THE CHASE OF THE ALABAMA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1092, 29 April 1863, Page 3

THE CHASE OF THE ALABAMA.

(From the ' New York Times,' June 3.) The failure of our naval vessels to capture the Alabama before this time has caused the most erroneous impressions to prevail relative to the doings of the navy department. The public have been so far misled in this matter that it is only right to state the facts of the case. Notwithstanding the still unchecked success of Captain Semmes, it is beyond contradiction that the history of the American, English, or French Navy furnishes no parallel for the feats accomplished by our naval authorities in connection with the much dreaded pirate. In times of peace we had six navy yards, which were pretty generally kept going, providing for the current wants of the forty men-of-war we used to have in commission. When war came upon us Norfolk and Pensaeola were swept away, leaving only New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Washington being an ordinance yard, chiefly), available. And these have had to fit out a series of squadrons in fifteen months, which could not be armed elsewhere in the same time. We have now over sixty vessels more in commission than in England, and to keep their wants supplied, to keep them repaired, always relieved at the proper time, and to have ships approaching completion as others wear out, is one item of the daily work of the four navy yards named. Besides doing it well, time has been found within the brief space of three months to equip a fleet for the purpose of overhauling the Alabama, which is now represented in every sea. In order to estimate the extraordinary energy required to accomplish this, it is only necessary to know that not one vessel in forty at Mr. Welles's command would be worth anything for the business. The proper ships had to be first picket out, and as they all need great alterations, and as some of them were at the furthest end of the blockade, time was required to bring them home, and put them in proper trim. And now, after twelve weeks' work, the following fleet is on the ocean, every vessel belonging to it a match for the Alabama, save in speed, and several well able to overhaul her : —

Vessels. How long out. Screw or Paddle. Cliippewa A few weeks out Screw Daeotah Four weeks Screw Juniata Bound out Screw Kearsago Three weeks Screw Minnesota Ordered off Screw Powhattan Some weeks Scrcw Rhode Island Three weeks Paddle Vanderbilt Five weeks Paddle San Jacinto Some months Screw Tuscavora Three weeks Screw Canandaigua Some weeks Screw Mokican. Some weeks Screw Fast steam frigate ... Under orders Screw Fast steam frigate ... Ready January 10 ... Screw Fast steam gunboat ... Sails next Wednesday. Screw Colorado A week Screw Ossipee Two weeks Screw Sacramento Under orders Screw As the armament or tonnage of these ships is not given, it can convey no information to the enemy. Some of the vessels named were not fitted out especially for the duty they are now believed to be engaged in. Besides putting these craft in fighting and chasing condition, the aforesaid four navy yards have had to despatch the following vessels for current blockade service, the neglect of which even the capture of the Alabama would not atone for:— Vessels. Rate. Work done. Alabama Purchased paddle . Overhauled in toto. A. Houghton ... Store ship Repaired. Colorado 50-gun frigate ... Repaired in toto. Canandaigua ...Iron sloop Fitted out. Dale Sailing corvette ...Repaired. ])e Soto Paddle steamer ... Repaired. Daylight Screw steamer ... Repaired. E. B. Hale Screw steamer ... Repaired. Florida Side-wheel steamer Repaired. Housatonie Screw sloop Fitted out. Iroquois Steam gunboat ... Thoro'ly overlil'd. Lackawanna ... Steam frigate ...Finished. Massachusetts ... Troop ship,trnsprt. Refitted. Midnight Bark Refitted. Montgomery ... Screw steamer ...Repaired. Monticello ' Screw steamer ... Repaired.

Maratanza Screw steamer .. Repaired. Mahasha Paddle steamer ... Repaired. Monongaliela ... Screw Finished. Monitor Iron-clad Overhauled. Magnolia Side-wliccl steamer Repaired. Potomska Screw steamer ...Repaired. Sagamore Screw steamer ...Finished. Shepherd Knapp . Ship Repaired. Sonoma Padtllewheel ... Finished. Sacramento Steam frigate ... Now ready. I'foja Steam gunboat ...Finished. Uniulilla Screw steamer ...Repaired. Water Witch ...Paddle-wheel ...Repaired. Wissahickon ... Screw gunboat ...Repaired. This is twelve weeks' work, but it does not include the new men-of-war now in progress, of which 12 or 15 are building at the four navy yards. Nor does it include vessels fitted up elsewhere, and sent to the yards for " final preparations," which often occupy weeks; storcships were provisioned, transports commissioned and sent away, and other work done which should he performed if troops were to he fed or a blockade maintained. We challenge any naval Power in the world to show such a twelve weeks' work as this. Under the circumstances, the mere manning of such a fleet as ours, and keeping it supplied with beef, bread, butter, cheese, flour, raisins, apples, &c., is marvellous. France challenged the world to equal her sending off 14,000 men in transports and about ten men-of-war, in two weeks. We have sent as many in a week, if the everlasting changing of crews, relieving and reshipping, were taken into account. While all these facts are true, it may seem strange that the energy and resources of the country cannot result in ridding the ocean of a pestering pirate. Officers of the highest standing give the following reasons for this:— " 1. In the Alabama everything is sacrificed for speed. It would not do to build men-of-war on that plan before the pirate's peculiarities were known, and since the most expeditious constructor could not have completed her equal. " 2. The difficulty of finding one small ship on the wide ocean, especially when she can have as bright a lookout as her competitor, and can get out of her way with great alacrity. "3. There is not in the United States, to be purchased for love or money, a steamer possessing the speed necessary to catch, her, and at the same time the strength to catch her."