Year: 1875

teen clads and IRON topedo ships Considerably
more than one half Of this force already commits
SOD ana the remainder might be put into service
Apldy as their crews could be enlisted and organized
| THE TRANSIT


ne commission on the transit Of Venus is At present
hkaEcu IN the reexaminaton and verincatiOn OF the
Instruments used in the observations II regards these
a'ohs taken as whole. and in connection with
those OF other nations satisfactory and as promising
ao1o1 results. The publication Of the volume con-


4n.ng .ne observations has been placed in charge OF
the secretary Of the commission.


....... ThE lNTER-ocEASIo CANAL


Attention gwen 10 the SURVEYS for an inter mic
anaI So ~ te reports OF Lieutenant Collins and Com
modore Lu on the Napp canal rolte ANA tha snrvevs
near 'ne me o. me Panama Railroad respectively,
ports concerning which have heretofore been prned
On this matter the Secretary saysI have The honor
also 70 transmit TO you report made to yourself by
the distinguished commission appointed by you to con
sder the whole subject Of communication by canal be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans over the sthmus
This report is very concise stating only results and h
made In advance Of their elaborate and anaI re.
! port, giving data upon which they are founded
AMER careful examination 81 an the routes proposed
Il their unan NOUS conclusion is that the one known as
the Nicaragua route, " beginning at near Graytown
on the Atlantic side, and ending north Of the Rio
Del Brito the Pacific, affords the most advantages
and presents the fewes difficulties OF any route yet
found across the Isthmus. These conclusions will
command the highest respect account OF the char
acter OF the commission and tho labor bestowed by
them upon their work, though subject so import
ant nnal opinion must Oe postponed untli an sne data
services rendered 70 photography and navigation by
the United states Photographic Office


|


Under the photographic 0ice the work for the deter
mnation OF the geographical position various points
in the West Indies has been diligently prosecuted by
Lieutenant Commander r. NJ. Green and the officers OF
the United States steamer Fortune and IS being contn-
by the same officers in the United States
| prolonged service at This work called
for no extra expenditure, and the results
Much interest has been manifested in its by
geographers both at home and abroad, and the most
TO the officers Of the expedition by both foreign
thorities and the officers Of the telegraph companies
whose cables are being used for the determination of
ongitndes The positions OF Panama, Aspinwau
Kingston, Santiago de Cuba ana Havana have been de-
tcrmined with precision and the work Of extending
the measurements through the Windward Islands to
the Continent ofSouth America is being performed
In connection with this work tho commanding officer
OF the Gettysburg has been directed to collect
rial for the completion OF much needed directory
for the navigation OF the West India Islands, and
make deep sea soundngs in various localities where the
depths Of the ocean have not been examined
and where such examination will be q
scientific Importance Should II be found
practicable It is the intention of this department
nue these valuable observations along both coasts or
South America using the teegraphc cables deter
mining with accuracy otherwise unattainable the
vexed question of ongitudes Tho public spirit Of the
telegraph companies who have offered the OF their
cables for longitude determinations Is worthy OF high
commendation.


NAVY YARDS.


On the subject OF navy yards the report states:For
the past few years appropriations for new buildings
or other works of Improvement have been made for
propriatcd for repairs and preservation has
proved insufficient TO keep the buildings stocks and
wharveS in that thorough and efficiency
which should characterize all public works An appro
pration is asked for building boundary wall the
west side okthe Boston Navy Yard and appropriations
to supply new buildings for several in the yard now
unfit for the purposes for which they are used are
asked. The Secretary reviews the recommendation
made in his last annual report as TO the con
servation of the valuable New York Navy Yard
in It's site and territory. In this yard
The appropriations asked for the protection OF that
part OF the yard bordering upon the Brooklyn docks
and for the Improvement and enlargement of the ord
Ork arav m n are Of
ground has been filed in during the past year with
cost to the government and is now valuable ground
! for all purposes of the navy yard The Washington,
Norfolk Pensacola and Mare Island navy yards also
| referred to- 7
I LIVE OAK REQUIRED


The Secretary Is constrained to repeat the recon-
mendatons OF his last report TO the wisdom-ndeed
the almost absolute necessity-of securing, before II
passes entirely away, as great quantity as possible
OF our shore live oak, the best ship timber
Of the world. Tho rapid deterioration of all
| Of our vessels built of other wood constantly
us how invaluable is this timber. rapidly
passing away have before said it is the growth Of
centuries and when once gone will never be replaced.
The supply, which large, is being rapidly
hausted, and IL becomes yearly difficult to pro-
cure as what is left Is being eagerly bought up for ship
Commissioners consumed during the war, and the
department has been eadeavorng for the last few
years whenever had the opportunity and the means,
TO what could be had for the present
be laid up 70 season for the future use OF the navy


THE ORDNANCE BUREAU


has been principally engaged the arming Of our
ofwar and supplying the acquisitions Of the squadons
ana single cruising SnlpS ABROAD. Al the same umo
experiments have beon made with regard 10 the intro
ducton OF breech loading howtzers into system of
boat armament and the results have been SO salts.
factory as 70 warrant their manufacture and
issue as far the limited appropriation
will permit very powerful addition also to our
boat equipment is found in the Gatng gun, which IS
issued 20 all ships The necessity for making
provision for armng ships with rined cannon is
obvious and pressing that pending the construction
new guns the department purposes TO convert limited
number Of 12-inch smooth bore guns into safe and
efficient rifles by the insertion of wrought iron tubes
hn ip1pn nnaH hu hA
Army Ordnance Bureau having clearly determined the
practicabity Of making the conversion with safety
and certainty


THE TORPEDO SCHOOL


| The torpedo school at Newport continues in high
state OF efficiency, and the knowledge obtained by the
officers in the manufacture and of every descrp
Of tins terrible of warfare is of inestmabe value
" 1ne sefEioe recent poisohu. Inspection Oh tue s
tion satisfies that branch of naval system
deserves more care and srpport


ISLAND MAGAZINE


THE Secretary calls attention to the dangerous prox-
amy Of the naval magazine at Ellis Island to the city
of New York and to Jersey City This subject has al
ready brought tho attention Of Congress and
board appointed for the purpose OF examining into the
matter made report recommending the removal OF the
Il rnagazne 70 a pont CD the North River No further
action however was taken, and the magazine is still


GENERAL CONDITION OF rHE NAVY.


The Secretary has the following say upon the
n dton of the navy


1T gratifying 10 be able to report that the navy is
n stronger and efficient condition than IL
has been at any tince since the OF
your administration. IL very strong the
Der in the classes Of its ships but what there
of ahem in good condition It is practicable
keep such materials of under the various and try
Ing conditions TO which they are in the nature of their
services constantly exposed far larger proportion
than usual OF wooden ships ready for service.
Our iron clad feet Is efficient Our storehouses
nrly stocked with ordnance, equipments and supplies,
! and have hand fair supply OF the
best material for the building and repair Of
ships The service has been placed in this state Of
efficiency compared with what existed few years ago.
10y utilizing except In the of eight sloops built
under special appropriation what could be spared from





! made during the Cnban emergency, and applying
| these means practically and steadily toward
i putting what was worth saving of the navy
\ rs it existed in permanent good condition as the
state OF the ships and the command permitted
The wisdom Of this policy is, think, illustrated BY the
strength of position to-day IL would also be we'll
Il think, II Congress would afford means to finish al
once all the repairs Of the nve double turretted
monitors, since when thoy finished accord
ing 70 the present design, iron clad feet will
4 be much more powerful, and while they undergoing
II that,n M carh be