The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-23
The NATIONAL CAPITAL.
THE CRIPPLED CONDITION OF
OUR NAVY
Shown Up In Glowing COlOrs by the
Chief OF the Bureau Of Con
structi0n.

WASHINGTON, November 29,-The
Chief of the Bureau OF Construction
and Repair, in bis annual report,
states that the steel eruisers;ss Atlanta
and Boston are at the Brooklyn, NY,
navy yard. They have both been
docked and their bottoms cleaned aud
painted independent Of the work
which he had done by the govern
ment to fit them for sea alterations,
and additions have been and are being
made to them, as called for from time
to time by the Advisory Board. The
Chicago Is sill at Chester, and the
work on her is now being pushed
rapidly toward completion. The
Chief Constructor says the sppropria-
ton OF sos S61 made under the act OF
July 26, 1885, will not be snfiicieht to
complete the work on these vessels,
and in order that no delay in its prose-
cu,ion may be occseioned by lack of
funds he has asked for az additional
appropriation of $4,000, which, it is
expected, will complete the vessels,
provided no further alterations nor
extra work involving any considerable
expenditure of money and time ara
recommended by the Advisory Board.
The Laakswanns, now at ihe Mara
Island Navy yard, California, while
not yet condemned, cannot bs repaired
for active service, and it is issuggested
that she be convert ID into areceiving
ship to replace the old liut of battle
chip Independence, which ii now un-
fit for further use as a receiving ship.
The Tennessee, the only fret-rate
wooden vessel in active service, can be
kept in service but few months
longer. She is undoubt dly in very
bad condition. Her man wAls-
strakes aye so badly deSayed ss
to preclude their being recslkej,
and her lower mastheads are go
badly decayed that it is not considered
prudent to carry press d sail on
them. The Shenandoah also has been
surveyed and found to be belond re
pair. The number OF servicesbe yes.
sells in the navy has thus beenreduced
to two first rate, ten second rs Q, twen-
ty third rate and seven fourth rate
vessels, the latter Glass including two
torpedo rams. The FraDklin, Wabash,
Minntsota and New York, all first
rate vessels, are set down as requ ring
extensive repairs, and thirteeu IRON
clads require more or less repairs. In
addition to these vessels the navy list
comprises thirteen tugs and twelve
wsoden sailing vessels used for re-
ceiving and training ships, The
new vessels completed, building or au'
thorized 10 pc built are summoned
up as follows; One, the Dolphin,
complete; two, the Boston and At
lants, incomplete; five, the Chicago
and the -, incomplete, FIVE, the
Baltimore, Charleston and Newark
and two guuboats, under adviaement,
and fouf armored cruisers, q battle
ahip, a pneumatic dynamite boat and
a torpedo boat, not yet designed. To
the above list OF iron and steel vessels
can be added the Alert and Ranger.
four guns each the Monocacy paddle,
wheel gunboat, six guns; Michigan,
paddle wheel gunboat, foul guns
Alarm, one gun; Intrepid, yet to be
completed, gunboat, two Is inch guns.
The remainder OF the iron built ves-
sels now in service consist OF thirtaen
river and harbor monitors with single
screws, rated as fourth rates They
could not be got ready for
service without an expenditure
of 100000 under this bureau
alone. OF the second rates, the
Trenton, Omaha and Vandalia can
probably be continued in service ten
years longer; the Lancaster and
Brooklyn six years; the Hartford,
r chmond and Penaacoa five years.
The third rates: The Michigan can bs
conlinued in the service for ten years;
the Adams, A Aliance, Esex, Eater
prise, Tallspoosa, Yantic andINipsic for
ak years the Junista, 0asippee,
Quinnebsug, Swatsra, Galena, Marion,
Kearssge and Iroquois FIVE years
longer. Plans and Specifications have
been comp eted for two composite
built, fine modelled vessels, TO b. used
as raining ships, and they could be
commenced at once If an app'oprls-
tion were made for them. The board
appointed TO design plans for the COM
pletion OF the double turretsd mOni-
tors has nearly finished the speci6ca-
tions. The chief contractor rec
ommen IL that in the event OF only
one of the large vessels provided
for at the last session of Congress be-
ing built at navy yard, it should be
built at the Brooklyn yard, as that
yard is now in a condition TO COM
mence any such vessel and carry on
the work with some rapidity. Great |
necessity exists for better docking IA
cilities in all our navy yards. This is
rendered more important on account
Of the frequency with which the steel
unsheathed vessels will require 10 be |
docked to clean and paint their bot
toms. In the event OF foreign war |
this great deficiency would be serious
ly felt, perhaps more 30 than any
other OF our present wants. II is
therefore worthy Of grave considera-
ton whether immediate steps should
not be taken to place our navy yards
in this respect in the most thor
ough condition of effectiveness |
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