Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-12-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
WnLAsD's HorRL. WASH. {
Nov Of iasQ

Nov. 81. 1859.
FaifSp SA~rrh:-On my way here Wis
tied the Navy Yards AT Portsmouth, Charles.
town, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. and ar
account ofwhat Government is doing at those
Yards and also with some Of our Naval Ships
may be interesting to your readers.
4 In consequence Of the small appropriation.
made by Congress las, winter. there is COM
paratively but little doing a, any of our Dock
yards. AT Portsmouth there is nothing do
ing in the wa, OF building or repairing. and
but few men are employed. Work i, entirely
suspended on the steam srlgate Franklin; her
hull Is completed, She Is one Of the lsrges,
class frisatcs.
She is Of superior model. and i. said BY
competent judges 10 be the les, Ship both
III point OF materials and Workmanship in our
Navy. She was built under the superintepd-
cnce OF constructor VIM. L. Hanscom now
attached 10 the Charles,own ward. AT
Charleston" they have the steam friga;e
Minnesota in the dry dock undergoing repairs.
She n one OF the SIX frigstes ordered by Con-
sress and for which appropriations were made
in 1854. Those ship, COS, something over one
million Of dollars each. The "Minsesp.a"
was built at the Washington yard and has
been ahoat about four years. Still her vale.
and considerable portion Of the timber
about her top. with the exception OF her
frame, which is OF live Oak, arc rotten. Lao
not know as any one can come TO a correc,
conclusion for the occasion of it. ro.ting 50
soon. but suppose it is i'll part owing to the
fact of her being built from green and unsound
timber. and in part OWING TO The action of
the climate at the several stations she has
been on While In commission. At the time
those steamers were built. Government had
but limited supply OF ,lu.her on hand and
were obliged to u.s. green timber instead Of
seasoned as is usual.
The Colorado" and "Rpanoko'' were
built a: the Norfolk yard at the same time.
The Roanoke" was repaired at the Charles.
town yard two years ago; her wales and some
Of her plank were taken off and repaired with
new ones; they were then found to be rotten,
only having been on two years The Colo.
RADIO now lays at that yard waiting repairs.
and is in the same condition.
Al the New York yard they are doing
nothing. Constructor Delano Told me ,ha,
he had but three ship carpenters under his
employ. AT the Philadelphia and Washing
ton yards. IS regards building and rel airing
vessels,;hey are at perfect 'stand still" l
think Government will have TO make more
appropriations for the navy this
winter than they did last. or the wheels will
stop. A large number Of vess Is of our for
eian s9uadrnns have been ordered home and
soon. The Aay ship" Wabash Is on her way
homa. this Is her second regular cruise. Size
was built in Philadelphia IN 1855. She car
r,es twelve large guns and has over 400 officer.
Pay off her company. The steam frigate
"Meryimac" flagship of the Pacific squadron
IS on her way home. So is the "Nanda.ia"
and "N!ncennes." The "Germantown" and
the "Bainoridgc' and Perry" Of the Brazil
squadron have completed their service in COM
M >:on. and Will be st home this winter
The 'Po" hatan and 'Macedonian's time is
about up and will return in the Spring. Some
OF those ships will want thorough repairs. and
all of their companies will have TO be paid
off SO, UNCLE SAN will have 10 dis use
considerable sum within the next six months.
II he had some of the money that has been
spent foolishly by prodsate and extrava-
CANT administration within the las. five or six
years. he would have enough for all needful
and necessary appropriations. without borrow.
ing money as they have been doing. The
work on the Capitol and Treasury Extension
i. nearly suspended. l do not see as there
has been m ich improvement made since las,
Spring. The Capitol is nearly finished IN.
side. The new dome and the exterior of the
wings are still in an unfinished state. but can
soon be completed if Congress will appropri-
ate the requisite amount OF funds.
The building itself covers 60, 900 square
feet and when completed will be the most
beautiful eddce Of the kind in the world, and
will be one of the greatest achievement Of ar
science of modern times L, has
net been bull, (as the Irish news carrier saws
in the following Ines l.the way the Churches
in America are built.
They puts up front t, the street.
Like oud Westminster Abbey;
But thin they thinks to chats Lord,
And builds the back part shabby"
But the whole structure is perfect in every
respect, and there is no .chate about il I'M
less some OF the contractors chate' Uncle Sam
out of portion OF the money appropriated for
building II, which may be the case, as almos,
every one tina; has haG anything to do with
il, have made a fortune by the operation.
We can say 70 them in substance what Pa,
said to the Miller. Il know your hogs are
fat. tut do not know whose corn they eat
l know they are rich. bu, do not know where
the money came from. But Yankees have
the right TO guess.
Harpers Magazine for December has some
ane engraving: the Capitol. Treasury De- |
G eneral Post office and Pa,en, Office,
with fall l.s2-ip,!5a 1f them which is we'll
worth perusal.
The citizens of Washington came very near
L