The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-20
Ine Graveyard of Our second-Rates.

Side 10y side in the naval list lie the three
great sccond-ratc war ships. Pennsylvania.
Java, Connecticut. Tho displacement Of
each was 1000 tons. The hcad9tonos Of
these dead men-of-war bear this inscrp-
ton; Unfinished on the stocks; not worth
finishing" The average American who does
not get his living by or through the United
States navy il moved to ask, What were
they begun for; That question opens
gate Of inquiry that would bc fatal to many
carefully mendod and well vanished rcpu-
tations. But we are not investigating now
We are walking in the graveyard Of the
United States navy.
Here lie four other magnificent second
rates, Of displacement varying from 5000 to
L0))tons the SusQuchannn, W orcc-ter. Iowa,
Congress. On their monument Is inscribed:
Laid up in ordinary; unfit for sea; and
unworthy OF repair" All these great dead
sccond-rates were steamships So is the
Antetam. n 4OOO-ton ship. with an arma-
mcnt Of twcnty-onc large guns. A. a war
rior she Is dead and buried Unwilling usc
Is made OF her for receiving, training, and
storing Further down this naval cemetery
are the Florida, ago tons; the Lancaster,
Shenandoah Brooklyn all "unft for sea
and awaiting repairs" The estimated cost
Of repairs placarded on the Lancaster Is
sG9l 900; on the Florida, $4,000. Yondcr
are five steam mcn-of-war Of this class de-
laying to get into their early graves. They
are undergoing repairs" To name them
IL to aggravate evaporation.
Taxpayers Of the United States, your pro-
pretary account with the twenty sevcn sec
ond-rate steam mcn-of-war in your navy,
that your hard earnings have recently paid
for, stands thus Three out Of the twenty
seven were never finished, and are WORTH
less; four are rotten. and unworthy Of re-
pair one on the stocks, unfinished, is worth
completing; one Is valuable only a store
ship, worth what good shed would he
worth; five are undergoing repairs; four
await repair or condemnation. These four
Should be condemned, To your continued
dctriment, they may be navally improved
ms chances TO corruptly spend the public
money. So that Of these twent y-scvcn mem
of-war, only nine are lit for service. To ap-
preclatc this moustrOus fact, think Of two
thirds Of the Cunard steamers, or Of the
White Star line, on the lnman, the North
German, the Anchor lines, unfit at one time
10 navigate the Atlantic, There is no rea-
son under heaven why a United States steam
frigate should not last rs long rs Cunard
steamer of the same size, save that the Gu
harder is built by responsible builders for
her owners and is run by the owners while
the frlgate is either built by n bureau theo-
rist or II iubhing contractor, and Is sailed
and handled by men who have not one cent
Of Interest in her nor particle OF feeling
Tor her a. property
But softly Not even nine steam sccond-
rates can you taxpayers get out Of this
navy graveyard, For now comes the Chief
OF the Bureau Of Steam Engineering, and
whispers to us through the House Naval
Committee that while the Tennessee a 50
tons Is in fair condition" she must have
$1,000 expended on her machinery 10 com
plctrly III her for sea. He also says. in a
confidential way, that when the Pcnsacon
5000 tons comes into port, she will requir,
extensive repairs and now boilers, say t,
the extent Of 100000. The Hartford Yes
She will require extensive repairs at the cN
pirWion of her present cruise say $4,000.
worth. We move impnticntly toward thi.
graveyard gate. This Chicf Of Bureau run
niicr u7 with the admonitory Information
That the Powhatnn is twcnty-cight yonrs
ol1 and is n silc-whoclor, and, on the whole
nov worth much fo, n lighting ship. and h'
hddS In a confidential undnrtone chat TIA,
Nu,""A must Aayo extensive repairs Ohi
iel4Y"s repairs arc always extensive