NAVY, UNITED STATES. 



527 



wrecked on the 9th of July, by running on a 

 hidden rock in Shadwell Passage, while in 

 charge of a coast-pilot. The officers and crew 

 succeeded in landing on the nearest beach. 

 The vessel soon broke up, but Rear-Admiral 

 Thatcher, who was at the time at Esquimault, 

 made the best practicable terms for saving the 

 engines and other articles. 



The South Pacific squadron was under the 

 command of Bear- Admiral Dahlgren until July 

 14th, when he was relieved by Rear- Admiral 

 Thomas Turner. The squadron consisted of the 

 Powhatan, IV guns ; Tuscarora, 10 ; Kearsarge, 

 7; Dakota, 7; Nyack, 6. The operations of the 

 squadron have been confined to the west coast 

 of South America, in consequence of the dis- 

 turbed condition of political affairs, and the 

 disasters from physical convulsions. 



On the night of the 10th of January, Gen- 

 eral Prado, ex-President of Peru, and other 

 officers, came alongside the Nyack, and re- 

 quested asylum from personal violence, which 

 he apprehended from the revolutionary party. 

 He also requested transportation to Chili. His 

 requests were complied with, and he was safely 

 landed at Valparaiso. 



The disasters to the naval vessels in conse- 

 quence of physical convulsions have been of 

 an unprecedented character. They occurred 

 during 1867, in the West Indies, and in 1868, 

 on the west coast of South America. 



A violent earthquake, which occurred in the 

 harbor of St. Thomas, and in that vicinity, on 

 the afternoon of November 18, 1867, caused 

 the stranding of the United States steamer 

 Monongahela, and two other vessels of the 

 squadron barely escaped serious injury. The 

 De Soto, in the harbor of St. Thomas, was 

 swept from her moorings by the force of the 

 waves, both chains snapping, and was thrown 

 violently upon the iron piles of a new wharf, 

 but fortunately the next wave carried her again 

 into deep water, and she sustainedjjbut little in- 

 jury. The Susquehanna, in the same harbor, 

 succeeded in getting away from her dangerous 

 position without damage. 



The Monongahela, which at the time was 

 anchored off Frederickstadt, island of St. Oroix, 

 was carried by a wave over the warehouses and 

 into one of the streets of the town. She came 

 back with the returning sea and was left on a 

 coral reef at the water's edge. Fortunately, 

 but five of the crew were lost, and no very 

 serious injury was sustained by the ship. As 

 it was deemed practicable to relaunch her, the 

 officers and crew remained by the vessel. The 

 first attempt failed, but on the 10th of May a 

 successful effort was made. She was safely 

 launched, and left St. Croix on the 13th of 

 June, arriving at New York the 29th. 



On the 13th of August, 1868, a violent earth- 

 quake visited the western coast of South 

 America, by which two of the vessels of the 

 South Pacific squadron were lost to the ser- 

 vice. The storeship Fredonia had, in conse- 

 quence of the prevalence of yellow fever at 



Callao, been moved up to Arica, and was there 

 with the Wateree, quietly riding at anchor. A 

 short time after the shock of the earthquake 

 was felt, the siea receded, leaving the Fredonia 

 on the bottom, and a moment after the waters 

 rolled in with such power as to break her to 

 fragments. Twenty-seven officers and men 

 were drowned three officers, who were on 

 shore, and two seamen who were rescued, be- 

 ing all that were saved. 



The Wateree was thrown ashore, and left 

 high and dry, about 500 yards from high-water 

 mark. She was badly strained, and her posi- 

 tion was such that the expense of any attempt 

 to launch her would have exceeded the value 

 of the vessel. Under these circumstances, it 

 was deemed for the best interests of the Gov- 

 ernment to sell her, and the necessary direc- 

 tsons were accordingly given. But a single 

 man was lost from the vessel a seaman in 

 charge of the captain's gig, on the beach, who 

 was carried out to sea by the waves. 



Rear- Admiral Turner was at Callao in his 

 flag-ship, the Powhatan, when this calamity 

 occurred, and as a matter of security steamed 

 out of the harbor until the next morning. On 

 learning of the disastrous results of the earth- 

 quake at Arica, he proceeded to that point. 

 The Powhatan, on application of the authori- 

 ties of Peru, was permitted to convey sur- 

 geons, nurses, etc., for the relief of the thou- 

 sands of sufferers at Arica. The commanding 

 officer of the "Wateree also furnished such aid 

 as he could to the destitute inhabitants, with 

 provisions from the ship's supply. The senior 

 officer at Valparaiso promptly responded to 

 an application of the Chilian Government, 

 by placing the Tuscarora at the service of 

 the authorities to convey provisions and 

 other necessaries to the sufferers along the 

 coast. 



In estimating the condition in which the 

 navy of the United States should be main- 

 tained, it is asserted that, in the event of a 

 war with any maritime power, the battles 

 would be fought on the sea and not on the 

 land by fleets and not by armies. No nation 

 of Europe could transport any considerable 

 military force across the ocean, and if the 

 attempt were made it would be speedily ar- 

 rested. Notwithstanding the experience of 

 the past, the circumstances of the navy have 

 not been brought up to this standard. None 

 of the navy yards possess the area and ap- 

 pliances, nor have they the necessary estab- 

 lishments and machinery for manufacturing 

 engines and armature, nor the materials that 

 should be collected in anticipation of the na- 

 tional wants. In no one of the navy yards 

 is there more than a single dry-dock, and 

 there are but six in all three built of stone, 

 and three floating docks. The dock-yards of 

 France and Great Britain, at Cherbourg and 

 Portsmouth, each contains a greater number 

 of dry-docks than all the Federal yards com- 

 bined. 



