The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-31 00:00:00

AT PHILADELPHIA.

The Jamestown and Saratoga—These are two
sloops of war in tolerably efficient order, and both
undergoing repairs for sea. Neither of them would
be worth converting, in our opinion.

The St. Lawrence—The St. Lawrence is a first-
class frigate, 1,726 tons burden, and carries 50 guns;
she was built at Norfolk in 1847, and has been ac-

tively employed most of the time since. She re-
lieved the Savannah on the coast of Brazil in 1856,
and was replaced there by the Congress in 1859.
She is in good order, and may be converted.
AT CHARLESTOWN. MASSACHUSETTS.

The Vermont (Liner)--The Vermont is a line-of-
battle ship, 2,633 tons burden, carrying 84 guns,
Her condition has not been reported for years, so
that it is impossible to predict what may be the de-
cision of the Board with regard to her.
The Ohio—The Ohio is another 84,tPud has been
a receiving ship at Boston for some years. As her
timbers are supposed to be worn out it is not pro-
bable that she will be recommended for alteration.

The Virginia—This is a ship of-the-line, 2,633
tons burden, which was put upon the stocks at
Chtraestown in 1818, where she has reme-7ned, like
the New York, Alabama, and New Orleans, with-
out having ever left the shiphouses, A steamer bear-
ing her name will, possibly, be noade from her mate.
rials.

The Vincenn es.—A second class sloop of war,
700 tons burden, carrying 20 guns. She recently
returned from the coast of Africa in charge of a
naval surgeon, all the other officers entitled to com-
mand having been unavailable. She was constructed
in Brooklyn in 1826, and can hardly be in a state
to pass inspection.

SACKETT'S HARBOUR.
The New Orleans.—The New Orleans was never
launched, having been on the stocks since 1815.
She was the first line-of-battle ship contemplated
for the navy. As she occupies a ship-house, her
timbers may possibly be used in the construction
of a new steamer. The tonnage of the New Orleans
was to have been 2,805, and her armament 84 guns.
The above are all the vessels at the navy yards
that will be brought immediately under the notice
of the Examining Board. There are now in squa-
drons the corvette Savannah, frigate Sabine, sloop
St. Louis, sloop Preble, sloop Cayanc, sloop St.
Mary's, sloop Levant, frigate Congress, sloop
Constellation, sloop Portsmouth, sloop Marion,
sloop John Adams, and the Independence, Warren,
and Fredonia at San Francisco, of which about
half a dozen will be considered worth convening.
We have purposely omitted all mention of brigs and
steamships as not coming under the head of the
sailing ships to be overhauled.

If the Board should decide in favour of remodel-

ling any considerable number of the vessels named
Congress must make extra appropriations for the
purpose, as it would be impossible to liquidate the
incidental expenses :from the money at present at
the disposal of the Navy Department. Work at
the several navy yards promises to be brisk for years
to come if the proposed changes are carried out.
The Norfolk correspondent of the New York
Courier and Enquirer writes on th;s subject :
"I herewith send you a brief account of the doings
of the Naval Board which was recently engaged
at the several naval yards. Its deliberations are
not concluded just yet, but the nature of its deci-
sions is known. Future cogitations will relate only
to the method of altering the vessels which have,
as you call it, passed inspection.' It may not be
out of place to say that a dry dock investigation
into the soundness or rottenness of the different
vessels will be made before the process of altering
any of them begins. I believe, however, that every
one recommended for conversion is sound generally.
" On the 13th of September I received orders to

join Commodore Storer, Commodore Stringham,
Chief Engineer Archibald, Chief Engineer Ish-
wood, John Linthal, Esq., chief of the bureau of
construction, and Naval Constructor Delano, who
were appointed members of a board of naval offi-
cers, engineers, and co aqtructors, ordered to exa-
mine into the condition cif the saging vessels of the
navy, and the cost of giving them, or any of them,
with the expediency of making such a change, in
view of the cost, condition, model, and character of
such vessels so altered. Having reported myself,
we set out at once forPortsmouth,N.H., from which
place I wrote you.
" VESSELS TO BE CONVERTED AT PORTSMOUTH.
" The old (or new) liner Alabama was brought
under our notice a short time after our arrival at
Kittery, Me. (which is also at Portsmouth, N.H.),
and we left not a crevice of the craft unexamined.

She has been 42 years on the stocks, notwithstand-
ing which we concluded to recommend her as being
worth converting ; she will make a splendid
steamer of the first class.
" The Franklin also received due attention from
us, and we decided, in a very little while, to ' pass'
her. This vessel was once before recommended for
conversion, and operations were commenced on her,
bat were never completed. She is the most likely
to turn out well of any yet overhauled.
,g The Cumberland, Dale,and Macedonian were not

considered as fit to be made steamers of. The San-
tee, a frigate, never sent to sea yet, caused some
discussion, but will never, I presume, be propelled
by steam.