The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-01-22
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE

WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1876.

Dear Sir The Senate having no business
before it did not meet to-day. The House after
short discussion on appointing the Attorney Gene
raj adjudlcaior on the Peruvian (S3, 000,OOO) in
demnIty, adjourned, in consequence of the death
OF Mr. Taylor, one of the Virginia delegation. |
have sent you the estimates for the Navy as re-
ported from the Committee Of Wavs and Means.
This bill does not include any estimates for build
Ing Steamers, &c.-that will be separate one
DO not think it will meet with any opposition in
the House, although originating in the Senate
You VIII see resolution offered by Mr. Oar.
ragh, of Pennsylvania, making inquiries into the
proprlety OF erecting dry dock at Philadelphia
look upon the present plan ofbuilding any more dry
docks OF doubtful utility; there is not one of them
sufficiently large TO admit a steamer of The first
class. The extreme length of the line of battle
ship Pennsylvania is 223 feet-this vessel very
nearly fills up the dock-the Mississippi, only a
SECOND class steamer, is 225 feet extreme length.
two feet roore than the Pennsylvania Our first
class steamers must be 300 feet long-and they
may yet extend to 400. Sectional dry docks will
take in great measure, from the utility of our
present stone dry docks. 1t will be no longer
stated that line of battle ships cannot be raised by
them, since the Great Britain was taken into one,
and her propellers repaired. This vessel is $500
tons burthen and the Pennsylvania 300O,-th.ee
hundred tons less than the Great Britain To
len9then and alter the present dry docks would be
too expensiv e-and would cost double or probably
three times S much as six wooden sectional docks
Marine Railways for small steamers, sloops and
trlgates-and wooden docks for heavy ships is far
preferable to he construction of any more docks of
stone.
1t has always struck me as very singular that
the merchants of Norfolk and Portsmouth have
never engaged In the whaling trade. A vessel
for this trade ees not require to be A No 1, any
old ship will d)-the capital consists in the ship
and outfits, Onl7-as captain, crew and merchant,
all go on shares. Wilmington, Delaware, has
engaged in this trade and now it looks as lift had
risen from the ground by some enchantment, but
few years ago it was miserable little village.
Norfolk has fine harboT, deep water and acces-
sble at all seasons; with the means of rapid in
land transportation. nothing in the world to pre-
vent its becoming one OF the very first positions
in America for depot for whale ships
variety of propellers (submerged) are now
here exhibiting Congress each inventor anxious
ly urging his ow peculiar one as the very best
Among them are-Mr. Montgomery-hs pro-
peler is somewhat on the principle of the screw
but he encioses the propeller within cylinder,
by which means the water is repealed directly
astern and by mechanical arrangement can be
lifted entirely out of the water-when not in use
as propeller The next is one now exhibiting
at the Navy Yard, said to be an improvement on
Lieut.. Hunters principle; the next is one brought
Dl2C0-the
principle can be cen IN Galloway s. Hubert, on
the history of tn e steam Iengine. Lieut. Porter
witnessed several trials of this propeller in com
pany with several scientific individuals, who all
came TO the conclu sion that il was a very excel
lent invention for canals, think il will answer
tor canals, but as all the mechanical arrangements
are not yet completed, | am not prepared to give
my opinion regard ing its adoption for sea steamers
it is now before the Naval Committee in the
House, who will. no doubt, investigate its merits
closely. called in the Committee Room of the
Senate, and saw there model of a steamer on
Llent. Hunters I,lan-ths model, in nv opinion,
IS the ne plus uH ia of a steam ship-possessino
all the qualities Of a steamer combined with that
OF sailing ship among the many inventions is
one by that ind ustrlous, talented pyrotechnist,
Mr.. Myers, holi ling the rank of gunner in the
Navy-lt is bout which can be propelled at any
epth under water-holding from two 10 twenty
men-lt is upon the diving. bell principle, the
whole arrangements of this boat it based upon
known scientific principles, and when not used
as dVingbell, fcan be propelled by sails or oars
as common boat. The cast of making the
machinery and building, will exceed a yery ii,tle,
common ships gig.
have been informed there is on hand in the
shape of buildin g materials, under the head of
Gradual Increase and Repairs for the Navajo
vessels, iDcludn line of battle ships, steamers,
trgates and sloo ps of war; &c. this added to our
present number of ships and ten steamers to be
built OF iron, " ould make the Navy consist of
22O vessels, all told +; force if afloat combined
with private ned vessels) sufficient for all pur-
poses 1t peace war.
Yours truly, JACK FLYBLOCK.