The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-06
COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN NEW YORK.
sHIP,BUTLDING, &c.

.
ductions OF our country, in England combined
with the adoption of a strictly revenue hrin
in this county, is most astonishing In every
commercial city of the United States rs heard the
| busy hum of increased commercial activity. The
| foreign demand for all kinds Of American produce,
enables the farmers to obtain better prices than
they have done for years before The elect has
also been to resuscitae the shipping interest The
immense quantities Of grain and flour offering Tor
export, create great demand for vessels at more
than double the rates Of freight which were current
year or two past. Foreign exchange has fallen
SO low, that orders went out by the Caledonia for
large amounts Of specie. BY the import OF gold
from England, the banks and the country will be
strengthened in a sound and constitutional currency
In no city, perhaps, are the evidences ofaugment'
ed commercial activity more apparent than IN the
city Of New York. There vessels are engaged
| for Europe from month TO six weeks in advance,
at high rates Of freight. The ship-builders have
more orders for new vessels than they can executes
ship-carpenters are in demand at high wages, and
more wanted than can be obtained. The increase
Of ship-buildng is great not only TO absorb all
the labor of ship carpenters but TO enhance greatly
tine within three months has advanced about 81 per
barrel and spiis of turpentine from 10 to 10 cents
per gallon. All other materials used in building, or
rigging, have also experienced an improvement in
prices. BY the advance in naval stores, the great
pine forests the seaboard have been rendered
much more valuable. The Improvement in ship
and Misunderstanding, and in transportation, is not
only witnessed in New York, but in the western
towns and in the other cities on the seaboard.
At present, all we can do is to give brief sketch
of what is doing in the steam-engine manufactures
and ship-yards in New York.
At the extensive yard Of Messrs. Westevelt q
Macksy, one of the editors Of this paper has
just seen the great Atlantic steamer constructing for
the ocean Slsmn-nauigaiiOn Company" The hull
is already in great state Of forwardness; the i'm
mensely large, strong and massive built frame be-
ing up, and the pIanking commenced There Is no
doubt but she will be ready to start across the At
lantc by the LIST Of March next. She 10 TO be called
the WAsHNGros-a name worthy Of the noble
steamer, the first Of the kind to the Atlantic
ever built in the United States. Her length of keel
is 900 feet breadth Of BEAM 81 feet depth Of hold
24i feet length OF main deck from tafferel to figure
head, 270 feet. Her large and powerful engines
building al the Novelty Iron Works." owned by
Messrs Stilman, Allen, & Co. The first large
cylinder for one Of the engines cast on the Both
ut, and required IA tons Of fused metal to fill the
mould, or about % 900 pounds in weight Two of
these large cylinders required for the engines.
They are to be feet in diameter, and 10 feet long.
man in an erect attitude, and six feet high, would
h. abl all of thaaa Iyp
in horizontal position. The power OF the engines,
with twenty inches steam pressure, is estimated at
that Of 1900 horses.
The building Of this great steamer is the COM
mencement of new era for the United States. 9th
ers will follow until this country will likely become
as celebrated for steam navigation on the ocean as
it has been for the splendor and speed Of its sailing
packets. The tonnage of the Washington will be
ZOO, and her naval constructors, Messrs Wester-
welt & Mackay, are among the most intelligent and
enterprising sbip-bulders in the United States.
Within the last six months they have completed the
following splendid London packets; lst The Chris
tiana, about 800 tons; ID. the Margaret Epans, and
3D. the american Eagle, of about 900 tons each
The extent and amount Of business accomplished
| at the ".Nopeiy Works." deserve passing notice.
They employ about five hundred hands, and pay
out in wages 80, 500 per week. The pig iron smet-
| ed up, and otherwise used, amounts to about l65
tons per month. The amount of work Of all kinds
accomplished including steam-engines, with other
machinery, &c, amount to about $500 900 per
| annum.
At the ship-yard of William III. Brown, esq, as
many as five steamers have been constructed within
N las siv eio tha inclu
the stocks-the ".Msw Orleans"--to run between
Galveston and New Orleans. The "Southeron'' was
built at this yard, and her engine at the .Noreliy
Works. Last week she made the trip from New
York to Charleston in fNy-four hours. Two Of the
five were built to run on the North river. Near by
the shp-yard of W. Fl. Broom are the extensive
steam-engne and boiler works of T. s. Secor &
Co. They employ about $50 hands, and pay out
81, 500 in weekly wages.
Passing on, we came to the shp-yard of VIM. H.
Webb, where we found splendid London packet
of about 900 tons, nearly ready to launch. There
has been built at this yard within the last six
MONTHS three large ships of from 900 to 1000 tons
each, and the keel of the fourth Havre packet,
is to be laid forthwith; she is to be about 1000 or
l, 100 tons burden.
We came next to Messrs. smith ana Diamonds
yard, where beautiful vessel, built for the China
trade, on account Of Messrs. Rowland and Aspin-
wall, was nearly ready to launch. She sue
ceeds the fast-sailing "Ranboo," built at this yard
for the same firm. The present vessel is construct.
ed entirely in reference to her sailing qualities and
will probably beat anything on the ocean carrying
canvass. She is very sharp, with heavy rakng
mass, and of about 800 tons burden. We heard
no name for her, but suppose that Of "Fying Fish"
would be appropriate. We found here, as every
where else, all hands busy. ..,......
We next paid visit to the ship-yard Of Messrs
Bishop and Simmonds, where splendid steamer
was the stocks for the North river. She is built
for Capt. Vanderbilt, and will measure over 300
tons, and is intended to beat the Isaac Ne,otcn At
laniic Oregon, any other steamer heretofore built
and at the same time excel them in magnfcence