The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-05-30
Norfolk Navy Yard Destroyed!

TIE DESTRUCTION OF THE GOsPoRT NAVY YARD
u. 5. Property WORTH Sd, 600, 900 DEsTROYED.-On
Saturday evening, at nine o'clock, the PGURee ar
rived from Washington with 200 volunteers and 100
marines, besides her own crew, and at once the Otl-
GERS and crew of the Pa,cHee and Cumberland went
TO the Navy Yard, and spiked and disabled the guns,
aud threw the shot and small arms into the river.
At 10 o'clock. the marines, who had been quartered
i'll the barracks, fired them, and came on board the
PGlcaee. This movement was premature, for 1t was
the intention to fire all the buildings simultaneously.
y party of officers, meantime, were going through the
different buildings and ships, distributing waste and
tuTpentIue, and laying "a train so "a 10 blow up the
Dry Dock. They were engaged in this work until 2
o'clock, when the train was fired. At 3 O'Clock, the
Yankee, to the Captain of which, Charles German,
much credit Is due, came along, and took the Gum
6erIand in tow, the PalcRee taking the lead. All the
vessels beat to quarters, the guns were manned, and
everything was In readiness to carry out the threat
of Commodore McAuley, that if a gun was fired from
either shore he would level both Portsmouth and
Norfolk. At this time the scene was indescrIbabiy
magnificent, all the buildings being in a blaze, and
explosions here and there scattering the cinders in
all directions.
The Government vessels had been scuttled in the
afternoon before the PalCnee arrived, TO prevent their
being seized by the Secessionists who had been in arms
in both Norfolk and Portsmouth under the command
of General TaliaterrO. Their number IL estimated at
some 400 men. The scuttling was done between II
and , o'clock, on Saturday. Lest this mode Of de-
struction should not be complete, however, trains
were laid on them and the vessels were fred with the
buildings.
The following are the names of the vessels which
were destroyed Pennsylvania, "A gunship; steam
frigate .uerriWGc, II guns; sloOp-ofwar German
torn, - guns; sloOo PiymOUtb - guns; frigate
Raritaa, 40 guns; frigate Columbia, ii guns; DeiG-
lrurc, ~ g~uu-ship; OiumbuS "A gun-ship; United
STATES, in ordinary; brig Dolphin, 5 gun5; and the
powier-boat.
OF these the .Merrimac, Plymouth and German
t0ru were ready for sea, but the PGueRee made her
appearance at the yard too late TO save them. The
.NsrrimGc, in fact, had had steam on only : few
hours previously.
The Yankee, as We have already said, left the yard
with the Cumberland in tow about 5 O'Clock. The
feet proceeded down the river until 9 O'Clock, when
II came to anchor within a mile Of the point, where
wrecks were known 10 have been sunk for the purpose
Of obstructiug navigation. Boats were sent out to
take s~ouniiugs in order 10 ascertain whether some
other passage than the regular channel could not be
found. All Efforts proved unsuccessful, 80 the feet
raised anchor and forced their way directly through
the wrecks. The Cum5criIHI caught one OF the
sunkeu vessels and carried it along with her and ap-
prchensions were at first entertained that she might
be carried On to Sewell's Point, where IL was sup
posed that the rebels had erected batteries. Mean
time the keystone State came up from Washington
with marines. and by her help and that Of the Yum
hss, the Cumberland was towed into deep water and
the wreck was disentangled. She then went up IN
der protection Of the guns Of Fort Monroe and came
to anchor. While the vessels lay there. four men
who had been employed in the Navy Yard, succeeded
IN making their way down the river, and reported
that they left everything IN flames, aud the smoke
and flames could easily be seen from the Cumberland.
The rebels, too, they reported were fearful OF attemp-
ting 10 arrest the flames, because they apprehended
that a train was laid 10 blow up the buildings.