The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-27 00:00:00

NEW WAR SHIPS FOR .RUSSIA.

(From the San Francisco Times, Dec. 11.)
Several weeks ago Capt. Davidoff, of the Russian
Imperial Navy, arrived at this port from the Amoor
river, with instructions from the Emperor to have a
steam gun-boat constructed in California for the use
of the Russian Government on the coast of Eastern
Asia. The captain has since that time been engaged
in making examinations of !the different kinds of
wood produced in this country, with the view of
ascertaining whether that now used for shipbuilding
purposes would answer the desired purpose. The
oak and laurel, now principally adopted by "ship-
builders, has answered very well for small vessels
and inland steamboats, for which the usually small
dimensions of the wood seemed to meet every re-
quirement, but whether that material would apply
to as large a vessel as a gunboat, which is to be of
the size of those used in the Sea of Azoff by the
English in the late war, is another question.
The Russian Government has ordered that the
vessel shall be ready to leave California by July
next, and to be in the Amoor River by August.
This demands the utmost despatch ; and the difficulty
of the task is shown by the fact that tho timber for
the vessel has yet to be cut from the woods. The
chief trouble, however, is that the timber, after be-
ing cut and conveyed to the Navy-yard at Mare
Island, requires to be seasoned before being put
into the hull of the gunboat.
The question thus arises whether, in the stated
period, any wood can be made ready for the pre-
scribed purpose, and whether, in fine, the two classes
of timber now used—laurel and oak—can be sea-
soned in that space of time. Any old Californian
who may be well-informed on these matters will
confer a favour by addressing to this journal his
views on the subject, as well as to what are the
most durable woods used for mechanical purposes
in this state. Captain Davidoff has, we believe,
instructions to apply elsewhere to have the vessel
built, in case California does not offer the requisite
natural facilities. The mechanical portion, he
thinks, could not be excelled anywhere in the
world. As an officer of experience in naval con-
struction, he expresses the highest opinion of the
work he has seen, not only at the Navy yard at
Mare Island, but at the private shipyards in San
Francisco.

At this time, when our own Government is hav-
ing a war steamer built at the public works, it
would be a double honour to the growing mechani-
cal genius of our young state of California if it could
enjoy the honour of turning out the first vessel for
foreign service on the Pacific. For this reason we
believe that any person having reliable information
on the subjects above referred to will not hesitato
to communicate them. New York has just com-
pleted the largest wooden vessel in
the world for the Russian Government—the Grand
Admiral. Perhaps as that power increases her
commercial operations in the Amoor country, she
may often become tt customer of our mechanical
works.

. _
It is a matter of great importance to show, by
incontestable evidence, that California has within
herself not only the mechanical skill for the con-
struction of war ships, but the material of which
to build them. Eventually we must maintain a
Pacific fleet for the protection of American com
merce on this great ocean. Those ships should.
never leave the Pacific, and should be built in Cali-
fornia and of Californian material.