Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-05-02
rHs uxlrED srArE. NAVY.

wssflrxerox, April 1.-THE orders
Issued by Secretary Whitney for making
40 inventory of Government property
et the Brooklyn yard indicate purpose
n begin the new naval administration
BY taking an account Of stock, In order
t.D 500 Whist there 10 10 work with. Mean
while the new Navy Register for 1855,
slkicb bears the date OF February Ist,
hnt vas not distributed until the pres
eht month. gives q t5leFRbly ciaaf idaa
Of the state 10 which tbs navy has been
reduced In number and size of vessels
by lang coarse of Robeaonism and It's
sequences.
there are today just thirty i've serv-
t,eable steam cruising vessels In the
United States navy. The largest Of
these, the Tennessee, Ia Of 4s4O tone
displacement; three others have q dis
placement OF above 5000 t0ns; eight
iahers have upward OF 1000 tons dis
placement, and the remaining twenty-
three run downward from 1900 10 40.
Ehis showing does not improve on Oh
ilervfnq that the vessels ars ell wooden
ibxcepf i've Of the smallest, which aver
age four or ave hundred tons eaeh and
are iron.
There are, Of course. many more
vessfls In the navy. including dozen
wooden sailing vessels, aome OF thsm
quite roomy, which serve very well ~
training or school ships. reeeiving ships
and store shipa There are tifteen tugs,
which do good service al the yards. and
ct which two-thirds are iron, adorned
hy dsilcate feminine names like Nellie
and Nina. or botanical ones like CaiaIpa
and Meyfiower. There are fourteen
small ironcIeds Of the Passaio and Ca
iionicus pattern. relics Of the var, all
t,f thern rsquifinQ repairs 10 make them
serviceable. There are the tive double-
turreted rnanitors, which Congress at
lie Iast session refused 20 complete.
There are three wooden first rates, the
Franklin, Wabash and Minnesota, the
flrst two OF which are only of use as
receiving ships and the ether a. gun
merry training ship. Their withdrswsl
recommended. There II the New rerk,
hat Congress last winter refneed 20 COM
a. % he of litsie value. Finally. there
y The Thesis. one Of the survivors OF
The 0seely relief expedition and the
tWt tAtft08 rams u HUt48 0Mc - H3-
derRoinR alterations and the other 10
gut Of commis lou.
Thus an aggregate Of n Reaiin9 craft
In vaFiou8 stages of coustruciion or dill
apidAtipa, could Be reokonsd up for the
navy. Bot the oaly servicsabse eruiz-
Ing vessels are the S hrst mentioned.
and 10 ret that number We must include
the nshsd-up TailApcosa and her sister
ImddiewheeisSa.
u viii be . en-, thsrefoEe. how great
an addition - The navy is eontsmplatsd
~ the ieGisiztion already provided. 10
,EiIl cpmprise. 20 bsEin 9Th. II the ves-
sals are accepted. four steel cruisers, of
sshlch twe. khe Boston and Atianias viii
have $500 sons dispsAcs<neut each, hnd
the Chi1zso 100 sona ID battery rssNeI
ihsse nee eessels are 10 he ~ far bsyond
ike b 10 existing cruisers in the navy ~
They onzht % - IN 0theF respecfA Con-
ltress ~ the last eeszion made . further
i,rovixiof for the coHssrncttan of itwu
iiruiseis cf np1 more than 500 nor les
jIhAn 500 tons displacement each. q
laeavify srmed aanboat 0f ahoas 100
isous. aud q lichs Runhoal Of about go
ilnna These vessels are al % have "the
Aiehssa sssAinahls ssekd. and ersks
lsaifexy power.
Congress i oflen reproAched Cor has-
iine done little OF iale 10 eaiid up =
navy. In reality, II The asg vessels u
has already aathorixed. are enished u
ltsanrSlAneo With 10 pnFys1see. t1e efazs-
linr navy viii b. Vastly s11eazenened.