Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1887 — THE TENNESSEE. [ARTICLE]

THE TENNESSEE.

-fc'roui the report of the Secretary of the Navy we quote the following which clearly shows the crimin 1 me*’ < s c f p R e _ publican it itr.iust rations in wasting vast sums of money on a navy and leaving nothing to show for it: “Among the vessels dropped from the Navy Register aud sold during the pas,, year is the Tennessee*. 1 he account of the sale is stated elsewhere. The history of tnis vessel is quite interesting and most illustrative. She had a short life, but, as a consumer of money, a brilliant one. Her hull was built and she was equipDed in the New York navy-yard. Jer machinery was designed and built under contract by the eminent engineer, Mr. John -Ericsson costing $700,000. Her total original cost was $1,856,075.81. Upon her trial trip, in Januaiy, 1867, she ran about 1,000 rniU s. She attained a speed of 16 knots and made a run of 15 knots p«r hour for four hours. She encountered a perilous storm, described as a hurricane, which continued over twenty-four hours.— Th« ship suffered considerably. The report of her commander says: “The engines moved off finely and. worked perfectly during all the storm * * * her machinery is as perfect as it need to be. It has undergone the severest test and not once found wanting. She is the fastest ship I have ever seen.” The chief engineer says: “If the strength and workmanshit) of the machinery can not be depended upon then no reliance is to be : laced upon the performance of any sUam machinery with which I am acquainted.”

Two years afterwards slie underwent what was called “repairs/’ and the sum of $576,799.61 was spent upon her; all but $73,000 of this was put on her hull and equipment. it was the full price of a new wcoden hull of her size at the time. Th.s was from 1869 to 1871. She then made a cruise of three months and went into the hands of Mr. John Roach to euable him to take out the machinery and boiPrs of John Ericsson and others of superior character, [t was among other things expected to give the ship a 14| knot speed for twenty-four hours. When she had her trial of this new machinery in 1875 her maximum speed was lOf knots, and she had had put mpon her an expense of $801,713.60 in addition to the value of her machinery and boilers taken in trade by Mr. Roach at $65,000. — This machinery had cost $700,000; had not bee i in actual service six months; had never been and condemned by a board of Government officers, nor its value fixed ley any Government board, but it was sold to Mr. Roach as old iron

That is to say, between 1868 and 1876 the Tennessee had had three months’ service and had cost in repairs and improvements $1,443,513.21.

This was largely in excess of a fair prise for a new ship of her characteristics *

Twelve years afterwards (on April 4, 1887) she is condemned by the Statutory Board as unseaworthy and not worth repairing and ordered sold, having baa put upon her between 1875 and 1887 the additional sum of $577,716,17. She brought $34,525 at the auction sale. She had cost the Government $3,800,000 in round numbers and had done about ten years of aetive service, outside of repair shops and navy yards. It is often the subject oi. wonder what has become of the $70,000,000 spent upon war vessels since the close of the war, in view of the fact that there ;s now no Navy. This bit of history serv. j as an illustration.