Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-20
THE NAVAL AUCTION
The approaching Sale Of Old War Yes
sells Attracting Some Attention
Interesting Facts
Concerning Their History and Costa
Loss Of at Least Ten Millions TO
the Government.

The Washington correspondent of the
Cincinnati IImss-Stqr writes his pager az
follows: The approaching sale of old naval
vessels attracts seme curiosity, and recalls
come interesting facts concerning their his.
| Tory and cost. There are thirty of them, all
! ordered sold because they are unfit for
further service. They have been appraised
ut very small prices, and they must bring
| that much, or else they will not be sold
'If they are no. sold," your correspondent
ssked OF sh official OF the Navy Department,
what will be done with them theu?7
"Ob, il there are no bidders for them at
| the price fixed by the Board of Appraisers,
| they will probably be broken up and the
material that is in them made use of TO the
best advantage possible. And that will
| end it. That's the way Robson did with a
humber Of old vessels, you know, ran them
ashore ard set them on fire. Well, of course
there was great howl about it, but that was
doubtless the best thing to do, for he got all
the iron from them in that way aud used it
III building the other vessels, while the por-
ton burned was worthless anyhow"
what becomes of these vessels il they
are sold. Who would be likely 10 buy them
if they were really worthless?"
swell, the fact that they are worthless as
naval vessels does not indicate surely that
they are entirely so for other purposes. 1t
sometimes happens that they can be made
quite valuable for mercantile purposes along
tie coast. The purchasers ally take the
machinery out and put in sails, and some
Zines the bosts will stand years Of service in
this way"
Yet it seems pity to sell for a song boats
that cost hundreds of thousands OF dollars.
Fake the Alaska, for instance. She was
Quilt no longer ago than 1867, and cost over
e2n0 mn IN, huiib oh hat
c ,st probable $1,000 more-a half million.
Ooiy little over year ago she was reported
to the House by Secretary Chandler as in
good condition and doing sea duty.
The Bsnicis, which has cost 100000 be-
sides her machinery-nearly million all
told-the Secretary reported a year ago,
could be put in repair for 100000 Yet
she ia in the lisl. The Congress cost
over 100000 without machinery. That
cost over 100000, making her total cost
about million and a quarter. The Dicia.
tor, single turreted iron clad, of the Moni-
ior family, cost 81 ,442, 654, and Secretary
Chandeliers report, year ago, said che
could be put in shape for sea duty for little
over three per cent. of this cost. The Iowa
cost, with In machinery, 81 100000. Her hull
ia pronounced worthless" She Wss built
in 1865. At Bos on. The Niagara, an old
wooden vessel built in 1854, has Cost, includ-
ing repairs, 81 ,52l FAB.
The most costly vessel in the navy is the
Colossus. She i a big wooden 1ncern, built
By the government at he New York yards In
1864 by way Of experiment. The expert
menl was failure. She has a tonnage dis
placement of $500 tons, and cost, without
machinery, S2,lIl 791 40. The machinery
cost 1904 ,474 81. Total, $2,663 266 Is.
And she does not appear 10 have ever
turned wheel, or at least to have accom-.
plished anythiug of Importance. Her record
SHOWS not cent expended upon her for re-
psirs from the date OF construction down,
and ends with tue simple remark: "Con-
demned, worthless; no use Tor naval pur-
poses" The report of the Bureau of Steam
Engineering shows that she has never been
completed.
There i. another, evidently OF the same
sort, the Connecticut, built III 1864 at a cost Of
1885 500 Tor The vessel and t6l7 900 for ma
chinery. Sac also appears from the record
TO have never been completed or made
serviceable.
The record Gays that the hull is "worth-
les" and the vessel worthless" for naval
purpose. The Iowa is practically another
of this class costing, with machinery, 81 300
600, and being labeled "worlhless for naval
PURPOSES"
Sill smother is the Massachusetts,, wood
en- YES ell built in 1868 at Portsmouth, and
costing, with machinery, 81 ,SSl,00 She il
disposed of by tue report as "worthltss Tor
naval purposes" and her hull as worthless"
The Java is still another of the same lot
She cost S439, l03 without machinery, and
the cost Of her machinery is put down at
1891 ,O1O; total, SS9O,2O0. She was never
! finished, and is reported "uninished, and
not worth finishing; useless for naval pur-
poses" The Oregon is another, also built in
| 1865, ard still unfinished. Machinery cost
1881 1884, making the total to date 1881 ,475.
The report says the condition of her null is
good, and that she can be flashed for $40O, 600.
OF course she will never be finished, for
no Congress will authorize the throwing Of
ham after a sausage, especially when the
latter is twenty ears cid. The Florida,
too, ought TO go in the same list. She was
built in 1865. and was found worthless after
a short sea service. She cost S89S,2l7 and
her machinery $795,073. Onitting the
Iowa, which was called fnished, though
| it never did any service OF consequence
and is now condemned as worthless, and the
New York, which is claimed 10 be still
good, though it will cost twice as much to
complete it as the hull has already cost, and
the Florida, there remains the following
list OF vessels begun but never finished, and all
now reported "Sorthless for naval purposes: