NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



589 



produced which it i^clesired to transmit to a 

 distance. This metallic plate is connected with 

 one pole of a battery, the other pole of which 

 is to earth ; or, if the distance is small, a re- 

 turn wire may he used. A very light contact- 

 point is attached to a weak spring, so as just 

 to touch the metallic plate. This contact-point 

 is made of platinum, gas-carbon, or other con- 

 ductor of electricity, and communicates with 

 the line wire going from the room in which 

 the sounds are produced to the place where 

 they are to be repeated, and is there connected 

 with an electro-magnet, from which the current 

 again passes to earth. Above the electro- 

 magnet is placed an iron or steel spring form- 

 ing a reed or vibrator, contained within an 

 ear- trumpet or sound-box. The action is as 

 follows : Each sound produced in the theatre, 

 concert, or other room, throws the metallic 

 plate into vibration and produces correspond- 

 ing movements of the contact-point, the vi- 



brations being equal in number to the vibra- 

 tions which produced the sound or note. Thus, 

 by this trepidation of the contact-point, the 

 latter makes and breaks contact with the plate, 

 and the circuit is made and broken at each vi- 

 bration, the currents passing by the line pro- 

 ducing the same number of vibrations of the 

 reed or vibrator, which thus accurately re- 

 produces the sounds with all their different 

 intonations. The apparatus may be used for 

 all kinds of telegraphic or other communica- 

 tions as well as for the transmission of musical 

 sounds. A single line wire will serve for a 

 number of receivers by using derived currents, 

 or by passing the same current through sev- 

 eral receivers. Several contact-points may 

 also be applied to the same vibrating plate for 

 transmitting the vibrations along as many line 

 wires. The battery may be placed at any point 

 of the circuit, and may be under the immediate 

 control of the person at the receiving end. 



N 



NAVY OF THE UNITED STATES. The 

 value of the naval property of the United States 

 is estimated at $118,295,832. The amount ex- 

 pended from 1794 to 1876 inclusive on account 

 of this property has been $418,650,433. The 

 net expenditures for the Navy Department 

 during the game period have been $941,288,- 

 985. The estimates for the next fiscal year 

 amount to $14,562,381. The actual expendi- 

 tures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1878, 

 were $13,306,914. 



The total fighting force of the navy, with the 

 current appropriations, is 51 cruising ships, 15 

 monitors, and 2 torpedo-boats, making a total 

 of 68 vessels. But this does not show the 

 whole naval force that could be put in service 

 in case of necessity. The four double-turreted 

 monitors and one single-turreted now in prog- 

 ress the Puritan, Amphitrite, Monad nock, 

 Dictator, and Terror could be completed 

 without much delay with the necessary appro- 

 priations for that purpose. Six cruising ships, 

 upon which repairs are not at present contem- 

 plated the Colorado, W abash, Franklin, Flor- 

 ida, Minnesota, and New York could be soon 

 put in condition as fighting ships if necessity 

 required it, and this being done, the fighting 

 force of the navy would be 57 cruising ships, 

 20 monitors, and 2 torpedo-boats, to which 

 could be added in case of imminent necessity 

 2 other steam and 2 sailing vessels, thus mak- 

 ing the total number 83. The number might 

 still be increased, however, by utilizing 8 large 

 iron tugs of over 300 tons each now at the 

 navy yards and other stations, which could be 

 converted into gun- or torpedo-boats, and thus 

 make the whole number of war vessels of all 

 classes 91. There are 32 steam and sailing ves- 

 sels now unfit for use for warlike purposes, 

 although 4 of these might, if necessity demand- 



ed it, be put in condition for temporary ser- 

 vice at sea. Of these 4 have been in use nearly 

 sixty years, having been built before the year 

 1820, and 15 were built before the war, leav- 

 ing 14 only that have been built and 2 that 

 were purchased since the beginning of the 

 war. 



Of those built during the war 10 were con- 

 structed with great rapidity and under the 

 pressure of the most urgent necessity, and con- 

 sequently out of lumber not sufficiently sea- 

 soned to insure their durability, even to the 

 average life of other vessels. To this number 

 of vessels unfit for fighting purposes may be 

 added 4 ironclads. The European Squadron 

 is under the command of Rear- Admiral Wil- 

 liam LeRoy. The Asiatic Squadron is under 

 the command of Rear- Admiral Thomas H. Pat- 

 terson. The other squadrons are under com- 

 manders as follows : North Atlantic Squadron, 

 Rear- Admiral John C. Ho well ; North and South 

 Pacific Squadron, Rear- Admiral C. R. P. Rod- 

 gers. Among the employments of this was the 

 fitting out of an expedition for the survey of 

 the Amazon and Madeira Rivers. The impor- 

 tance of these rivers as natural outlets for the 

 internal commerce of that country can not be 

 over-estimated. They connect Bolivia with the 

 Atlantic, and the people of that county are be- 

 ginning to realize the benefits they will derive 

 from an encouragement of their navigation. 

 A company organized in the United States is 

 now engaged in constructing a railroad around 

 the falls of the Madeira, which, when com- 

 pleted, will enable our merchants to carry on 

 a large and profitable trade with the interior. 

 It was deemed important that before this trade 

 should be developed the people of Bolivia 

 should be convinced that it would be to the 

 mutual advantage of both countries if commer- 



