The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-01-08
NAVAL DEPOT.


most distinguished nautical men aud
Naval Officers, that the waters of ,hs
Narragansett Bay afforded ihe most ell
ligible site for the construction Of "A
great Naval Depot and Rendezvous for
the U. States Ships of War--and il has
been confidently asserted thai if ever
such an establishment should be formed,
our bay would be selected for the pur-
pose. President jackson has several
times called the attention of Congress
to this subject. and our interchangeable
RepreseniaiNe, DUTEE J. PEARcr, has
let 40 opportunity slip in the furtherance
of this object. On the ooh uIt. Mr..
fEARcE offered resolution in ,bo
House of Representatives of Congress.
to print 5000 copies of the "Report of
the Engineer respecting the practica-
b'lty and expediency of establishing a
Naval Depot in the Narragansett Bay,"
winch was subsequently, passed.
Charts accompanying the Report arr In
PREPARATION, and will shortly he in readI-
ness for distribution. We thirk there
is ground to hope, that this measnre, sn
important to our little State, will be
speedily adopted.
The following is copy of the Re-
port referred to, by which it VIII be
seen that the places considered by the
Engineer as the most eligible, are, on
the Southeast part of the Island of
Prudence, the other at the entrance of
Mount Hope Bay. TProv. Jour-.
NEWPORT, (R. D.
Sir ! have the honor to inform vou
that have completed The survey of
Narragansett Day, made agrecably To
your orders of the l6h May last, and
chart is now prepa,ing on large scnle
which will be forwarded To the denor,.
ment assoan as il can be furnisbed.--
y chart on smaller scale, that Will
comprise the whole survey in one sheet.
VIII accompany iiiis--not finished, how
ever, IN all the details from want of
time, but sufficiently so for reference.
and showing accurately the position of
all the shores, and The depth of water
generally throughout the bay. The sur
vey having been ordered with the view
to ascertain the practicabiIiiy aud expe-
diercy Of establishing naval depot
therein, il has been carefully made, and
those points which appeared to promise
the most suitable locations, have been
mnutely examined. The positions of
the principal point of land around the
bay have heen determined trigonome-
trically--the series of triangles cnmmen-
cling from measured base of about one
and half miles, aud proved to be cor
rect from n verifying base of 44I76 feet
at the other part Ofthe bay.-
The form ofthe shores between the sew
eral points of triangnla;ion has been as
certaned by the chain and compass, e..
the depth of water is also placed on tho
chart by angles measured at the point
of sounding, or by ranges of the differ
ent signal stations, and reduced 10 the
level Of the lowest tides.
The two positions in the BAY which /
appear to present the gren,est natural
advantages for the establishment; of
naval depot, are the one on the south
east part of Prudence Island, and the
other Mt the entrance of Mount Hope
Bay, between Bristol Ferry and Mount
Hope. Near both these positions there
IS most excellent anchorage, with suf-
ficient depth Of water for any purposes.
The water is bold in both places, close
IN with the shore, so that much length II
Of wharves would not be required and
it is believed that the land in either place
is suitable for depot. Charts OF both
these sections Of the bay are now being
on large scale, which will