New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-14
DESERVING GOOD OLD SHIPS.
WOODEN WAR VESSELS MUST GO.
THE KBARsARGE AND HARTFORD WILL b
SPARED FOR THE MEMORIES THAT CLUSTER
AROUND THEM.

THE KBARsARGE AND HARTFORD WILL b
SPARED FOR THE MEMORIES THAT CLUSTER
AROUND THEN
provision In the Naval Appropriation bill. ap.
proved on July Is, Is that tends to cause fee
Ing OF sadness to all officers OF the Navy who served
during the Civil War similar to that which follows
the farewells between devoted and loved friends IL
Is that which provides that repairs for all wooden
war vessels except the Hartford and Kearsarge and
excepting vessels damaged In foreign waters or on
the high seas needed to be brought to the Unitea
States are hereafter not to be made when the esd.
mated cost of such repairs ito be- appraised by
competent board Of naval Oficers) shall exceed 10
per cent OF the estimated cost Of new ship OF the
same size and materi This provision applies TO the
machinery as wen to huls Of the wooden vessels
There are not many OF these old wooden warships
left H. for comparison II is remembered that the
Navy at one time consisted OF between 700 ana 500
steam and sail vessels. At the beginning Of the
Civil War however the serviceabe Navy consisted Of
only thirteen sailing vessels and twenty-five steam
vessels More than 200 warships were constructed and
4l8 merchant vessels converted into vessels OF
war between 1861 and 1868 In point Of beauty.
line speed and carrying and fighting qualities many OF
the vessels soon to be condemned and sold wcre In
their day and generation. unsurpassed Inc Deanty
and the lines OF these ships can be seen to-day In the
old Keararge and In many OF the others can %
traced the qualities that made them famous but
steel having supphnted wood as material Tor con-
striction the triple expansion engines having sue
cccded the low pressure direct acting engines breech'
loading rifles and machine guns having been proved
superior to the smooth bore zzleoading guns, Q
twenty knots speed having been demonstrated ~
ahead OF the eight and nine knot speed OF the wooden
ship and nickel steel and IarveyZed steel plate being
better protection against shot and shell than WOODEN
timl~rs, the wooden ships must, under the general
hay haya nov
come of the past and will no longer count even
as q nominal factor IN naval defence.
But II Is refreshing In these days OF an unsenumentd
and economic Congress TO know that, ut the urgent
request OF thousands OF citizens who signed the peu
ton 10 Congress- the famous old ships HARTFORD ana
Kearsarge are always be borne upon the naval ISL
or are exempted from the law providing for the con-
domination and sale OF all wooden warships when the
repairs necessary upon them exceed 10 per cent OF
The cost OF building similar vessels. since tne Gay
Of the memorable fight of Cherbourg on june A"'
1864 when she annihiated the Confederate prvateer
Alabama the old ship Kearsarge has been cons'derapy
repaired but many respects is the same vessel sun.
Only Two Of the officers who were In tine hearsarBe III
that great battle are now known to be alive. iney
are surgeon General j. Mills Brown and Pay Director
I Adams Smith The Hartford, which will always
be coupled with the name OF farraeut, 'h"' "e'"s
the shin TO the rigging Of which the old hero admra
WIS dashed when his feet passed the mississippi.
River forts IN 1862, his way to capture the city Ok
New Orleans Is not in good condition as the
Kaars.rpr She IS living at the Mare Island Navy
Yard badly out OF repair because II would nave
taken moro than 20 per cent OF her cost TO put ner
I'm condition for service but she Will no" w pun
In GOOD order again. Her name Will be forever asso'
coted with ti4 most brilliant victories OF the Navy
Tho Lancaster, which built at philadelphia IN
1s5s and Is now flagship OF the Asatic Squadron,
Is probably making her last cruise. Inc rehsa'"a'
another 81 the Lancaster class, is at Mare Island.
and Will probably soon be sect TO the woodpie and
scrap heap She built at Pensacola In 1885, hence
| her name The Richmond only 300 tons less u.s.
uacement Than the Pensacola, is the receiving-smp
M Newport and when surveyed Will no doubt be
condemned being beyond the limit OF repairs Sae
was also built in 1858, at Norfolk.
The Wabash Minnesota and Franklin. OF the GAS o.
feztes ordered by Congress In 1854, also doomed.
but will probably do some service yet In the hhe
which they have been employed for several years.
The Wabash Is receiving ship at Boston, and the MI
nesota IS trainng-sh.p for boys, and Is now lying
West Fftiethst. Both vessels made famous rocofs
in the Civil War; The Franklin not finished undl
1866 and she Is In commission as recesv1ngs snip
Norfolk The Omaha, at the Mare Island Nsv
Yard although not built at philadelphia until 1867, w
probably not appear ON tho list next year
Thea come the remaining vessels Of the Adams CHS
composed OF this vessel. the Alliance. Essex, t1om'
Prise and Nipsic. They were built In 1874, wnen w
In a traDsltlOn stes,c Aiu ohip'oeo a. ~
improvements In speed and hardness required IN
small cruiser In time of peace. The displacement
each Is 315 tons. and the maximum speed when new
IL knots The Adams is cruising In the BehrinS SEA
assisting the Yorktown to prevent poschng IN M
American seal fisheries. and Is in pretty good conhiDou
for n three years cruise. The Alliance Is on her wN
to San Francisco Japan and VIII probably not 80
to sea again as warship The Essex is In the sou'a
Atlantic squadron; the Enterprise IS at the Navai
Academy as a practice ship. and win probably BE- soN
before tho next Navy Register is issued, and the Nip
so badly damaged In the samoan hurricane. IL rIa
porary barracks for the officers and men at the new
naval station ut Port orchard. Puget SOUND ihs
Yantic, built In 1854, Is probably making her -
know her more than year or two longer. The onH
other wooden steam vessel In commission Is the TDeS
the sealing steamer purchased for the Greey keiHS
Expedif,on. She Is, like the "one horse shay" bull
Of the strongest oak. and Will probably never rot or
decay. go ,,..
Picon. the Levart ard the Cayne, are ALSO included
| the limited repairs LIST. she is now at Portstnoun
Navy Yard ard Is much IN need OF repairs. ard coz
derg the fact that she was built at Boston IN i1y.'
| ton. at present making the usual summer pzsu"
cruise with the naval cadets. She Will be suRer
seeded by the new ship Bancroft In a few month";;
Then there the old frsateS New Hampshire she
Vermont. at present at the New-York Navy iare w
Independence, the receiving ship at Mare Island tn
MonongHhea. at Portsmouth, waiting 10 have II ~
| Louis receiving ship at League Island: the Dale ~
ceivng ship at Washin gion: the Portsmouth trannE
ship. now on her way home from cruise IN tmrg3w,:
the Jamestown, another trainingShip cr, tng ~
| the New England coast the Saratogn. the nanusSS
schoolship at Philadelphia and the ST. Mary's Ne"
! Yorlts nautical schoolship. ,r
be retained IN active service long after the stcss
wooden vessels have been disposed a.