Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-08
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.


The report OF the Secrctnp of the Navy
states the movements OF the various squad
rons during the year, in home and foreign
waters where our officers AMI senmen, with
such ships MS w possess, have continued to
illustrate thc high character and excellent
discipline OF the naval organization.
On the 2lst OF December, lsSl, iniorma.
ton was received that the exploring steamer
Jeanette had been crushed and abandoned
in the Arctic ocean. The officers and crew,
after II journey over the Ice, embarked in
three boats iur the coast If Siberia. One OF
the parties, under the command OF Chief
Engineer George ". Melville, reached the
land and, falling IA with natives, was saved,
Another, under Lieutenant Commander De
Long, landed in i barren region near the
mouth OF the Lena riy,r Alter six weeks
had elapsed, all bat two ui the number had
died from fatigue AMI Starvation. No It'd
ings have been received irom the party in
the third boat under the command Of Lieu
tenant Chip, buta long and rutlcss invcs-
tigation leaves little doubt that all the mem
bers persisted ut sch. As slight tribute to
their heroisni, ! give in this communication
the names OF the gallant men Who sacrificed
their lives on This expedition: Lieut.. Com.
mander George ". DeLou9, Surgeon James
NJ. Amber, jerome j. Collins, Hans Halmer
Erickson, Heinrich IL. kaacke, George W.
Boyd, Walter Lee, Adulph DRESSER, Carl \,
Gortz, Nelse Iyersen, the cook All Sam, and
the Indian Alexy. The officers and men i'll
the missing boat We're Lieut. Chas. w. Chip
commanding, William Dunbar, Albert Sweet
mons, Walter Shovel, Albert c. kuehne
Edward Star, Henry d. Warren, and Peter
L. johnson. Lisut Giles b. harber and
Master William II. SchutHc are now bring
ing home the remains OF Lieut.. De Long and
fat
of Congress. The Rodgers, fitted out fol
the relief of the Jeanette, in accordance
with the act Of Congress Of March 8. 1881,
sailed from san Francisco. June 49, under
the command of Lieut.. Robert NJ. Berry
On November 30 she WAS accidentally de-
stroyed by fire, while in winter quarters in
81, Lawrence bay, but the officers and crew
succeeded in escaping to the shore. Lieut.
Berry and one OF his officers, after making q
search for the Jeanette along the coast Of
Siberia, tell in with Chief Engineer Melville
and party, and returned home by way o
Europe. The other officers aud the crew o
| the Rodgers wore brought from ST. Law
| renee Bay on the whaling vessel North Star
Master Charles h. Putnam, who had beei
| placed in charge OF depot OF supplies a
Cape Serdzc. returning to Ills post from st
Lawrence Bay across the ice i'll u binding
snow storm, was carried out to sea and lost
| Notwithstanding all efforts to rescue him.
our Naval Force.
1t appears by the Sccretary's report tina
| the available naval force of tie United State
consists o! thirty-seyen cruisers, fourteen
single-turretcd monitors built during the re
| belion, large number of smooth-bore gun
aud Parrot rifles. and riIhty-seven rifle,
cannon. The cruising vessels should b
gradually replaced by ircn or steel ships
| the monitors b. modern urmorcd vessels
aud the armament by high power riiled guns
The reconstruction OF our navy, which WI
recommended III my last message, was be
gun by Congress authorizing in its recen
act the construction OF two large steel vessel
| of the character recommended by the lat
Naval Advisory Board aud subject TO tn
final approval OF Il uew advisory board to b
organized ~ provided ly that net. | cal
your attention to IN, recommendation of til
| Secret trS and tAe board that authority b
| given to construct tNu more cruisers O
smaller dimensions, and one fleet despatch
vessel, and that appropriations be made 10
| high-powtr rlilvi c;nann, Tor the turped
ser7ice, and for other hu Dor detenses. Pend
ing the consideration by Congress OF th
policy to be hereafter adopted in conductin
the eight large navy yard, and their eXpor
siyo establishments, the Secretary advocate
Tue Ieuutllpl VI ga ii1dilllNtN 10 lutItluE " III
lowest possible amounts,
Transfers recommended.
The Secretary advises that tho lighthou'
service and coast survey be transferred, I
now organized, from the treasury to til
navy department, and he also suggests II
the reasons which he assigns, that u simil'
transfer may wisely be made oil the eruist
revenue vessels.
nE II nnialU
The Secretary forcibly depicts the ntima
connection and mter-dependence OF the MAJ
and the commercial marine, and invites q
tention to the continued decadeuce of Il
latter and the corresponding transfer OF OF
, growing commerce to foreign bottoms. Th
subject is one OF tho utmost importance
: the national welfare Methods OF revivii
American ship-buildng and OF restoring Il
Z United States flag in the ocean carryii
trade should receive the immediate attentic
of Congress. We have mechanical skill al
abundant material for the manufacture
! modern iron steamships in fair competitit
= with our commercial rivals. Our disadva
, tage in building ships is the greater cost
r labor aud in sailing them, higher taxes al
= greater interest on capital, while the oce,
= highways are already monopolized by o
!, formidable competitors. These obstacl
Il should in some way be overcome, and {
IS our rapid communication with foreign Ian
II we should not continue to depend Who'll
e upon vessels built in the yards of 9th
n countries and sailing under foreign fal
= With no United States steamers on the pri
Y cipal ocean lines or in any foreign ports, o