Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Sloop of war, Hornet, 18 guns, preparing for a cruize in the West Indies, at Norfolk, Virginia. Brig, Enterprize, repairing at New York, for a cruize in the West Indies.

No. III.

"List of Vessels of the United States' Navy, in Ordinary, exclusive of Ships on the List of the Navy Commissioners, exclusive of List No. IV.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

No. IV.

"Vessels built and building under the Law for the gradual Increase of the Navy :

Columbus 74.-Launched in ordinary at Boston, with a roof over her to protect her from the sun, rain, &c.

Ohio 74.-Launched in ordinary at New York, with a roof over her to protect her from the sun, rain, &c.

North Carolina 74, and Delaware 74.-Launch

ed in ordinary at Norfolk, and now covering with roofs to protect them.

A 74.-At Boston, nearly finished; house over her and perfectly protected.

A 74.-At Boston; frame raised; under a house, perfectly protected.

A 74.-At Portsmouth, N. H. nearly finished; under a house perfectly protected.

A 74.-At Norfolk, Virginia, about half finished; house over her; perfectly protected. A 74.-At Philadelphia; keel laid; frame nearly out; house now building over her, and probably raised by this time.

Potowmac 44.-Launched and hauled up on an inclined plane at Washington, where she now lies under a house, perfectly protected from sun, rain, &c.

A 44.-At Washington about half finished.

A 44.-At Philadelphia, nearly finished, house over her, perfectly protected.

A 44.-At New York; frame getting out and nearly ready to raise.

A 44.-At Portsmouth, N. H. in forwardness; house over her; perfectly protected.

The frames of the other frigates authorized to be built, excepting a few pieces yet to be delivered by the contractors, and nearly all the other materials, excepting the iron, are procured and placed in situations where they will probably not sustain any immediate material injury.

Two steam-battery frames are securely deposited under cover at Washington Navy Yard.

One steam-battery frame is securely deposited under cover at New York.

Two engines are put up, and in a state of preservation at New York.

The building yards are in as good a state as the means placed at the disposal of the Department would allow; but to erect the necessary warehouses, repair wharfs, cover some of the vessels now building, and to erect suitable sheds over the timber, for its preservation, there will be required in the year 1823 the sum of 150,000 dollars."

The timber of which the Americans build their ships of war, is the Live Oak, (quercus virens,) a tree delighting in low sandy soils near the sea

coast, and growing in great plenty in South Carolina, and still more abundantly in Florida, from which States it is brought to the different navy yards. It is probably one of the most indestructible woods in the world. A gentleman told me, that when he was at Pensacola in Florida, he saw many of these trees still sound, although the Spaniards when they first landed had girdled them, not being able to cut them down. I believe that there are no instances of this wood's decaying, or of its being subject to the dry rot, after being worked up. It is so hard as to require tools of peculiar temper to cut it, and takes a great deal of labour and time before it can be shaped. It is exceedingly heavy, so much so that it will not float. Indeed I have several times, when visiting the different navy yards, thrown pieces of it into the water by way of experiment, and it has always sunk. The planking and wood work in the interior of the ships is of Locust and Cedar. As the Americans are not obliged to stint themselves in materials, nothing can exceed the beauty and strength of the timbers.

The following is a communication from Commodore Porter to the Editor of the American Farmer, (a periodical publication,) upon the subject of the comparative expense of building ships in the navies of France, and in that of the United States.

"Meridian Hill, Washington, Sept. 3, 1821.

"The appropriation made for the gradual increase of our navy for eight years, was 8,000,000 of dollars, and it was required that for this sum nine ships of the line and twelve frigates should be built, and the imperishable materials for three steam batteries should be procured.

"From present prospects there cannot be a doubt, that had the appropriation continued, the whole would have been completed, within the time limited, and for the sum appropriated. But it will be recollected, that at the last Session of Congress, the amount was reduced from a million to half a million per annum; and the time extended in proportion to the reduction of the appropriation. The report of the commissioners however shows, that the amount originally appropriated was sufficient for the object to be effected.

*

"The French navy will, in ten years, according to the statement of the Minister of the Marine, equal thirty-eight ships of the line and forty-nine frigates (it is now equal to fifty-one ships of the line and thirty-six frigates) and the expense at 13,000,000 of dollars per annum will be 130,000,000.

"Our navy in eight years can be augmented

There appears to be some mistake in the numbers here.

« PreviousContinue »