Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-11-22
OUR CRIPPLED NAVY.
Annual Report Of Naval Constructor
Wilson.

CONDITION OF THE VESSELS, NEW AND OLD
sERvICEABLE AND UNsERyICEABIE-RECoM
MENDATIONs.
The annual report OF Naval Constructor T. d.
Wilson, chief OF the bureau of construction and
repairs, shows that the steel cruisers Atlantic
and Boston, at the navy yard, Brooklyn. N. Y
have both been docked and their bottoms
cleaned and painted, and, independent of the
work which has been done by the government
to ut them for sea, alterations and additions
have been and are being made to them as called
tor from time to time by the advisory board,
The Chicago is still at Chester and the work on
her Is now being pushed rapidly toward com.
pletiOn. The chief constructor says the appro-
priation of So, ,S61 under the act of July 26,
1856, will not be sufficient to complete the
work on these vessels, and in order that no de-
lay In Its prosecution may be occasioned by
lack of funds, he has asked tor an additional
will complete the vessels, provided no further
alteration nor extra work involving any con-
siueraOle expenditure OF money and time are
recommended by the advisory board.
NOT FIT FOR ACTIVE SERVICE
The Lackawanna. now at the Mare Island
navy yard, CAL, while not yet condemned,
cannot be repaired for active service, and it is
suggested that she be converted into q receiv.
ing ship to replace the old line-Ofbattle ship
Independence, which is now unfit for further
use as q receiving ship. The chief constructor
says that the Tennessee, the only first-rate
wooden vessel in active service, can be kept in
service but few months longer, and She is un-
doubtedly in very bad condition. Her main
Wale-strakes are SO badly decayed as to preclude
heads are SO badly decayed that it is not
considered prudent to carry press of sail upon
them. The Shenandoah also has been SURVEYED
and found to be beyond repair.
THE NUMBER OF SERvICEABLE VESSELS
in the navy has thus been reduced to two first
rate, ten second-rate, twenty third-rate and
seven fourth-rate vessels, the latter class in
Guiding two targetrams. The franklin.
Wabash, Minnesota and New York-all first.
rate vessels-are set down as requiring exten.
slVe repairs, and thirteen iron-clads REQUIRE
more or less repair. In addition to these yes-
sells, the naval list comprises thirteen tugs and
Ing and training ships.
THE NEW VESSELS
completed, building or authorized to be built
are summed up as follows: One, the Dolphin
complete; two, the Boston and Atlanta, arma-
ment Incomplete; five, the Chicago and the
monitors, Incomplete; five, the Baltimore
Charleston and Newark and two gunbOats
under advertisement; four. an armored cruiser
torpedo boat, not yet designed. To the above
list OF iron and steel vessels can be added the
Alert and the Ranger. four guns each; the Mo-
nocacy, paddle-wheel gunbOat, six guns; Michi-
gan, paddie-wheel gunboat, four guns: Alarm.
one gun; Intrepid yet to be completely, gun.
boat, two 13-inch guns.
The chief constructor says that the thirteen
river and harbOr monitors could not be made
ready for service for an expenditure of
$2OO,OOO. The Saugus, belonging to this class
OF vessels, now laid up at the Washington navy
yard, has been condemned as unfit tor service
"Of the secOnd-rate vessels" continues the
chiefconstructor, the Trenton, Omaha and Van
daiia can probably be continued in service ten
years longer, the Lancaster and BROOKLYN six
years; the Hartford, Richmond and Pensacola.
tive years. VI the third rates, the MOhican can
be continued in the service for ten years: the
Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise, Talla-
poosa, Yantic and Nipsic, for six years: the
Juniata, Ossipee, Quinnebaug, Swatara. Galena
Marion, kearsarge and lrOQuois, five years
longer"
flans aud specifications have been completed
for two cOmpOsite-built hne-mOdeled vessels to
be used as training ships, and they could be
commenced ut once If an appropriation were
made for them.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The chief constructor recommends that In
the event Of any one of the large vessels pro-
vided tor at the last session of Congress being
built at a navy yard. 1t should be built at the
Brooklyn yard. He recommends an Increase
in the number OF draughtsmen and clerks in
The office 10 meet the work of designing new
ships. The appropriations for the repair OF
vessels at navy yards, purchase OF stores, ma
terials. etc., was found to be too small, and an
additional appropriation OF $4,000 is said to
be absolutely necessary to carry on work with
out interruption tor the remainder OF the fiscal
year.