The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-01-05

the schooner Aler, is stationed at Eastpori. n.
Hamilton at Boston. the Jackson at Newport. ,bs
Fancy at New York, the Crawford in the D.,.'
ware, the Madison in the Chesapeake, and ,ho
Wolcoit in Mobile bay, Moat Of these vessels
were built prior to 1884. and cannot be expec,o%
To be serviceabe much longer. They are reon;,
ed 10 cruise al sea during the winter months :.
which duty they are badly adapted, in conss
quence of their small dimensions, and, from ,hsi,
want ct sufficient depth, the comfnrlless acc,,u,''
m"dai,ons which they afford their crews. NJ,
outstanding which, the arduous service -reooi,sa
during the severity Of winter has been cheerfuls
performed, (amidst hardshps and priyations KNOW
to no other service afoat y and The relief aford.
I'd to the distressed mariner has called forth ~
numerous occasions, the most grateful acknowI
Judgments.
AS a preventive service. II is believed to be ,s
efficient as possible. considering the small numb,
"i vessels employed, and the extended characie,
Of the coast
The cruising limits of some of the vessels en-.
brace more than one hundred miles of seaboard
and the navigation. particularly Of those distrc,.
tn the north, is full Of peril. Notwithstanding
which, much To the credit OF the officers, and as
an evidence of their intimate acquaintance with
the navigation Of the coast, the loss Of the Morri,
during the late hurricane at Key West, is iba
only serious disaster which has occurred for many
years.
The steamers Legare. Spencer. and jefferson
having been upwards of two years afioat, soma
! opportunity has been afforded To test the adyan.
tages and disadvantages of iron as material in
the construction of vessels in fresh as well as in
salt water. The latter vessel. employed upon
lake Ontario, bears no appearance of foulness or
| corrosiun.
| In ocean water. the accumulation of barnoces
and shells upon the bottoms is so rapid. that, in
the short space Of three or four months the speed
at the vessel is very materially lessened by tho
resistance which they offer. All the usual appli.
ances of marine paint, red lead, &c.. have been
used without any beneficial result. Red lead, it
Is true, does, in great measure, prevent zorro.
sun of the plating but shells adhere TO it with as
much tenaclty as upon wood. and frequently.
when broken off in large clusters. the pain, an.
pears qniie fresh beneath. This rapid foulinp
will continue TO be great objection to the use Of
iron IN the construction Of vessels for ocean nayi
CATION, until some chemical preparation shall be
discovered upon which marine animals and plants
cannot exist.
The Influence exerled upon the compass has
| been another objection. This has in great
measure. been remeded by the adoption of Prof
Airey's method of correcting the conpasses; and
which has been applied with the greatest success
IN bard of the revenue steamers, by A. ID. FRYE.
Esq, OF New York, a manufacturer of philosophi.
cal Instruments. Of great practical experience, and
who has devoted several years TO the invesiipa.
| tion OF this subject
| In some Of the vessels. the original error was
scarcely percepiible when heading north or south
| but as the needles departed from the line of The
Keel the error increased with great rapdity,
un'ii' upon an east or west course ii amounted to
from thirty to forty degrees Perseverance, on
the part ct Mr. Frye, reduced the errors to two or
three degrees an allowance for which being
made, the vessels have navgated all parts of The
coast in safety.
Other objections of different character have,
am informed, induced the British government
to abandon the use of iron but of this. I have no
positive information Ia fresh water, I believe
| that lis durability is incalculable. The advan.
tages which II possesses wood may be briefly
enumerated: in the security against fire, and
where, air tight compartments are provided,
against laundering. The iron steamer Bangor,
running upon The eastern coast, lately took fire a,
sea; all The wood work was entirely destroyed;
the passengers and crew were saved the vessel
lowed into port and is now again upon her usual
route.
IL Is the expressed opinion Of the commander,
and others interested in the steamer Great Britain
that no wooden vessel, stranded in her situation
could possibly have resisted the shocks of the sea
to which she was subjected, twenty four hours.
! Iron vessels are exempt from the ravages of the
worm, from the effects Of rot, and more buoyant;
and, when exposed TO the action of shot, are free
from splin,ers.
The Spencer and Legare. after an exposure of
two years to all the vcissitudes of weather incl
dental TO the navigation Of this coast exhibit not
the slightest indication of strain, except what has
been produced by the propeller shafts; nor is the
paint upon the bottom Of the former vessel broken
IN the seams.
Such are the results of two years experience in
the use of iron in the revenue marine, and which
| re offered w ad of
Down.
The schooner WOlcot. stationed at Mobile,
and Crawford, in the Delaware bay, have been
placed temporarily. in connection with other do.
ties, under the direction of the superintendent Of
the coast survey; the former to be employed in .
| reconnaissance OF portion of the southern coast,
and the latter in an examination Of changes which
have taken place In the Standings of the Della
ware bay.
| The season of the year has now arrived when
1t is usual to employ the revenue vessels upon Tho
incidental duty of seeking and carrying succor and
! relief to distressed vessels upon The coast During
The past winter. no less than eighty nine distress
ed vessels were relieved and carried safely into
/ port, many of which were laden with valuable car
goes, the revenue upon which, ga we'd to the cOun-
try, independent Of the value of the property,
would amount 10 four fold the whole cost of main.
tanning The service. The officers are disposed to
renew their exeriions in the cause of humanity,
with the same alacriiy as heretofore displayed
but the number Of vessels lately condemned, OF
otherwise withdraw from the service, has eI
but lew which arc available for that purpose, and
great portion 81 the coast remains entirely unpro'
tecied.
have already alluded 10 the necessity of pro-
vI9Ing vessels TO supply the places of The schoon
ers Woodbury. and Van Buren. condemned as Old I
and unworthy Of furIher repair; and Of the Morris,
which was wrecked and stated that the sun Of
81 ,OT2 80 had been paid into the treasury, from
The appropriation for the coast survey on accom-!
OF The brig Washington and schooner Gallaiia,
which vessels were transferred from the revenue
TO that service. would very respectfully recon.