old ones Our navy should have
forty ships.ofwar IN commission. ana Of this number
ten should be IN Eastern seas, ten own coast
and in West Indian waters. nve on the North racnc,
IRON five TO ten IN European waters and the
OF Afrca. three on the Brazilian coast three
in the south Pacific In order to keep forty ships in
commission the navy should have " least eighty
gong vessels. so Ihat one could relieve another Tor
necessary repairs, &c
MATERIAL vEssELs.
These officers argue that live oak timber should be
used Ia building snips, tor tho that 10 less
liable 10 damage than iron, Is equally durable and 10
cheaper as We have Quantities OF such timber Eng
land mas been forced 10 build her vessels OF
account OF having no suitable tmber, but with
1t IS different As 10 tho class OF ships NODDED. they
argue that lvc should DO similar 10 the Trenton
steamers OF 800 tons and carrying ried
terry OF eleven guns each The others should be Of the
vandaa class OF about 600 TONS carrying eight guns
each and oil the Adams class, OF about dC0 TONS and
carrying six guns each. These vessels would act a
CRUISERS aud with our present Ironcads together with
the torpedo system. which has probably been FULLY
developed by this country AZ by any other, would Al
lord lair protection 10 coast police the seas, and,
in case OF var, cripple the commerce OF an enemy.
APPROPRIATIONS NkCESsARY.
The annual Appropriation for tho navy should be
So 600 Co., and this sum would gvo the country
the navy II requires. England npproprlates annually
Tor her navy 0O0 France, $40. 200 and Cor
many, about S20.0O0 700.
BkAkrir5 OF THE NAVY.
As ON illustration OF tho benefits TO DO derived from
efficient navy II Is mentioned that In 1s4b