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* ' su STANI 1* - j ~~ VOL. IY. NO, 25. THE NAVAL RENDEZVOUS. av TtIum anil Pm>tsnnr Is. M. 171 I nvju VI 1JWVV vw_?r_. lands. The debate in the House. Our Representatives speak out. . On Weduesday the 24th u!to an interesting debate took place, in relation to the establishing of a naval rendezvous at Tybee or Cockspur Island, or at Port Royal, in the House of Representatives while discussing the naval appropriation bill. Mr. Raudall, of Pennsylvania offered the following substitute to a paragraph under discussion : "For the civil establishments of the several navy-yards, 885,000; and the Secretary of the Navy is hereby directed to organize a naval board of five commissioned officers in the Navy as soon as praticable whose duty it shall be to examine fully and determine whether, in their opinion, any of the navy-yards can be dispensed with and abandoned ; and if so, to report the best manner of making disposition of the same ; and further to inquire as to the propriety of establishing a naval rendezvous at Tybee Island or at Cockspur Island, in the State of_Georgia, and wheth er any Government property at said is lands can be made available and is suit~ ' able for such purpose; and said board Shall, through the Secretary of the Navy, report to Congress at the commencement of the next session the result of their in quiry and the sum of 12,000 is herewith appropriated to meet the expenses incurred by said board. " Which was adopted after amendment ... " that three of the commissioners shall be ' ? ... senior officers upon the active list of the navy. On the question of adopting the " substitute Mr. Dauford, of Ohio moved to amend by inserting after the word " Georgia" the words "or at any other point on the coast of Georgia or South Carolina. He then yielded the balance of his time to the representative from this dis , , trict, Mr. Smalls, who said : I shall ask only that some letters may be read by the Clerk to show that neither Tybee Island nor Cockspur Island is a suitable place for a oaval rendezvous. The Clerk read as follows : t* n r> /V???. rOKT IVUIAb rVAlLKUALI WflrAOI, Receiver's Office, Augusta. Georgia, Mag 17, 1876. Dear Sir : The people of Beaufort aud Port Royal are greately exercised over the repoit of the Naval Committee recommending that Tybee or Cockspur be ~ used as a naval station for the North At(f lautic fleet. We all feel assured that you will do your utmost to oppose the removal of the fleet from Port Royal, and that from vour practical kuowledge of the harbor and its approaches we hope you may be able to show to Congress the great mistake that would be made by sucn removal. It was only the other day that a case occurred which proved the superior advantages of Port Royal Harbor over Tybee. The German steamship Berlin had loaded part of her cargo of cotton at ^ Charleston and came round to Tybee to ^ load up. She lay in the roads while her cotton and coal were lightered down to her. When loaded she drew nearly twen1 ty two feet of water. Just at that time the prevailing wi ds had been westerly, which kept the tides very low, and the ? Berlin was detained over one week wait' iug for a high tide to cross the bar, aud during that delay the captain, engineer, and agent hired a tug, came to Port Royal, and sounding all the way up to the U.OCJV, ?CIC tCi/ LUUUii OUipi.JSW IV UIIU such a uiagnificeut harbor, with an apI roach that a steamer double the size ol the Berlin could come to the dock with per;cot ease aud safety. Now, if the Berlin had been a United States ship of war, ordered away ou an important mission, how serious might have been the results. I take the liberty of writing you thest important facts, which may aid you ir y 'j; efforts. The test of coal has not yet beeu made at Port Royal. I am goinj North to-morrow, and will stay over it Washington a day and see you. Yours, truly, D. C. WILSON, lion 11 b't. Smalls, United States Congress Washington D. C. Treasury Department, Offici Supervising Surgeon-General. PPLEMEXT HMDs I IftllV < [ BEAUFORT S- C United States Marine Hospital Service, Washington May 22. 1876. Sir : In response to your letter of today. asking such information as this Office may posses relative to the sanitary condition of the harbors at Savannah. Georgia, and Port Royal,JSouth Carolina. 1 beg to say that there is nothing on record in this Office that bears any reference to the question, beyond the fart* that at Savannah Georgia, 456 sick and disabled seamen applied for and were furnished medical treatment during the past fiscal year, while at Beaufort, South Carolina, there are scarcely any applicants for relief; which facts are, of course, chiefly attributable to the difference in the extent of the shipping at the respective places. It may De stated, however that a very large proportion of the diseases of the merchant-marine patients treated at Savannah is due to u alarial in fluences. I am. sir. very respectfully JNO. M. tVOODWO&TH, Supervising Surgeon- General. Hon. Robert Smalls, W - t ft. . rr / 71 i.iA? United States noiise or ncpresemunvrx. Sanitary Report for IS75. United States Steamer Dictator. Port Royal, S. C. Jan. 1, 1876. * * * The average daily population ot the Navy in Port Royal waters since April 14 has been 499, which gives an average yearly naval population of 356 * ul. There were two deaths in the entire force one on the Calorado from an injury, the other rn the Pawnee from drowing. This makes the annual death rate of the Nuvy in Port Royal waters 5.6 per 1,000 men. It an average yearly population of 365 persons not a single death has occurred from any disease. * * * JOHN C. SPEAR. Surgeon United State Navy. United States Steamer Dictator. Port Royal South Carolina Oct. 1, 1875. Sir : * * f The ship's company has enjoyed remarkable freedom from malarial fevers during the summer and autumn months of this quarter. Of the five cases o{'intermittent reported only one it due to local cause*, the other four being recurrent attacks.' The two cases of re- \ mittent reported were contracted here, but in both there was special exposure on shore while in a state of intoxication. Owing to insufficient berthing space b-*low, half of the crew nl the Dicator is obliged in warm weather to sleep on deck under, the awning, and her people are in consequence specially exposed to any malaria there may be in the night air. It therefore seems that the remarkable healthfulness of her crew, under the cir cumstances, affords good evidence of comparative freedom of this locality from malaria. The Dictator, during the time referred to was anchored in Beaufort River, opposite Mr. English's plantation, half a mile " from low marshy shores on either side., No large body of fresh water empties into the rivers here, -e that the river water is nearly a< salt as that of the sea. The -ea-breeze in July, August, and September, begins by ten a. m. and continues till midnight, blowing generally quite fresh. The mean relative humidity for the quarter has been found to be 76, day and tight, which, considering the proximity of the sea and the extent of swamp lands? shows that the- climate of Port Royal is relatively, a dry one. It is possible the above natural causes furnish an explana tion as to the healthfulness of the waters of Port Royal. When the fleet arrived here in April, no sufficient supply of wholesome spring water could be obtained here, and a water-boat was engaged to bring water from Charleston, later, however, a good spring was found near Beaufort, and w iter from it has been in use on board since August 31. This water has been found pure and wholesome, and much better than that obtained from Charleston. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN (\ SPEAR, Surgeon United States Navy. Medical Inspector Samuel F. Cores, U. S. N., , Upited States Flag-Ship Worcester. Mr. HARTRIDGK of Georgia. If the ; proposition submitted by the gentleman J | from Pennsylvania [ Mr. Randall] is to prevail?that is, for the appointment of a ' ' naval commission to examine into the 1 propriety or policy of establishing a naval rendezvous in the southern waters then I admit that the amendment proposed by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Oanford] would be cprrect. But, in my judgement ' the proposition of the gentleman from Pennsvlvania should not be adopted by this llouse, and for this reason : tf there 2 be any policy or expediency in locating a naval rendezvous on Tybee Island. 01 t ' f PORT ,R(I)V MMME : JUNE 1,187t>. Cockspnr Island, In the Savannah River, that expediency and policy extend to its foinjr done at ence. It is recommended by a head of a Bu*1 ^ riAf Kv <?i. rear in trie xiavy i/e{>i*nujGu*. uu? *?.. ~. fizens of the locality which may be benefited by it. not by any sanitary department which simply gives it* opinion that there is less sickness at Port .Royal than at Savannah, when the fact is that, as shown hy the reports, the Savannah sliipI ping takes into that port thirty thousand seaman anntially while but a few hnn Jred go into the port of Port Royal. I refer to the report printed in the Record and submit ted by my colleague, who is on the Committee on Appropriations, [.Mr. Blount. | I ask the attention of members of this committee to a few facts in that report to which I will hastily advert. The fleet is now kept at rendezvous at Port Royal. The harbor of Port Royal is entirely of salt water ; it has no facilities of fresh water for the monitors to lie in or for crews to drink. Commodore Am men declares that pure fresh water can be obtained at Savaunah at all seasons of the year, at the head of Elba Island, or at a distance of about ten miles from the entrance of the river, and several milesdower down during a considerable part of the year. This would not only be of great advantige and economy for drinking, but also in preventing rust and t he accumulation of barnacle I ana other animal and vegetable growths I nn Kntrnm< iron vrtssfllx. This fiOTldi tion is of marked contrast to Port Royal. The gentleuiaa from Penn>y!vani: says that he desires this commission to sit and report to Congress six months from now. and he asks it in the line of economy. In that connection I ask him to listen to this statement by the chief of the Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department: The fresh-vater bills of the Die a tor for six months amount to $4,584,18, at the rates of $9,168.36 yearly. With the force now making rendezvous at Port Royal the cost for drinking water will be not less than $100,000 yearly. Mr. SMALLS. Will the gentleman yield for a moment ? Mr. HABTRIDGE. I have not time. It would appear from this statement that postponing this matter for six mouths would cost the country in drinking-water alone $50,000. Commodore Ammen says further that there are no fortifications at Port Royal while there are fortification at Savannah ; that the climate at Cockspur Island and Tybee Island is salubrious aP the year round. He goes on to give other advantages of Tybee Island over P*rt Royal or even Bruuswick, in my o*n State. He says that he knows these /act from a personal knowledge of the locality ' themselves. He is a disinterested wi.ue.ss, not a party having a ninterest in the locality, but an officer at the head of one of the chief Bureaus of the Navy _ Department. V?tT?nfKctnn4irnr this, it is nrnnoscd bv wtn?uu?.u?..e ...?, .. ? , , . the gentleman from Pennsylvania to continue the present condition of things for sis months longer. It may be slid that the Secretary of the Navy can remove the rendezvous now if he sees tit, hut the answer to that is that he has sot done it. Mr. MACKEY, of South Carolina. I move to amend the substitute by striking out the words '' at Tybee Island or Coekspur Island, in the Stat* of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Hartrpgk] who has just spoken has laid considerable stress upon the^nemorial of the citizens of Savannah and upon the endorsement added thereto by the Chief of Bureau of Navigation. Now, had it been Inown to anybody interested in Port Koyal^ that this officer had given such an opinion steps would have been takeD to obtain the opinions of officers of the Navy and of tne Coast Survey, equally competent to give an opinion in regard to the comparative merits of the two places, Tybee Lslaud, and Port Royal. * I: this opinion, however, be correct, and if according to the information received by the gentleman from Georgia the Secretary of the Navy thinks it proper to establish a naval rendezvous at Tybee Island, why was Port Royal selected ovet a year ago in preference to Tybee Island by the Secretary of the Navy? The facts srated in Commodore Ammeu's communications were as well known then as they are now. The truth is that those who know more about the two places than v-ommodore Ammen differed in opinion from him then as they do now. Port Royal was selected because in the opinion of almost every competent authority it afforded superior advantages as a naval station to Tybee Island or anv otherplace on the South Atlantic coast. Upon an examination of the Savannah memorial, which the gentleman from ' Georgia [Mr. Blount] presented last Friday in justification of action of com, mittee. and to which the other gentlemer from Georgia (Mr. Hartridge) has al 4 AL ' ^ $2,00 Per Ami, luded to-day, we find in the lait*r portion of it the real reason why the memorialists seek to have the rendezvous now established at Port Royal removed to Tybeo Island. It is, in the very words of the memorial, " the fear that such outlays at that port (that is, Port Royal,) to the serious " * and lasting detrim nt of the commerce of the city ot Savannah and other ports in the State ot Georgia. Jealousy of Port Royal and fear of it a> a growing commercial port alone actuate the Savannah memorialists in asking the change. It is to be hoped that such considerations will have no weight whatever with this House. These Sivannah memorialists, while admitting tlatthe harbor of Port Royal affords an advantage for i floating a larger number of vessels than any other harbor on the Soith Atlantic coast, claim that " this advantage is over come by other considerations of greater value. The first of these considerations is the fact k" that Port Royal is wholly undefended by fortifications, " whife 11 the pert of Savannah is protected by Fort Pulaski." What protection Fort Fulaski affords may be nest understood ly the fact that during the late civil war batteries were erected by the Union foices all around it almost without the knowledge of thegirrison, and that in thirty hours after the first gun was fired against it, it surrendered, notwithstanding it was well garrisoned and ftilly supplied. But, admit ting that Jfort fultfKi may oe a prcitvtion to the city of Savannah, what possible protection cin it be to Tybee Wand where it is now jought to establish i naval station ? Bhmember that during the war when thoroughly earrisoned it was unable to present the Union forces from erecting a single battery on Tybee Ioland. In fact, as I have already stated, batteries were erected on Tybee Island without the garrisch in Fort Pulaski even being aware of their location until after they had opesed fire upon the fort. That Fort Puhski is no protection to Tybee Island setrns to be partially admitted by these Savannah gentlemen when they state % that the Government holds two huncVed and ten acres of land on Tybee ' Island, intended for the rite of additional for;>ficntiom." What need for additional fortifications if Fort Pulaski affords ample protection ? As an offset, however, to raese two hundred and ten acres on Tybee Island, the . government owns five hundred and twenty acres at Port Roval, and the natural advantages . of Port Royal are such that it requires much less expensive and less extensive fortifications for the defense of the harbor there than at Tybee Island. In this respect, therefore, Tybee Island possesses no advantages over Port Royal worth considering. In fact it is very questionable whether any fortifications are needed at all for the protection of a naval renuezvous. Certainly they are not needed now, and will not be, perhaps, for years. , It is further claimed that '4 the Government aheady owns ample available land accommodations in Savannah Harbor for the purposes of a naval station, namely, the whole of Cockspur Island, on which Fort Pulaski rests, and two hum . dred and ten acres of land on Tybee Island. " If this be a matter pf any importance in the decision of this question, then Port Royal possesses superior advantages in this respect, for the Govern- t ment owns two hundred acres on Hilton Head and three hundred and twenty acres on Bay Point, or three hundred and ten acres more than it possesses, in Savannah Harbor. As to Cockspur Island, on which Fort Pulaski rests, it is nothing but a marsh island with veiy little solid ground except that upon which the fort rests. iMoreover, it is an exceedingly unhealthy spot, as is clearly showu in the following extracts from a report by Surgeons T. N. Roberts and I N. Niles, Cnited States Army, and therefore unfit, never mind what may be its othei advantages for a naval station : In it-* present condition the island is constantly overflowed, in a large part of its extent, by the tides while the water from the rainfall settles into the low spots of marshy v 1 ground and becomes stagnant. There js an abundant generation of malatia^ in . those low places, which causes the diferent forms of paludal fever prevailing here during the hot seThis cau<e (malarial would opperate here with much .greater istensity were the miasma not carried off or greatly diluted by the breezes from the sea. The difficulty and expanse of obtaining fresh water for drinking purposes at Port \ Royal is urged as an additional reason ~*V** *V./? nrtr.il rnrvr?.Tfvnn? should be re 11 Jf llic iiaiai ivuuvii-v?o ..... , moved from there to Tybee Island Over i a year ago when the naval rendezvous ; was first established at Port Roj*al this objection might have been urged witn i some force ; Dut all difficulties of that kind have been removed, as will readily I i