The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1818-03-04

eni establish smenu 10 material. for naval oos
stsuction, in the dense population of th
town and its vicinity. But from the uucer
sain'y OF entrance into this harbor, ana rbo
= fair wind Is requisite to enter Peesideo
Roads, from those OF Nantasket: and ,ha
1.-the harbor y occasionally obstructed BY. ice
from tho difficulty Of getting 10 sea IN caste .
W weather; from lie susce ptibili,v Of block
ssde, situate as Il is al the bottom Of the bay
and from the dangerous osvigssion Of. Bcs
ton Bay In The winter season, ehe cOrnu,is
sionefs are of opinion, (with ono excep,ion'
that Il Is advisable to iosain the or san, Is.
tablishment, connecting with 1t dry dock, 70,
occasional buildings and epair, bu. rba, il j.
not advisable to establish great uasionsI De-
pot and ssndexvous atthis place. Ths har,
Dor can be secured from Da,itime atrsck
by occupy,og Georges and Loog. Island, and
by strengthening the dcfeuces Of the wo.k, or
Castle, Governors and Noodles Iss.nds,
Rhode Island Harder, and Narraeaases
Bay, Wafch Hill, Fisher's zsland .Sosssd, ana
ey- London Har6or-Tne exsminaion OF
these waters has con vinced the Com mission
crs, that they are Of great national value, not
only in a na.ional point Of view, bu, also IN
that of defence. The connection of ,he IN
which is hero made, is intended 10 exhib,t
the opinion of the Commissioners, tina, 10
naval, IS wei as in COMMERCIAL operations,
the power of maintaining this conpaxiou
should be preserved as far as may be pfeetica-
BILE and indeed xendcd, were it within rcas-
enable means, by TIC line acfoss the s.uBd
from the western extreme Oh Fisber's Il, au !,
by the Rase and Golls, 10 Gaedeer's bsy.s BGI
the distance exhibited on me map from EIsh.
era Island TO the Gull, the rapidi.y of the
tides and great dep,hoi wafer, the distance
from the Gull to Gssduos's Bay, and sne dis
lance Of good anchorage in a,dnSr :. bay
from That island, arc suoh, as to preclude, ia
the unanimous opinion of the Com eplssion-
ers, The nope oi extending line of 6sfence
by permanent fotif;cauons from Fishsrs is.
land to vhe bay JOSS mentioned.
The use Of steam batteries IN these ~aters
would, ia the opinion Of the commis sioners,
aided by a supporting to,,ificaiion on Gard
ney's Island, iosm an impos tant and imposing
obstscle 70 tho occupancy If these wslers by
an eaeny who may posseSs greater naval
force than the United States. Eos all the
OBJECTS OF naval rendezvous and national de-
fence, the commissiopcrs agree unaaimousIy
in the opinion herein. sxpresscd,~ In relation
TO the waters of Narrsganset bay, the Sound,
aud Ncw-York. The Commissiorsrs, Tex
ccp, one,> are of opinion that Narsganset
bay presents the best sile for NaSal Depoi
in the Union, north Of the Chcsarssko bay,
tor tho following reasons S---thet - alaiiop
within two days march pf this BAY equal, a
not superior 10 any sect,an of the Seion of
equal era. consequently tie means Of defence
which dense population affords, is 10 be
found in tho vicinity Of !. 10 al equal degree
with any other point on the Coast. 4 Bceasse,
IN geographical view, Tins Bay, and that OF
the Chesapcaks, from tbs two gtest qolnts
on the sea coas; cow eniently sltse,gd ssto
Ddistance from the Atlantic extseIass Of. the
Union, sGoeding matual advantage 90 eHec,
stsonccsnf tattoo oS any naval to,es, s1d The
INA Of shcir corn nrnicaticn wouM AT ard to
such force, the mean. ol p,o.ectipg iepor-
liant intefm-diale positions, 10 wi ;slae Della.
ware, New Yo,k, and Long Island Sound;
because, parlit uiarly as il relates 10 Rhode
Island Hatbsr, il is We y accessible from sea
at all seasons of the year il afords..capacious
haf bors, can be entered from the oceaa, anc
the ocean can be reached ICON u ind few
hours sail i; because 1t can be entered when
the wind is north west; and becaase'ltts is NOT
susceptible of continued blockade !; nor is /,
obstructed by ice. An examnauon of this
bay has satisfied the Commissions, 4 with
one sxception) that tho be 81 site for q g eat
Naval Depot east Of the Chesapcake bay is
to be found in this Bay end the vssiOus posi-
,ioNs upon The waters OF it.. The sites are
Gaspe Point, Mount Rspe bay, near Bristol,
the Basin and Fall riser. The basin, at the
northern extremity OF Rhode Island, for med
by the nosth part of tah eastern passage aud
the stone bridge ai HowIand's ferty, and Fail
river at tho margin OF Taunton river, present
the best sites. Both have great advanvan,a-
ges, the first from It's accessibility and from
the Circumstance that the defcnce oi Rhode
Island will include that Of this position. The
la'ter named place has natural meaos for
forming dry docks aud to propel machinery
by its falls. lnssmuch as the water Of Wa.
tupor South Pond csn be conveyed by con.
duits to the basin, aud as the site at Fall Riv.
sr would involve an extensive line Of defence,
the commissioners prefer tho basin. The
commissioners have received information
that an abundance Of oak timbei, iron orc, and
Of workmen, can be p ocured within range