The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-23

ANSWER. For the prosecution of the pre-
sent war with NEST effect, mixed naval force
OF tne following description, in my opinion, is
the best calculated.
Ships Of the line, TO rate, in honor Of the year of
our independence, seventy skies to mount as fol-
lows:
. sssspon I'D on the n lSgsr gun deck &C.
u 4SPound carronades on quarterback and fore
castle
2 2Epounders ON forecasile.
6S-pound caTronades on poop.
50 Guns.
Frigates to rate forty guns, to mount as follows:
80 2ipounders on gun deck
" oS-Pound carronades on quarter deck and fore
castle.
so Guns.
Fngates to rate thiry-.wo guns, to mount as fol-
26 lspounders on gun deck
10 2-pound carronades on quarter deck and fore
castle
AZ Guns.
Corvette ships to rate sixteen guns, to mount as
follows:
Is 3S-pound carronades.
l2poundcrs.
20 Guns.
ARGUMENT. BY having a proportion of
these classes of ships Of war, the inner squad
ron, or 'garde dicosta" may be composed of
the ships of the line, and few of the thirty
two-gun ships for repeaters and lookout
ships-hence it would produce one OF two
results, either that the enemy would be OBJ
llged to abandon our coast, or bring on ii
much greater force, al least double our num-
Der, out OF which they would be obliged TO
keep on our coasts superiority at all hazards
of the sea. and at great additional expense
and risk OF transports for provisions and wa
ter. But should they, from other circum-
stances, be unable TO keep up this superiority
on our coast the door will be kept open for
the ingress or egress of our cruisers and their
prizes, while our other classes Of ships may
be sent in pursuit of their smaller cruizers
and commerce. These observations will APP
ply TO all future wars in which we may be en-
gagged with maritime powers; but as we might
more frequently be engaged with the Barba-
ry powers the frigates and sixteen gun ships
would be better adapted to that speciesof war
fare. They have no ships of the line. Our
ships of the line could then be laid in ordi-
nary, dismantled and preserved at small
expense.
QUESTION FIFTH. Would not the erection
of docks for the repairs Of our vessels, pro-
duce great saving in expense, labor, and
risk, and would not docks greatly expedite the
reftting of our ships
ANSWER A dry dock, agreeably to plan
| furnished the department some time since,
to be freed from water by pumps or drains,
will be indispensable for the repairs of ships
Of war, and will be the least expensive way
Of repairing the bottoms Of our ships, and will
expedite the outfits, in point of time, one to
ten
ARGUMENT ship of war, wanting repairs
done to her bottom, or coppering, must be
turned down, one side at time, to undergo
that repair therefore to prepare ship for
that process, requires that all her upper masts
should be taken down, and all her guns, stores,
water-casks, ballast, ammunition, &C., should
be taken out, which leads to great loss, waste,
and labor, and the time occupied in the pro-
cess, will be from two to three weeks, and
as much more time will be required to re-rig,
re-equip, and to replace her guns, stores and
other materials The preparation TO dock a
ship of war can be done in trelue hours all
that is necessary to be done, is to take out the
guns, and pump the water out of the water
casks and when in dock, the repairs of her
bottom can progress on both sides at the same
time. Should ship of war require thorough
repair throughout, it can never be effectually
done but in dock for instance, in repairing
ships of war in the water, they are liable TO
have the fine form of their bottom spoiled by
hogging, spreading, or varying, which will
materially affect their sailing. Ships wanting
thorough repairs, require all the plank ripped
off inside and outside, their beams, knees and
clamps taken out, these are all they have to
bind their frames together, and thereby pre-
serve their shape; but when stripped of these
to make room for the new, they are liable to
hogg from the greatest weight and body of
timber being in the fore and atier end, at which
places there is no pressure upwards, caused
by the water as those ends are sharp; the
two extremes of the ship are liable to sink in
the water, while the body or middle Of the
ship rises with the upward pressure of the
water The next consideration in repairing
the bottoms in the water, though not OF such
vital importance is not unworthy OF serious
attention; the boiling into the bottom ought to
be driven from the outside, but when repaired
af1oat they are under the necessity Of driving
them from the inside, hence the bottom will
not be so strong nor SO well secured.
The time for answering the several ques-
tons propounded to me in your letter OF the
18th inst being very short, and great deal
being required by my other avocations,
will, | trust, be sufficient apology for my not
going more largely and infinitely into the