St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-22
UNCLE SANS NAVn
The Vessels Belonging to the United
States Either Dilapidated OF Not
Completed.
A War on the Water Would Find Us With
but Two First-Rate
Ships.
A Long List of Boats Which Need Re-
pairs Before They VIII be
Seaworthy.
1t Is Expected, However, That Our
Flag Will Some Day Float over
aFine Navy.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-The chief of
the bureau OF construction and repair, in
his annual report. states that the steel
cruisers Atlanta and Boston are at the navy
yard. Brooklyn, N. Y. They have both
been decked and their bottoms cleaned and
painted, and independent of the work which
had to be done by the government 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 still at Chester, and the work
on her is now being rapidly pushed towards
completion. The chief constructor saws
the appropriation of sos, S61 made under
the act OF July 26, 1885, will not be suffi-
cient to complete the work on these vessels.
and in order that NO delay In it's prosecution
may be eccasloned by lack of funds, he
has asked for an additional appropriation
OF so6, 600. which it is expected will
complete the vessels provided no further
alterations nor extra work involving apy
considerable expenditure of money and
time are recommended by the advisory
board. The Lackawanna, now at the Mare
island navy yard. uCal.. while not vet con-
demned, cannot be repaired for active SER
vice and it is suggested that she be con-
verted into cruising ship to replace the
old line OF battle ship Independence, which
is now
UNFIT FOR FURTHER USE
as receiving ship. The Tennessee, the
only frst-rate wooden vessel III active SER
vice. can be kept in service but few
months longer. She is undoubtedly in very
bad condition. Her main vale stakes are
so badly decayed as to preclude their being
recalked, and her lower mast heads are SO
badly decayed that it is not considered
prudent to carry press of sail upon them.
The Shenandoah also has been sur
veyed and found to be beyond re
pair. The number of serviceable vessel,
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 including two torpedo rams
The Franklin, Wabash Minnesota and
New York, all first-rate vessels are SET
down as requiring extensive repairs, and
thirteen ironclads require more OF less re.
pairs. In addition to these vessels the
naval list comprises thirteen tugs and
twelve wooden sailing vessels, used for re-
ceiVing 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), armament incomplete; five (the
Chicago and the monitors), Incomplete; five
(the Baltimore, Charleston and Newark and
two gunboatS). under advertisement and
four ian armored cruiser. battle
ship, a pneumatic dynamite boat and
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 Monacacy,
paddle. wheel gunboat, six guns; Michigan,
paddle wheel gunboat, four guns; Intrepid
(yet to be completely, gunboat two thir-
teen-inch guns. The remainder of iron
built vessels now III the service consists of
thirteen river and harbor monitors, with
single screws. rated as fourth rates. They
could not be got ready for service without
an expenditure of $500. 900 under this bu-
reau alone. Of the second rates the Tren-
ton, Omaha and Vandalia can probably be
continued in service ten years longer, the
Lancaster and Brooklyn six years, the
Hartford, Richmond and Pensacola five
years. OF the third rates the Mohican can
be continued in the service for ten years,
the Adams, Alliance, Essex, Enterprise,
Talapo0sa. Yantic and Nipsic for six years,
the Juniata Ossipee, Quinneburg. Swa-
tara, Galena. Marion, Kearsage and Iro
Quols five years longer.
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS
have been completed for two composite
built, fine-modeled vessels to be used as
training ships, and they could be COM
menced at once, if an appropriation were
made for them. The board appointed to
design plans for the completion of the
double -turreted monitors has nearly finished
its specifications. The chief constructor
recommends that in the event of only Ons
of the large vessels provided for at the last
session of congress being built at navy
yard, it should be built at the Brooklyn
yard, as that yard is now in condition to
commence any such vessel and carry Oh
the work with some rapidity. Great neces
sity exists for better docking facilities liz
all our navy yards. This is rendered
more important on account of the
frequency with which the steel unsheathed
vessels will require to be docked to clean
and paint their bottoms. In the event of a
foreign war; this great deficiency would be
seriously felt. perhaps more so 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