The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-01-22

Jury department, at cost Of about FIVE nations of
dollars, have been, it is believed a total failure,
,vea as revenue cutters, and have been turned over
10 the coast survey.
Garry these comparisons little further, and
take our fine River and Sound boats, the fines, in
the world. What Is their performance, compared
with the Washington and Hermannl They run,
during the season, about 5000 miles, before they
have general overhaulIng, IN doing which they
are the docks from II 10 Is hours out of each n,
giving time for the machinery to cool and rest 0or
tt requires rest) also giving time to adjust anything
that may be wrong. Then, we have, under these
circumstances, $4,000 against 600 miles, the Her
mann and Washington steamlng fourteen success
sive days without stopping the others not half as
many hours. With these facts before us, the pub
he and the country can Judge which are the fail
ures-those ships built by the government at their
yards, at more than double the cost of the Others
or those that have been built mail steamers, UNI
der contract at private yards, under the supern-
tendtnee of an officer Of the navy
Let us 90 step further. 1t is admitted by the
whole world that packet ships, in point oil
strength, speed and beauty, surpass any ships IN
the world, and last longer Well, the cost of one
of those ships of about 1000 tons Is less by $4,000
than the government has paid for repairing and re-
building of a sloop Of war of less than 800 tons.
The latter if she was all new, (Which was not the
case in the vessel we refer to- half of herr
had her spars, sails, rigging, &C., which are es-
mated to be over half OF the cost of building and
equipplng ship. Ii may be said the men of war
built at our yards last much longer. But the re-
verse Is the case We have numbers of ships,
that after running eight, ten, and twelve years. as
packets, the hardest service, 1t is believed, that
can be performed by ship, stand A l at the in
surance Offices, which are pretty good judges of
what relates to their immediate interest After
this time they are sold for whalers, and are
ployed as many more years without being rebuilt
How is 1t with our men of war Do they make
at the outside, more than two or three years
cruises, (and frequently but one of three years.
before they stripped, re-planked, and frequently
re-umberedl A few years since, a sloop Ohe
Yorktown was built at the Washington Navy
Yard, where it is supposed the timber is better
seasoned by the fresh water at the dock, than
other timber Is. She made one three years
cruise, when it was found necessary to re-plank
her from her water line up. Herrepars amounted
10 about SlU,OUU, having cost originally more tndn
double what the best ship carpenters in New York
would have gladly built her for This is not a
solitary case; there are plenty Of them that can be
pointed out.
Again, the IT, S. steamship Fulton, now at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she has lam for years
In ordinary, this being about all she is fit for, was
built at that yard by the present Government IN
spector, Commodore Perry, after his return from
Europe, where he was sent to obtain information
upon the subject of steamships for naval purposes
Does anybody think her fit for the purpose for
which she was intended Z II was found, upon
trial, that she could carry fuel enough TO take
her from New York to Cape May, 600 miles) but
no more.
The Washington and Hermann were built by
Messrs. Westerelt and Mckay, and the cost of
each ship, when afloat less than the labor bill
OF the Missouri. The engines were built by Still
man, Allen & Co., and the cost of the engines for
both ships were less than the cost of those of the
Missouri; and we are informed by persons who
are IN every respect competent to give reliable
opinion on the subject, that contracts he made
by the government TO have ships built OF all live
oak for less than the labor bill on the Missouri,
and Of her size, too.
The following are the items Of the comparative
cost of the Missouri and Washington
Labor bill Of the Missouri. ......... sl4l,l6o 65