The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-09
OUR NAVY.
Number of Vessels and their Character
Needs for the Future.


| Needs for the Future.
Washington telegram, 29th.)
Chief Easley, of the naval bureau of com
struction and repair, reports the amount
appropriated FOR the fiscal year 1890,
81 500, GOO; amount expended, l,4OO, GOO.
The present number and class of vessels
comprising our navy as follows: In COM
mission, steamers %; sailing ships 4; moni-
tors, 8; torpedo boats, 2; total, 43. In or
binary, steamers, IS; sailing vessels 8; mon
itors, Z; receiving ships, steamers, 8: sailing
ships, 8; storeships, steamers, /; sailing
SHIPS, 8; on the stocks, steamers. 4: sailing
ships, ]; monitors, 4; ironclads, 8; repairing
steamers, 9. At the naval academy, sailing
ships, 8; monitors, 1. Public marine school,
sailing ships, 1. Tugs of all kinds at Yards
and stations. 20. Total number of vessels.
1879.
In concluding the report Chief Easley
says: "a brief inspection of the foregoing
list of vessels will show the necessity of an
increase in the number OF efficient vessels
for the navy. The finishing Of five mont
tors and two cruising ships, now commenced,
and improvement aud repairs to the "Dic-
tator, - are of first importance. I respect
fully recommend the building of two ar
mored ships of displacement, $500 tons
each, and of three uDarmored gunboats hav.
ing displacement of 700 tons. The esti-
mated cost Of these vessels under this bureau
is $2,9OO,00o, but az appropriation Of only
$1,000, 600 will be required the first year.
The appropriations asked for this bureau
during the next session of Congress are
summed up as follows: For preservatio n
and repair of vessels, purchase OF tools, ma
fapi az fuicb &ho
Mohicsn, and repairing the Dlctator, S.. OOO,-
900. For building three gunboats and COM
mencing work on two armcred cruising
ships. ST. 100000. For finishing and re-
pairing the monitors Terror, Puritan.
Omphitrite, Monadnock and Mianto nomab,
3,l22,S36. Total appropriations asked
for, $7,122,936
Chief Shoch of the bureau of steam erei-
neering, reports the amount appropriated
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880
100000, and the total amount expended,
$794,G13. The departments under cog
ni3ance of this bureau OF the several navy
yards are reported to be 10 good working
condition.
Commodore Jeffries, chief Of the bureau
of ordinance, submits estimates for the fiscal
years 1882, aggregating $306,36l. He
says: "Our first and most pressing want is
guns of the latest and most approved system.
At present our ships are principally armed
with small bores or smooth bores converted
into rifles. These converted guns have
proved very safe and efficient and use higher
charges than before conversion, giving
greatly increased velocity, range and accu-
raoy. The progress of gun construction has
been SO great as to reduce to tho second
class the entire armament of the navies of
the world, but this has been so recent that
only model guns have been made and there
is not ct this time q single ship af1oat armed
with the latest type of effective ordnance.
He recommends the use of q larger class of
machine guns as of great value against the
attacks Of torpedo boats. e