The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-26
\(flisftIIansous.
From he .Ns,p York Herald.
NAVAL.


In nothing has the progress of this country been
more marked than in naval architecture within the
last few years, and particularly in the construction
of steamships. Science, ingenuity, competition,
and enterprise, have already produced wondrous
results, and the present is but the beginning of the
end In the building, rigging and fitting up of
our merchant marine, we have had long the undls-
puled ascendency Of the seas. In our river steam
ers, too, we stand unapproached by any nation.
But there was one class of vessels in which we
We're left far behind, both by England and France.
We mean Ocean steamers. The attention OF our
scientific merchants and capitalists has been turned
20 the fact and with the go-ahead character OF true
Americans, they seem determined not to be sur
passed by any other nation even IN Ocean steam
navigation. We have reported progress from time
To time. We have something more to report,
that will deeply interest, If not astonsh our readers.
A new line Of mail steamers was contracted for
some time since by the Government with George
Law, esq, who built the Oregon, and the 'High
Bridge" for the Croton Aqueduct, which cost two
millions of dollars, and is the nobest structure in
the country. The contract was for four steamers,
land spare to meet accidents, two run with
the mails twice month to New Orleans, touching
al Charleston and Savannah, and two 10 Chagres,
touching at Havana. The Government contracted
for steamers Of only 600 tons burthen Mr.. Law,
by the advice of the Board of the Naval Depart
ment, has built vessels of 3 100 tons-not only first
that in two or three days they be ready for ac-
ton, and it is confidently asserted that no war
steamer afuat will equal them.
The Government building four more to vie
with them, one at Brooklyn, one al Philadelphia
one at Gosport, and at Kittery, State of Maine;
but Mr.. Law has resolved to show what private
enterprise do, and to beat the Government; and
Judging from the two already built, he has every
prospect of coming off victorious. His contract for
the mails, have just mentioned, is $3.50, 000
His estimate of cost for each of his ships was $780,
900; but he now finds the cost will exceed that sum.
The delay in their completion has been occasicned
partly by the skill and requisite in their con-
struciion, upon the improved plan suggested after
the contract and partly by the delay Of their
moth engines, which Secor & Co. engaged to have
completed by the first of April, but owing to
the amount Of work upon them could not get them
completed In that time. The engines of two
now completed; those of one beng nearly put to-
gether the ship, and those OF the other are being
got m Mr.. Law, who is scientific and practical
man. has superintended the entire work himself.
There is not plank, nor almost bolt, he has not
seen 90 in There is not inch in those vessels
he does not know thoroughly, and the use and value
Of every bit of iron and wood in their structure.
He has spcnt some time In Europe, and particularly
in England, with view 10 the examination of
steamships and being sharp observer he has not
spent that time In vain. He has adopted all the inn
r1rovements he saw, while he has invented some Of
his own that are entirely new These vessels have
been built too under the inspection of one of the
most scientific officers in the American navy, Com
modore Perry who has from time to time expressed
his opinions and made his suggestions. We saw
him on board one of those vessels when we visited
lhem day or two ago. II will be recollected thai
h, supervised the erection and finishing of that
model of steamships, the Missouri, which was
burnt on her first trip, in the Bay of Gibraltar
The Ohio and Georgia are lying at the foot OF
Ninth street, in the East river. We will now de-
scribe what saw for there is not foot of these
vessels from the spar deck down to the kelson, and
from stem TO stern that we have not examined mi
nutely We will make this general observation be-
fore entering into the details of each shp-thai they
exceed in strength far and away, any neva struc-
ture we have ever seen. We shall begin with
The hull of this vessel which is the smaller OF
the TWO, has been built by Bishop AMI Simonson.
Viewed externally she is beautiful noel, and
seems expressly built for fast sailing and II is oay
when you 60 on board that you find combined with
that beauty a strength that so far exceeds expeca-
tons as 70 oil you with But let us first
give her dimensions.
The length Of keel. ............... 240 feet
Spar decS-.. .265
Depth Of hold from spar deck. $3.50. 80
Bread III of BEAM. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 46 {.
She will draw about fifteen feet of water when
her Goals and all are on board. Her tonnage, be-
fore the spar deck attached was $500; with
that deck, her capacity is 5000 tons.
Descending to the bottom OF the hold, you find
floor so strong and firm, and close, that if there
was not plank outside her tImbers she would not
Iei in a drop Of water. Ii is twenty-one inches
thick, laid solid, and bolted lengthwise. In most
other vessels. the floor is open. A huge oak KEEL
son runs fore and aft laid the middle oe the floor
timbers over the keel fastened with long bolts and
clncbed, and thus binding the floor timbers TO the
keel. Then there are immense cross nelson's al
either end TO hold the timbers called the cant frame
which could not be fastened to the Longitudinal KEEL
son Then TO mpau additional strength, there is
a gigantic centre cross-keson, with bulkhead,
running right across the vessel At the stem and
stern there is what is called a breast hook, being
curved piece Of wood, shaped like the back Of an
armchair and not made by carpenter work but
being the natural fork Of the oak enormously thick
these are exceedingly strong Then there is run
ming enghwise either side, what is called oilge
keson with five bilge sireaks resting on IT, Here
the vessel il rhrty-two inches thick. The main oh
iect Of this strength is to support the engines late
rally against the tremendous pressure. With one
hundred and fifty tons Of pressure when the engine
IL working, there is yielding produced at either
side and the vessel ~ kept constantly stranng, un-
less there Is a powerful resistance. There is an
other contrvance for keeping the ship firm IN this
direction When vessels roll there is always a
straining on side, and the deck spring
To prevent this, there are great thick iron braces
from the kesoD night under the deck TO the side Of
the ship Then TO keep her from springing longi-
tudinally, there iron stays three inches in d.
ameter, with screws and bolts, to draw them tight
running disgonslly from stem to stern. Each Of
these Is capable Of supporting two hundred tons
weight, and is impossible for the vessel spring
lengthwse without breaking these stays. The
ceiling Of the vessel is seven inches thick and every
plank Of about square yard contains about thirty
IRON bolts running through the tmbers and clinched
IN the planks outside. In addition to these, they
are bolted down edgewise, bolt being run through
every three, and then that operation repeated u
every streak These bolts never draw. They
are oiled before they are driven, to protect them
from the acid Of the timber. They are fnr SUPERIOR
10 wooden bults. There was not drop of " Ter
IN the hold Of this vessel, though launched since
last fall Her floor as dry as that of draw
ing room. We observed that her floor and sides
were srewed with strong salt which is found to be
a great preservative Of wood. Her tImbers are all
of the best oak also her plank under the water.
Her upper srsaks Of live oak, locust, and cedar
The huge knees Of the best oak, from the east
49,. ~ Marvlapd The timber growing IN the