The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-12
laval Intelligence.
OUR NAVAL CORRESPONDENCE.
\ Al =

Naval Intelligence.
OUR NAVAL CORRESPONDENCE.
PORTSMOUTH. (Va) Nov. s. 1850.
Description Of The New Y. Steamer Powhaion-Condi-
ton Of the Z. S. Steam Tesses, &c. &c.
The U. steamer Powhatan now lying at the Ports
mouth Navy ard, is q beautiful specimen OF
val srch ecture She was designed by Grice, naval
Length OF keel 24s feet between perpeudiouars $50
feet ON deck, 25loe feet extreme 27e O6 feet !;
breadth Of beam mould. A feet over guards, so 06
feet depth of hold, % o6 feet. Her draught when
launched was ~ feet TX inches. The weight of her
built of live oak the size OF frames bang %
by IL inches has solid .bottom engine kelsens OF
white oak 40 inches high by IL inches wide midship
kesons of live oak, and of the sizo engine
nelson's She has remarkably fne lines for
steamer, and is to be bark rugged She will carry
naming three shifting pivot guns Of eight inches
bore Her engines are two direct acting, inclined,
IRON frames ana crnks. The diameter of the
cylinder is 20 inches stroke, 10 feet diameter OF
water -keeis 81 feet face IL feet and she is to bs
furnished with sickles' valuable cute steam
pan sion arrangement. for the economy OF fuel Her
four bt Hers double return ae boilers OF copper
each 10 feet long 10 fees inches wide aud IL ieet
high These boilers the perfect piece of work
mausbip Of the kind that was executed in the Uni
ted states.
The Powhatan and the susquehanna are two of the
largest clsss OF steamers and very probably
the largest a1oat
OF the four steamers authorized by Congress one
only is finished the ssranac her mate the ssn ia.
cinto Is at The Brooklyn navy yard She is to TT
ted with the preprilor. The eng ines OF the
sarsnsc and Susquehanna were desigs by ana
under III. dir ction Of Charles W. Copeland
who IL em ploy ed by the bureau OF construction, equip
mept, and repairs. for that purpose
The other Two, the Rhstan aud the San Jacinto,
designed and constr cted under the engineer IN
chief OF the United States Navy, Charles VI uaswell
Esq. The san Jacinto has inclined cylinders, ar
ranged 10 Drive the screw propeller. All the four
steam,r have copper boilers
when the three above mentioned steamers COM
peted shall then tave, with the Mississippi, fve
war steamers on the ocean which IL very insigoid
cant steam navy tor 30 great nation
There are two steamers nov lying idie that night De
ade ,slus be-the legbsny aud Fulton-the former
lying al the Washington Navy Yard and the latter at
the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Tn" Allegheny he. Hunters
propeller which has ben condemned She would
good second class steamer With either the
propeller eide wheels. and suitable engines
The Fulton Is complete failure as war steamer.
She has good pair OF engines aud copper boilers
which are valuable, and would answer admirably for
a N ediun sire steamer size very Inu,h needed in
our navy The engines are worth a new hull or the
present one might be rebuilt aud modoruized sur
vy was held on her lately by three naval constructors
two OF whom recommended rebuilding her; but the
her in favor OF taking cut gins aud making
q towbost OF her which is very ridiculous. when
consider VIII tine vessel she might be- made
The engines that came out OF the Princeton are ~
ing at bokton, useless.
In addition 10 the above there are two very small
steamers belonging 10 the navy the Vixen aud Water
Witch, et about 1870 tons zach They are too small to
be called war steamers but they are very useful in
small ports where large yesses cannot enter aud are
very little expense. In fact steamers are at all
Of dutywe ought to have at least twenty
steamers at They would do the cruising OF forty
sailing ve'ssls, fand at halt their enpen,e aud would
he most eectual IL not the only OF reducing the
exp, meas OF the navy.
u s. frigate Brandywine, Capt: Chas Boardman,
at Montevideo, ed August, expecting to be re-
U s. slOop of war st Louis, Com. IT. II. Cooke, was
u nigate Constitution, Capt Thos A. Conovsr, Is
no on her way New York from the Mediterranean,
but she will b. ordered Immediately to Boston.
The U s. floop OF war Nincenues, Commander HUI
sen. was at San Francisco, October l. TO sail in few
day, ior valParaso. ofic-rs and crewsll veil
o. :. tloop "a Falmouth, from oregon, arrived az
| San Francisco September 10.
THE STEAMSHIP PAcrIc.-This noble and beau
u'ul steamer starts on her hrst trip down 10 Cha
ercs tomorrow. On Saturday, the cap ain enter
| tanned a large compan, OF gentlemen NJ dinner.
There were al least n hundred que SITS, and among
| them many of our most prominent citizens The
| bar was well represented, aud so were The City
Councils oi New Orleans and Lafayette, aud the
| press hal a pretty foil delegation. One great
| charm was wanting. The ladies were not there
| a deficiency ismented in very sincere terms, and
accounted tor from necessity, by the gallant cap
| tan in OF the several Speeches To which the
| company called HIM out, by toasis 10 himself and
| his chip. The tables were spread not ony in the
dining saloon, but in the afler cab also, aud the
liDeTslity and good taste Of the owners con-
| spicuous. IN the abundance aud delicacy Of the
visnds and the coPious flow OF choice wines. IL
ives a very pleasant and merry party, and separated
early ON the beet terms The eff4lr must have been
pretty well over, for lot Of editors came down to-
gether in the halt past nine o'clock cars, and they
no formal hst 1T regSlsr tossts Collector Freret
set hat ball ia motion, by oteiiog sentiment in
| honor OF Ca,tail Jarvis, who acknowledged the
compliment 10 very neat speech, IN which he
| spoke 10 strong terms e the natural capacity Of
| New Orleans to be, next 10 New York, the great
| commercial emporium Of the continent, and anti
| cpated from the energy OF its citizens, the ey-
| ertions nect ssafy to accomplish this high des-
| tiny. He concluded with offering a toast in
| honor Of the Crescent City. This little address
was received with rounds Of apJlIuse.
| Mr. Musson, the City Postmaster himself Gre
ole Of Louisiaua-proposed toast In honor of"Yan-
hee notions and Yankee enterprise, ms manifested
before them; and the company received II with
! thr times three, and demanded its repetition. In
fac, during the whole evening, the yankee"
got very handsomely complmented all round,
and by none more heartily than by the native
born citizens. The Creoles were 10 their turn
complimented by the Northern men
The press was toasted, aud few words were
said IN acknowledgment, and a toast given by one
OF the gentlemen connected with this paper Col.
Crockeu, Of the Cyacenf, made a speech The
table then called for Judge Walker, OF the Dciid,
who thought II rather cowding to press three edi-
tors in succession, while 30 many fat city Junction
aries were sitting speechless-and he brought up
the Lafayette gentlemen ~ their feet. When the
agents OF the line were toasted, Mr. Lawrson re-
turned thanks, and announced that his house being
about 10 establish an independent line 10 Chagres
would, after the next trip Of the Ohio, relinquish
their agency into the hands Of Mr.. James Jennings
for whom he bespoke continuance Of popular ia
vor The bar was toasted, and Mr.. Hennen made
a handsome speech 10 acknowledgment The fire
OF tostts and the popping Of corks came on faster
and faster. and before they got well through, they
had compmenied every body and each other. all
round, with the most hearty harty and good-fel-
lowship.
We liked particularly the enthusiasm with which
Capt Jarvis descanted the qualities of his ship.
In reply 10 a complimentary toast to the Pacific, he
gave history ~ the building and performance VI
the vessel, with as much Iride aud delight as
man might speak ~ the perfs cons of his mistress,
or a sportsman of the unrivaed qualities OF his
dog And Truly, she deserves every encemium.
She is built with extreme care and great strength,
for sea boat, aud with the intention to have her
81 such a model that she would make the best
apeed With an engine &c light power which il was
designed 70 Tut IN her The maker Of the engine
himself feared. while putting u in, that L. would