Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-03-18
General SateIliaente.
The american Mai steamers Tn, n y.

The American Mail Steamcrs.-Thc N. Y.
Eapress, OF The 10th. says NThe Secretary OF the
Navy has Just laid report before Congress, in
which he expresses his opinion as TO the adaptation
OF our mail steamers 10 war purposes He be.
lieves that it is impracticable 10 convert them into
vessels OF war that could be relied upon for eff.
cient service as regular men-of war; shat they,
however, in the event ofwar, could be made very
useful and serviceabe as transports for munitions
and troops, and are susceptible Of being strength.
ened and rendered capable of bearing a small
armament, such as would enable them to annoy
the enemy's commerce, and do good service as
prvateers, when not too remote from points ofsup-
ply Of COAL II will be perceived by reference 10
the reports made, that they all paddle side
wheel steamers, modelled with view 10 speed,
under steam, and with peculiar reference 10 the
accommodation OF passengers; and the opinion is
advanced that their sharpness reduces thcvIoom
on the deck so as TO interfere seriously win the
proper arrangement of an armament al all CORE.
spending with their tonnage; that, with the mach.
merry they have, il is hardly possible TO place the
mainmast in proper position TO sustain the great
surface ofcanvass necessary 10 enable the ship 10
sail successfully without the aid Of steam, which
would necessarily make them very expensive and
inappropriate on distant service; and that their
machinery IL much exposed and liable TO injury
in an engagement, and that the large space oc.
cnpied by il leaves, when viewed in connection
with the sharpness of the model, but limited
space forthe storage of what is indispensably ne
The ocean mail steamers employed in the
British service are also paddle-whee steamers,
and the lords commissioners Of the admiralty
have very recently appointed commission of
officers 10 consider how far il may be possible 10
carry into effect q plan for armng the contract
mail packet steamers. The conclusion Of the
committee is that Not any Of these vessels,
would in our opinion, become efficient substitutes
for regular men-oEwar. Some OF them might hs
made auxiliary TO war purposes, constituting, as
~ II
ing necessity for home service; but we should 2
not think them calculated for armed packets, and
armed troop ships
: For the relative strength and capacity Of the
several ocean steamers; the probable durability Of
the materials of which they are built, and their
present condition, attention is called more espe-
clally TO the report of Commodore Kearney and
Constructor Skiddy who are stationed in New
York, under the orders of the department, 10 give
their personal attention TO the condition Of those
steamers"
Horrible Massacre by Indians.--We are in.
debted 10 Mr.. Magary, Adams IL Co.'s express
messenger, for the following account of most
horrible murder committed by Indians upon two
Americans and thirteen Chnsmen. II seems that
two Americans, named Guild and Ingolls, with
party of nineteen Cinnamon were on prospect.
ing tour al McCloud's river, about twenty miles
east of Pittsburg, and while encamped, with
their guns stacked near them, large party Of In
dams came into their camp, As they appeared TO
be friendly, alarm was felt. until, on a sign
from their chief, they suddenly seized upon tho
guns and rushed towards the hills with them. In
COILS seized club and struck the hndmost In
dian. knocking him dewn; the Indians Immediately
faced round and delivered murderous fire upon
the unarmed party. Six of the Cinnamon escaped
and made their way 10 Pittsburg. party Of
Americans started out Immediately, and found tho
body of lngols with an arm cut off at the elbow,
and his head horribly mutated with stones.
They also found the bodies of thirteen Cinnamon.
three of which were mutilated in like manner as
Ingolls Guilds body could not be found. They
followed bloody tracks which they supposed 10 be-
HIS and also saw marks of an axe with which he
defended himself until driven into the river. From
appearances the Cinnamon, although unarmed,
must have fought like tigers, as the ground bore
evidence of desperate struggle.
[Sacrameuto Union
Cuba.-We find the following in the Washing
ton correspondence of late Baltimore San:
@The explanations given by the captain-general
Of Cuba in regard TO the seizure Of the Black War
nor are far from being satisfactory, though they
do not constitute casns bella. The sum and sub
stance is that an old Spanish law, lin use, how.
ever, with most commercial nations, especially in
frontier ports which had been suffered TO fall into
desuetudc, has been suddenly revived and carried
INTO effect without special warning
The comfy OF nations if not the law of nations,
would have required that notice should be given
10 the commanders Of our ships that il was the in.
tention OF the colonial government of Cuba 10
carry out its old commercial laws, SO us not 10
catch them IN trap, causing them loss and DELAY.
II Spain will allow such breaches of etiquette to
be repeated on our commerce, we shall be under
he necessity fgiving the old dowager lady among
he nations of the earth lesson in polteness for
which she may be obliged TO pay high price OK
tuition"
The Caloric Ship.-They New York Courier
md Enquirer, OF Thursday, says
!" We take pleasure in announcing, on The au
horty Of one of the parties Interested in the ca.
oric ship Ericsson, that they succeeded Yesterday .
N obtaining nine and ten revolutions per minute
with only one OF her engines, which has been i'm.
proved IN important respects since the late exper-
mental trip. This secures the same number of
nine or ten) miles per hour in motion, with only
half OF the power in use. The other engine will
oe got In order by the first week in April, and
about the middle of that month il is intended 10
despatch the ship to Havrc, either direct or via
Liverpool. The owners nowfeel assured of sue
cess surprising the most sanguine expectations
ever INDUCED by the inventor. II their hopes are
as well founded as from this statement they APP
pear 10 be- then the great nautical revolution is in
deed impending
chinese Pfrates.-Capt. FoIger. of the baroue
Geo.E. Webster, arrived ut San Francisco from
says that the pirates on the coast of
china are exceedingly bold in their operations;
and, as they entertain an idea that vessels from
California have large amount or treasure on
board, it requires great watchfuness to prevent
being surprised by them. II will be remembered
hat the English brig Fortuna was captured by
pirates but short time since, while on her way
o Shanghai.
T G E.--The Subscriber would respectfully
i inform his friends and the public that, hav
succeeded nj lor0