Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-12

she was; the source perhaps OF what she
may be; the lone, and stately, and mag
nificent memorials, that rearing their ma
jesty amid surrounding ruins, serve at
once as the land marks of the departed
glory, and the models By which tile flu
ture may be erected.
Preserve those virtues with vestal
fidelity mark this day by your verdict,
your horror at their profanation, and be-
lieve me, when the hand which records
that verdict shall be dust, and the
tongue that asks it traceless in The grave,
many an happy home will bless its conse-
guences, aud many mother teach her
little child 10 hate the impious treason Of
adultery.
......-....
WASHINGTON, August 80, 1917.
MessrS. Gales and Seaton,
Observing in your paper of the 10Th, an
account OF the hauling up British "a to re-
pair, aud ii having excited great establishment
in the minds of many, that NO enormous a
weight could have been taken out of the wa
ter by a combination of the pully, lever and
Inclined plane, but more particularly because
TINS IS claimed as an English discovery, con.
siuer IL a duty owe to my country TO claim
II as genuine American invention. In the
year 1905, the ketch Vesuvius was run on
shore on the Bahama Bank, and injured her
Dottom very much. The peculiar construction
VI thio 'NsSSt hiduS IL lUpOSSlDle 10 HcdNe neT
out, as the great quantity and weight of mate
| rails In her weuld have sunk her in the opera
non 1t, therefore, became necessary TO haul
her up or condemn her. The experiment was
maue and succeeded; ii was repeated on the
| Adams frigate, at the navy-yard here, and was
| equally successful. I'm the first instance, only
sixty men and one capstern were employed and
| In the other, only the means and the men he
longing TO the yard, which did not exceed l50
and which were at the time deemed sufficient
| 10 have hauled mp a ship of the line. / coBsi-
der our ingenuity as national property; |
consider our naval reputation equally so; eff
forts have repeatedly been made to fitch from
MS the merits of both; it becomes, therefore,
tie duty of every American, who has the hon.
or and interest of his country at heart, to
watch over them with the most scrnpulous
care.
have searched the files of the navy office,
and have obtained copy of a communica-
ton made to the secretary of the navy on this
subject near nine years since, which is another
lesson 10 MS to examine our own pretensions
| to the merits of discovery before we Weld
them TO other nations, however sttpendouS"
| they may at first sight appear. l send il TO
| you for publication, with the hope that the
editors of papers who have published the Eng
lish account will also publish this.
1t will be well to be on our guard, lest our
| invention of steam boats and steam-batte ries
should share the fate of Godfrey's quadrant
and the chain cable.
AN AMERICAN.
1 NAVY aRD, NEW YORK,
18th July, 1873,
SIR-The bomb ketch Vesuvius was yes
terday hove up on ways, and, although not
! witloui some difficulty lowing to the prepara
tons, exc not neing of sufficient magnitude for
! SO large vesSeD tue experiment has, never
theiess, convinced me, that our largest fri
| gates, or, indeed. even ships of the line, might
| be taken OUT OF the water on similar princi
pie, To ne coppered, or receive any other re-
pairs, AT less than fourth the expense of heav-
ing down, with proportionate facility, and
| without any risk whatever
| consider that permanent WAYS may be con-
structed here. that will, if properly executed,
| last nifty years, TO take up ~ gun ship for
| fonr or not exceeding five thousand dollars /;
and am so convinced of the correctness of
the principle of this machine, as well as its
great utility, that am now getting model
executed, which intend forwarding TO YOU for
| your consideration.
With great respect, I have the homer 10 be,
| sir, your Obedient humble servant,
JOHN RODGERS.
The hon. Robert Smith,
secretary of the navy.