The New York herald., 1851-09-12
Our Philadelphia Correspondence.

PHILADELPHIA, sept. u, 1871.
TIE Narai Dry DocL az Phidaei, i,4ia--hs Character
RS II lure TO Prore Ussfiii--Eor tie Cont,a,t
uos Managei--.ShaJp0s on tk RiaLto- The Phi
lG6Ridia Bank-Gop. Johnston The Mayoyuay-
Politics, &c.
Amid the excitcms snt and din OF politics in this
city Of brothery love- many subjects Of the hig hest
imtortance-and among them that Of the govern.
ment dry dock-seem to have escspcd public atten-
tion. 1t was not until unceasirg ard unwearied
application had bcon made to Congress, year after
year, for the establishment of naval dry dock at
this psrt that the request Of the citizens of Paa-
delphia was complied with; and, now that ths
cock has been constructed, it appears to have
turned out miserable failure-a perfect abo rtion
TIE government contracted with certain persons
for the making of dry dock for the sum of SSi3,-
1l2 of which amount $3.50, coo has already been
paid, twenty per cent merely, or about Sioo,oOo,
teirg retained until the work shall be proved TO
have been completed. "A very wise provision
Now to the facts. The contract requires the fur
nisbrg of the material aud the construction oil
sectional floating dry dock, basin and railway, ca
Fable Of raising ship Of the line Of the nrst class,
Of $500 tons Displacement and steam weasel OF
800 feet long and 10 feet over the guards The
contractors having alleged the performances OF their
contract, the Navy Department recently ordered to
this station the North Carolina-sbip OF the line
with tic view Of testing the work. but the order
was almost Immediately countermanded, and the
fiigate Saranac dispatched hthcr to be dockcd and
tcfaIed. The attempt to get even this smaller
vessel into dock proved complete failure, there
being an insufficient depth Of water, by some two
ard half feet, and she was, therefore, ordered to
Norfolk for the necessary repairs. Thu, the mat
| ter stands An improved dredging machine, how
ever, is ia process of construction to be used in
| dteIeping the channel and water line facing the
dock but whatever success may attend this expe-
rmtnt, it sill be Of short duration, for in less than
~ L.. Lace he oh. and
cause the water to be pre- ,isey the depth 1t Is ut
present Then, Of course, i, follows that the ma
cb.re must be KEEP. constantly Mt work, or tho
deck will become useless for the purposes for which
10 was built, and remain perpetual cyesore TO
the citizens OF Phila lelphia
Some queer stories are whispered about in regard
| to bargains aud sales having been made to obtain
certain high influences to secure the contra,t ANA
| the name of ut least one Ex NJ c., from Penn
| s,Iyania, IL mentioned as having been connected
! with the affair. The parties obtained no small
amount for their services, from first to last por-
| ton OF the ship builders and others here, contem-
plat ne ettioning the next Congress for thorough
| end searching investigation, by committee. into
The whole subject Of dry dockits construction,
cause of failure, how far the cor tract has been
| comrlied with, how far volated-by shat means,
| aud by whose recommendations or management, a
| dock vas built where this is-who were employed
by certain persons to obtain the contract outside ol
fair com petition, and the amount paid for success
An investigation win be asked int, all these things
| ar d one Of the most astounding specimens Of Cal
pbiu.m, it is anticipated, viii be disclosed, tn si
| the county bas ever yet witnessed
Let mo warn strangers and business men, visiting
| Philadelphia, against the swipdlcrs and land shark
| Who ibfes: what is called Bsrbary Coast, in the
| vicinity Of the Exchange place and Bank alley
| Swarms Of these insinu ating gentry-dsaers Ia
| lottery tickets aud fraudulent papcr--ncgotiatsr'
for bsnksupts and willing witnesses, are from
| mo,nirg till night oscilating from ono point o.
| the coast to another, seeking for victims Unsus
\ recting and weak persons, having money. are FIRE
| auentiy dosed with the finest brandy, and "donc
| for TO the whole amount Of their "piles.
There has been . slight run upon the Philsdel
pba Bark, in consequence OF the defalcaton oil tne
cashier, to the amount Of SlSY, 900. The run vii
probably be greater next week, fths luckcss specu
faticn OF the bank in the stock Of certain Navi
gasion Company shall be made public. No ON
| outside the bank yet knows how much was sunk Il
that unfortunate venture. The card Of tho I'resi
dent, published two or thres days ago, does not a
sll tatisfy the people, allsy their doubts Of tn
solvercy of the instituton. We all know that
few days before the Bank Of the United States e,
plodcd, similar statement but less guarded, WI
published by its officers to the wotld--that II
bank was s,und to the core, able TO pay every dc
lar, ard would do so tho nome mt certain arrang
mepts could be made. The fact was, that that |
stitution was dead broke-hopelessly insolver
when the notice in question appeared, and the o