Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-12-02
THE AMERICAN NAVY.
Report of tho Chief OF Construction
and Repair.

WASHINGTON, Nov. A.-The chief Of the
bureau of Construction and Repair, in his an
nual report, states that the cruisers Atlanta
and Boston are at the navy yard, Brooklyn,
N. Y. They have both been on the docks and
put in repair. The Chicago Is still at Chest sr,
and the work on her is now being rapidly push.
ed TO com letion. The chief constructor says
the appropriation Of 1891, made under the
act of July 10, 1886, viii not be sufficient to
complete the work on these vessels, and In
order that no delay in its prosecution may be
occasioned by lack Of funds, he has asked for
an additional appropriation Of So, 900, which
1t is expected, will complete the vessels. The
Lackawaua, now at Mare Island navy yard,
California, while not condemned, cannot be
repaired for active service, and it is suggested
that she be converted into q receiving ship
to replace the old line Of battle ship Independ.
ence, VIII lch Is now unfit for further use as a
receiving ship The Tennessee, the only first
rate wooden vessel IN active service, can he
kept In service but few months longer. The
Nandoah also has been surveyed and found to
be beyond repair. Toe number Of serv ceable
boats IN the navy has thus been reduced to
two frst-rate, 10 secoud-rate, 30 thirdrate, aud
GLIDING two torpedo rams. The Franklin,
Wabash, Minnesota and New York, all first
rate vessels, are set dewn as requiring ex-
tensve repairs, and thirteen iron-clads re-
quire more or less repair. In addition to
these vessels, the naval list comprises
fifteen iron and twelve wooden sailing YES
sells, used for receiving and transport ships.
The new vessels com lleted, or authorized
to be built, are as follows: One, the Dolphin,
complete; Two, Boston and the Atlanta,
armament complete, five, Chicago and moni-
tors, complete; five, Baltimore, Charles
ton and Newark, and two gun-boats, under
advisem mt; and four, an armored cruiser,
battle sh p, pneumatic dynamite ship, and
torpedo boat, not yet designed. To the above
list Of iron and steel vessels can be ad led the
Alert an Ranger, four guns each. Monoca-
cy, paddle wheel gun boat, four guns; Michi-
gan, paddle wheel: gun boat, four guns;
Alarma, one gun: Intrepid, vet to be com
pleted, gun boat, two thirteen-inch guns. The
remainder Of the iron built vessels now in the
service consists Of thirteen river and harbor
monitors with single screws, rated as fourth
rate. They could not be got ready for service
without an expenditure Of $4,000 under
this bureau alone. or the second rates, the
Trenton, Omaha and Vandal'a can probably
be continued in service ten years longer,
Lancaster and BROOKLYN, six years, Hartford,
Richmond and Pensacola Eve years On third
rates: The Mohican can be continued in
service for ten wears; Adams. Alliance, Essex,
Enterprise, Talapoosa, Yantic, .Junia'a,
Osspiee, Quinnebang, Swatara, Galena,
Marion, Kearsage and Iroquois FIVE years
longer The chief constructor recommended
that in the event OF only one Of the larger
vessels provided for at the last session Of Con-
gress being built at the navy yard, 1t should
be built at the Brooklyn yard, as the yard is
now in condition TO commence any such YES
sci aud carry on the work with some rapidity.
A great necessity exists for docking facilities
in all our navy yards This is rendered more
important on account of the frequency with
which steel unsheeted vessels will require to
be locked to clean and paint their bottoms.
In the event of foreign war this great defci
ency would be seriously felt, perhaps more than
any other OF our present wants. 1t is, there
fore, worthy Of grave consideration whether
Immediate steps should not be taken to place
our navy yards IN this respect in the most
thorough condition of effectiveness.