The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-12-08

panng removed and the upper works cut to pieces
hazardous and unsafe and do not think they ever
used should be used for such extensive repairs unless
in connection with Il basin.
do not think that piers could be constructed in such
TO render heavy shipof-war upon the dock
safe when reduced to the condition she must necessarily
be placed in to receive extensive and thorough repairs oc
cupyng months do believe that any prudent naval
would risk national ship in such condition
for a length of time upon any floating structure
deemed it also my duty to visit the navy-yar AT fhl-
adepha aud personally the operation OF that dock
similar the in California Notwithstanding the IN
convenience and expense of dredging necessary at Ph
delph national vessels entering that port have been regu
larry repaired on the dock and in the basin with entire
success since its completion During my administration
this department this dock and basin have been success
fully used for repairing the steamers San Jacnto and Full
ton and the soops-ofwar St Marys, Cyane ana James
town. The San JacintO also hauled ashore on the
railway where she underwent several months repairing
leaving dock in the time ready for any ship that
might arrive not to be understood as advocating or
recommending to adopt this system in prefer
ence TO stone docks But while am decidedly of opinion
that this plan of dock is inferior to the stone dock in point
of durability safety and because Of the expense of repair
ing and its requirement OF depth of water involving
often the cost Of dredging, am also clearly OF opinion
that for naval purposes the and rdiay mpar to it
its chief value, and that without the former would DE
unsafe
Congress having previously chosen to construct the
onal dock on the of California the only the
Pacific coast able and scientific officers having expressed
the opinion and assigned reasons in favor of the necessity
and usefulness OF the basin and railway i'll c0nnexon with
this dock and being that the growth of COM
merce and the enlargement of squadron in the Pacific
demanded the service Of the dock deemed my duty ITO
complete and carry into execution the contract de-
scrbed in the law for the construction OF the basin and
railway render it and useful for the 'pubc
vice. For slight repairs these docks are used without the
basn and by authority of Congress the contractors have
built temporary PIERS and using this dock in Cafor
mia for such purposes But could not consent Except
from necessity to hazarding national vessel float
ing like this for extensive repairs with her panks
off, in weakened condition. to be exposed months to un
certain weather The loss of one ship would equal the cost
of the basin and railway great it is and blame might
then well attach to the Secretary who refused protect it
with basin and railway, although Congress authorized
him. and experts advised him of the hazard
am thus particular this subject because of the amount
involved The dock is completed, and will be thor
oughly tested. The contractors actively engaged in
building the basin and railway.
informed you in my last report Of the difficulties
which had occurred in regard to the dock, basin, and
railway at Pensacola This is balance, not sectional
dock When came into the department found that the
had already been paid up for the1 works the
entire amount agreed upon well the reserved ten per
cent and that bond in the of two hundred thousand
had been taken from them for the protection of the
government. The records indicate that this done
upon the certificates filed of the completion of the work.
and the opinion of the Attorney General of the obligation
of the and the contractors procure by
proper dredging the depth Of water necessary for the opera
ton of the dock board had also been appointed and
the rgate Columbia selected to test the works. in order
uations entered into had been fulfilled The report of the
board unvorsble and declined accepting the works
The contractors insisted that injustice had been done them
in the mode OF making the test declined attempting to
float the Columbia into the basin with her armament on
board protested in writing against having the works
ected upon this test and asked that another might be APP
piled after they should make certain proposed improve
ments and repairs 1t has not been convenient for the de-
partment to spare any national vessel for second test
and entertained the opinion that after the government
had been to the expense and Inconvenience of furnishing
vessel it became incumbent upon the contractors to
demonstrate by fair and reasonable test at their
pense that the works in truth worthy Of acceptance
and that they had executed what they had undertaken
Mr. Hart junior naval constructor, who until recently,
stationed at Pensacola and of the committee
reporting adversely informed me, in official commune
cation dated March l. 1854 that from the external ap
pearance Of these REPAIRS &c. he am of the opinion that
the dock and basin is in safe and better condition to per-
form the test than it in May last the basin required
nothing to be done to it, everything being in good order
and after enumeratng the alterations and repairs says
consider the repairs and alterations enumerated above
of great advantage regards the safety and efficiency of
the dock" Still declined receiving the works The
tractors proposed several different vessels with which to
make the test but declined because did consider
either of them of sufficient weight and displacement to
able to judge of the capacity of the dock Having then
informed them that should deem it my duty to turn the
to the courts of law they finally proposed
other test which referred to the consideration Of board
consisting OF Commodores Morris and McCauley, Con-
strucor Lentha and Civil Engineer Sanger That board
gave the whole thorough investigation, and, after
consideration advised the department that 1t proposed
to take ballast in the large merchant ship The Monarch
OF the until her weight displacement $500
TONS and then place ballast the dock until weight of
1890 tons made up that being the estimated weight
of the Niagara the largest of the trigate with
only her steam machinery and its appurtenances board
thus making weight of 3l5 tons than used in
the former test The vessel is to be placed the dock
feated into the basn and hauled ashore the railway
and returned again.
The board considering the details of the proposed test
and arrangements recommend it that may be su
fen to enable the department to determine whether the
works worthy Of acceptance not The vessel is now
her way Pensacola and the second test will be made
Immediately, when the department will be the better able
Judge of the character of these The interests
of the government shall be protected fully they
be- and every effort shall be made to ascertain the true
facts to the character and capaby of the dock basin
and railway
In the third section of the naval appropriation passed
at the last session OF Congress- was provided hat all
the grounds and appurtenances thereunto belonging
known as the Memphis navyyard in Shelby county, Ten
nessee be- and the hereby coded the mayor and
aldermen Of the city of Memphis for the and benefit of
said city, and that the Secretary of the Navy order the
OF said navyynrd at Memphis to surrender
the mayor of Memphis said property" In pursuance of
that provision OF law addressed communication to the
mayor OF the city of Memphis TO ascertain the views Of
the and aldermen to the acceptance of the dona
ton. On receiving from them certified copy of their
proceedings expressing their readiness to receive the prop
erty order issued to the commander of the navy
yard at Memphis to surrender the grounds and appure
nances to the mayor The order Obeyed and in due
form the surrender made and the property is
the possession and under the control of the corporate
thortes of Memphis II is perhaps proper that should
state that there ndry articles property belonging
to the government used in connexion with that yard the
sale of which the department has for the present suspended
at the request of the mayor and aldermen their
to the department that they had resolved
appeal to Congress to re-establish the navy-yard.