The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-26
REINFORCEMENTs FOR OUR WEST INDIA
SQUADRON.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ARCTIC AND THE
WATER WITCH.

Agreeably to the orders from the Navy Depart
ment, the steamer Arctic was brought up on Sun
day from Quarantine, where she has been stationed
under the charge of Lieut.. Drake, as a guard-shi
for the Susquehanna, and yesterday morning large
gang OF men were set to work to get her in read-
ness for immediate service the coast of Cuba
She Is to be fitted for a three months cruise, and
requlstions were made for supplies of 40 men. She
viii, however, carry about 60 men, all told, and
consequently her voyage will not probably extend
| beyond two months.
Cauikers, ringers, carpenters and sailors were all
| set 10 work at once; provisions were hurried on
board, the old water casks and tanks were started
and filled again with fresh water; and every part
| OF the ship was bustling with excitement and pre-
paratlon. Commander II. j. Hartstein arrived at
| the Navy Yard early in the forenoon, Yesterday
and went Immediately to work to inspect his old
craft, to ascertain what needed to fit her for
the service on which she is to embark. She will
carry three guns,-two 32-pOunders and one IS
FOUNDER swivel on her forecastle.
In order to mount these properly, two extra port,
holes were cut amidships, on a line abaft the house
on the main deck, the space between it and the
smoke pipe offering the only deck room in which to
work the guns. These are to be mounted on the
ordinary carriage. The forecaste is very high
and not protected by buwarks at all. half dozen
men grouped there working the swivel would be an
excellent mark for MIME rifles. The poop deck,
which covers the cabin and officers quarters also
| very high, and wholly unprotected by bulwarks.
From the deck of an enemy's vessel the man at the
wheel can be seen from the sole of his boots to the
|
To stranger the Arctic would be taken for
Dutch galot with an extra large stove-pipe pro-
jecting above her galley. The grass upon her bot
tom is several inches in length, which will not add
to the CELEBRITY of her movement. Her ordinary rate
of speed at sea is four to five knots. Under steam
alone and with a gale of wind, far, she has been
known to move through the water at the extraor-
binary rate of eight knots an hour. The idea of
dspatching such cold tub to Cuba, to cope
with a fleet of powerful British gun-boats is CON
sidered at the navy yard the best joke of the season.
She will be ready on Wednesday.
The steamer Water Witch, now in command of
Lieut.. Lowell, arrived at the Navy Yark Brooklyn,
Yesterday morning, from Boston, with a detachment
of fifty men, which she is transporting to the prac-
tice-ship Plymouth, at Washington. The Water
Witch is to be fitted for service in the Gulf as soon
as possible after she reaches Washington and is to
be placed in charge of Commander John Rogers
She is a small side-wheel steamer, of about $50
tons, and although in point of speed will beat the
Arctic, she is considered bv the most experienced
officers at the yard, equally unfit for effective SER
vice as war-vesse. "One shell from an enemy's
vessel" say these knowing ones, ''would SILVER her
to atoms" This is the vessel which visited Para
quay, and was fired into shot crashing through
her light topwork, and killing man on her quar-
ter " Y. Time, May IS.