The Wilmingtonian., 1886-11-27
United States warships.

The deduction TO De Batnereu iToth IL III
that this country is almost bereft OF naval
protection.
The number of serviceable waIships has
been reduced to two frst-rate, ten second
rate, twenty third rate, and seven fourth
rate vessels, the last class including two
torpedo rams.
There is not very gallant showing for
Uncle Sans Navy. 1t justifies Secretary
Whitney in his present efforts to place this
country upon naval footing having some
approach at least to the status that we as a
commercial power are entitled to.
The main trouble, it appears, in regard to
Naval management heretofore is that SO
many hundred thousand dollars of appropri-
alton has been devoted to the item of ''re-
pairs" of almost useless ships. Year after
year immense sums have been expended in
United States Navy Yards in this direction
upon out-of-date designs the result being
that when the repaired ship was at length
certified as sea-worthy it could not be
"ated at more than third or fourth rate on
account OF its uselessuess in contrast to the
material and armament of modern men-of-
war of other natioualities.
Some more exact idea of the condition of
our navy can be gathered fiom the follow
ing -
"The Franklyn, Wabash, Minnesota and
New York-al first rate vessels-are set
down as requiring extensive repairs, and
thirteen ironclads require more or less re-
pairs In addition to these the naval list
comprises thirteen tugs and twelve wooden
sailing vessels used for receiving and train
ing ships. The new vessel completed, build
ing or authorized to be built are summed up
as follows -
Gone (the Dolphin complete; two (the
Boston and Atlanta) armament incomplete ;
| five (the Baltimore, Charleston and Newark
and two gunboats) under advertisement,
and four Gan armored cruiser, battle ship,
| penumatic dynamite boat aud 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 Monacacy, paddlewheel gun
boat, six guns Michigan, paddlewheel gun
boat, four guns Alarm, one gun; Intrepid
| (yet to be completely, gunboat, two 10 inch
guns. The Chief Constructor says the re-
mainder of the iron built vessels now in the
service consist of thirteen river and harboT
| monitors, with single screw, rated as fourth
ates, five of which have displacement OF
?, 100 tons each, and eight of them 1875
| Zach.
They were built without double bottoms
and with laminated armor on the sides, tur-
| rets, s,nokestacks and ventilators, and as
| armored with old fashioned guns. They
could not be got ready for service without
AN expenditure of 5000. 900 under this brueau
alone. The Saugus, another of this class OF
vessels, now laid up at the Washington Ma.
w Yard, has been condemned as unfit fol
| turther service.
Besides these there are nine iron built tug.
boats, two of which (the Palos aud the Pin.
| ta) are classed in the register as fourth rates
the former carrying six howitzers and The
latter two howitzers as batteries.
OF the second rates, the Trenton, Omaha
and Vandalia can probably be continued ii
service ten years longer the Lancaster aut
Brooklyn, six years; the Hartford, Rich
mond, aud Pensacola, five years.
OF third rates the Mohican can be contin
ued in the service for ten years; the Adams
Alliance, Essex, Enterprise, Tallapoosa
Yantic, and Nipslc, for six years the Juni
alta, Ossipee, Quinnebaug, Swatara, Galera
Marion, Kearsarge, and Iroquois, five year
longer. Plans and specifications have beel
completed for two composite built, finel,
modelled vessels to be used as training ship
and they could be commenced at once if al
appropriation were made for them. Tn
board appointed to design plans for the com
petion of the double turretted monitors ha
nearly finished its specifications.
The Lackawanna, now at Mare Island Ma
) Wy Yard, California, while not yet condemn
ed cannot be repaired for active service, an
It is suggested that she be converted into
/ receiving ship to replace the o'd line-of-bat
: tie ship Independence, which is now unf
2 for further use as a receiving ship. TIL
} Chief Constructor says that the Tennessee,
D the only first rate wooden vessel in actiy
service, can be kept in in service but fe
t months longer. Sue is undoubtedly in vel
e had condition. Her main walestrakes are
badly decayed as to preclude their being r
{ calked, aud her lower mastheads are so ro
# ton that it is not considered prudent to ca
d ry pressure of sail upon them.
The Shenandoah also has been surveyC
9 and found to be beyond repair.