The sun., 1880-12-05
Brother Thompson,. Report.

Brother Thompson's Report.
It Is not intentional on his part, and 1t
may not be wholly Just on the part Of his
readers, but somehow In the annual reports
Of the venerable Brother r. W. THOMPSON
the humorous element always seems to be
uppermost.
When he reviews his beloved cruisers and
speaks with fond pride Of their exploits, one
cannot but smile at observing that stimuli
taneously with the great demonstration OF
European war ships at Dulcigno, Mariner
THOMPSON made q little demonstration In
Turkish waters to protect the persons and
property of Americans with the Nipsic.
vessel that an average Turkish ironclad
would destroy at one discharge. We read
OF duties " OF q most delicate nature per-
formed by his Asiatic squadron somewhere
of the shores OF Russia and China. We
read Of the Jamestown's keeping the peace
in Alaska, although she Is sailing vessel,
quite incapable as THOMPSON frankly con-
fesses, Of ever entering the inlets and bays,
where alone the canoes Of hostile Indians,
II there were any, would be found.
When he mentions the Wachusett, that OF
course brings to mind his sending her up q
Western river, where she got aground on
account OF drawing more water than the
Wabash canal boats. His report justly
praises the Hydrographic Office as "the
only source from which the mariners OF
this country are supplied with trustworthy
CHARTS" yet when THOMPSON himself, the
leading mariner Of this country, wanted to
know the depth OF the Mississippi above
vicksburg. he applied for the information
to Missouri major-presumably OF the
nautical cavalry or horse marines. He
commends the new rules OF the road at sea;
yet somehow there has been q remarkable
number OF collisions since they went into
=, operation. He diates on the Mconderoga's
creditable voyage in African and Asiatc
waters; still, as luck would have it, her first
task was failure. Commodore SHUFELDT's
tender OF services as an umpire between
Great Britain and Liberia being respectfully
declined while her last was equally fall
ure, as Corea rejected the Commodore's
| overtures for commercial intercourse
1t is certainly a comical touch for the ven
erable mariner, as II signing for fresh fields
OF nautical renown, now to enter those OF
| Arctic research, and give his opinion on the
fate OF the Jeanette. Moro within his
| habitual range is the condition OF the train
iu8 ehipob WuiCh bcCh W pO ioh tuo hOoo
part excellent institutions. But here we
cannot avoid remembering how Mr.. THoMP-
SON, fired by patriotic zeal, once endeavored
to " infuse Western blood into tho navy"
and as result gathered aboard the appren-
| tice ships choice selection OF boys from the
backwoods OF Indiana and Missouri, who
straightway got sick Of the sea and had to
be sent home. Not the least interesting OF
| q Al.N "a
velops Is one for O distinct class OF cadet
naval instructors" SO that we may in
few years have corps Of naval constructors
fully equal to all the exigencies Of the SER
vice." the fact being, however, that the ex-
isting naval constructors have for some
years outnumbered the pressing exlgencies
OF the service, their chief difficulty being to
get ships which they are authorized to con-
| struct.
Humorous, too, despite its exceedingly Sc
rious side, is the ingenuousness with which
| Brother THOMPSON announces that he has
annexed two coaliDg stations upon the Cen
tral American isthmus, one on the Bay Of
Golfto and the other on the Gulf OF Dulce.
He does not say that Congress ever asked or
ever authorized him to annex this territory; !;
he does not say that Colombia or Costa
Rica ever asked or authorized him to annex
it; he does not appear to have, or certainly
does not express. any distinct idea as to who
owns the coaling stations he has appropri-
ated. He only knows, and with pleasing
frankness states, that "the department did
not, before making the deposits OF coal, ac-
Quire the title to the lands occupied"
Neither does he aver that it has ever taken
the slightest steps TO acquire the title since I;
but this appears to him OF little consequence
compared with the fact that "coal in suf1l-
cient quantities was deposited at each har-
Dor, and now remains there, for future use
by our vessels whenever it may be needed"
One point Brother THOMPSON touches upon
too lightly. He ought to have described at
some length, and with fitting acknowledge
ments, the feasts that greeted the officers Of
the Constellation when they went to relieve
starving Ireland. The bills OF fare might
have given additional piquancy to this in
teresting and comical report.
| q. lol