Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-27
Wsduejaay January Is.
(Coneiaded.1

lame. Gentlemen Will 60 INFO Tue con-
federation OF the merits or the reiolution
and as the whole fnbjeet is before US, an
interchange of ideas may be uieful IN
forming our Judgment and Leading TO
decifion.
Every propofal which has for It's OBJ
Jet the protection or pseiervatlon OF the
navy was interefting 70 the Atlantic itates,
and peculiarly 70 TO the difriei he had
the honor to repreient. To that which
was under confederation ieyeral objeeti-
ons had occurred to his mind, iome OF
which inRead of being removed, were
confirmed by the obleryations OF the chair
man of the committee who had reported
the reiolution. A fact itated by the en-
pineer was within the knowledge of per-
haps every gentleman that the bed OF
the river called the Eattern Branch (where
il is propoied 70 erect the works. confits
of a loole and Uniting earth, which rem
ders ii uncertain TO what depth /, will be
neceHary TO go for foundation for the
Aone wall which is TO form the front OF
the hrii lock the elevation and breadth
or thick ncis of the wall cannot therefore
be afcertained, nor the exFence which
will be incurred in It's frueture. But ad
hitting that foundation can be had at
Reasonable depth, & that there is no dar-
ger that this loofe foil will be waihed IN
to and impede the operations of the hEa
lock; let us imagine the locks and dock
completed, according to the plan and at
the efiimateo expence, the fhips hauled in
TO the dry dock, aud the water of the
TYber Efficient at all ieafons of the year
70 fill the dry dock and to float them back
into the river. We then meet the quef-
ton, whether the great object of the work,
the preJtrvatiOn Of The .)Gips will be efec-
ted. 1t is propotcd TO iuFporf them by
blocks or props. Is there not danger that
heavy fhips refing for long time on
comparatively fmall refing points, will
be racked and injured in their frames !
And will they be preisrved from decay !
, AS part of The dock will probably be funk
beneath the iurface of the ground, and as
the walls are to be contributed Of folio
mafonry and made water proof, he was
very much inclined to the opinion of the
gentleman from New y ork, thatit would
be extremely difficult TO ventilate it eff
fetfually that there mutt be moii}ure
untavorable 70 the pretervation OF wood,
iron and copper. On the other hand
fhould il be found practicable to ventiiare
perfectly, and 10 render the air within the
arfenal as dry as the external atmoiphere,
was there not reafon TO aPprebend the
fame consequences which we have oblerv-
ed in boats and fmalI velels which are
hauled out of the water, ard placed under
cover from the fun. By tie thinking of
the wood will net the copper fall eff, and
the exrence of new coppering be incurred
when they are taken cut tor ufe The
fuccefs Of the experiment was uncertain.
Ii was not known to him that any of the
European nations had adopted this plan.
They had incurred imuenie expence IN
building, and it WAS to be preiumed they
had fallen on the beif means of preierying
their fhips. In works OF fuch magnitude
he ,hooght it mo.e prudent to follow,
than 10 lead the practice of older and more
experienced narions. Ii was ifated In the
report, 90 the authority OF very refpec-
table naval officer, thas an experiment. of
this kind was making in Sweden By the
recommendation Of one OF their sdmirals !;
but i, was worthy of obiervatiou that
they were making the experiment in deep
water, and on the Gde OF a rock ! and tha,
the hra, if nor all their decks were 10 be
tide docks-the advantages of making
locks in places where the tide role eight
or ten feet, in preference 70 ,hoie whese
it role only four or FIVE tas intbis rveD