Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-04-12
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at the Brout b Navy. y ARD betoken Sc
ricus work somew here Ill the secrecy
with which the government has suc-
ceeded 10 closking its designs, despite
the perseveriug inquisitiveness Of the
Washington correspondents, has caused
an almost painful suspense in the public
mind to know where the dreaded blow
is to fall. Our New Y ork dates are full
Of details Of the outfit OF the many ves-
sells (wsr and chartered which have teeD
put in commission for unknown destina'
tions in the last few days. As a sam
pie Of the outfit Of the different vessels,
we subjoin an account Of that OF the
Powhatan, which we take from the
World
The scene was Of most anmsted
character. The bright buttons aud golo
ace Of the numerous officers OF the snip
and th yard fas ed 10 . bright unlight.
blue Jackets we're running to and fro,
each bringing some Of the articles be
longing to the ship. The powder boat
was alongside, and can,sters containing
the powder we're being rapidly passed
up the ships side, and thence lowered
,nto the hold, aud slowed in the maga-
zine. boxes containing nine, ten and
eleven inch shell, were hurriedly passed
on board, while grape, canister and
schrapnel were stacked stacked up in
huge piles, both on the wharf and the
ships decks. A party OF sailors were
bringing down rifed musket cartridges,
quarter-masters with arms full Of bunt-
ing, topmen reeving of the running
gear, after guard bending the spanker,
forcastle-meu passing in small arms aud
ammunition, waistmen with hands and
arms full Of srndries, lsborers passing
6rewood through the ports, cooks fitt'ng
up the coppers, engine-room gang pre-
pairing to get up steam, gunne's' gang
slowing the magazine and shell rooms.
Occasionally the whistle would be heard
in shrill notes, followed by an order,
Maintopmen and afterguard lay aft on
the quarterback !" Every one was bnsy
aud work was being executed as rapid
~ as if the ship was to enter an engage
ment ia the course of the ensuing hour.
To the eye Of the practical observer
there were many articles put on board
which would lead one to suppose that
the fitting out OF this ship is tor no idle
or passive purpose. In the first place
she has on board an extremely large
compliment of nine and eleven-lnch
shell. She, it will be remembered, car
ries ten nine inch and one eleven-inch
gun; but among her ordnance stores
there is a very largo lot Of ten inch
shells. She has no ten-inch guns on
board, nor could she take them on board
ut the present time. These are proba.
bly, intended to be put on boz I'd some
one of the ships now cruizlng, or are in
tended for a land fort'fcat,on. There
is also large quantity of twelve-pound
boat howi,zer ammunition, consisting Of
canister, grape and schrapnel; each Of
her boats mounts twelve-pounder fitted
to slide; carriages are also OH board,
and, in even! Ct Landing, the guns n ar. srt
the crew to man the ropes, ard they are
then in position similar to that OF ar
tllcry. Our reporter saw the majority
of the ammunition taken on board, and
found that most of the powder is that
known MS "shel powder" One Of the
officers of the ship remarked that che
never had known Of so much ordnance
stores being taken on board of United
States vessel at one time before during
twenty years."
And said he, II have not the slightest
ooubt that these movements are Tor the
purpose Of Smelling some one Of the posts
now held by the Confederate States y
At one O'Clock the crew of the Pow
haitian was formally transferred from the
receiving ship North Carolina to the
steamer. About one hundred and sew
enty blue jackets, and fifty OF the engi-
neers' department, embarked, with bag
and hammock, in the launches, and
hauled alongslde, amid three hearty
cheers for the "old ship" and the
'Union." IL less thon thirty minutes
the men were at their stations, and q
finer looking set Of seamen one would
scarcely wish to see. AT the same time
the guard of marines, about forty-6ve in
number, marched down from the bar
racks to the music of fife and drum.
They were soon in their old quarters, and
At 'foul bells" z o'clock the pendant
at the main, and the stars and stripes at
the peak proclaimed that the sloop- Of.
war Powhatan was in commission.
Work was now commenced in right good
earnest, and in short time the decks
were being cleared up. Jack seemed
happy - lark, and one Of the boys re-
marked that che was actually .pil,ng for
fight" While the signals, flag., etc.,
we're being brought on board, one Of the
lieutenants asked II there we're any Eng
llsh boat ensigns on board on receiving
reply in the negative, the person adj
dressed was ordered to procure at least
four of the article. This little item also
has very significant look, but it scarce
~ Is our prov nee to theorize at any
length. BY six O'Clock the ship was
nearly ready for sea, and the pilot, Mr..
Vanderbilt, was on board. A tug boat
was also in waiting.
The Powhattan is a first class side
wheel steamer, 2,4l5 tons burden, vas
built at Gosport in 1850. She
carries IL guns and about 800 off,