The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-14
OUR BALTIMORE CORRESPONDENCE.

BALTIMORE, Oct IL, 1851.
Reintoreeme for General Wool to be at once Sent 10 Fbr.
tress Aofroc-A System of Ni0M Signals for the Army
agreed upon and 10 be Propsulgatcd-Shops for the
Construction Of Napal Machinery and Steam Works for
Vessels 10 be Established in Baltimorc-Actior Of ne
Merit Congress for Increase Of the NavyIrom Wheels for
artillery and for Army Wagons Aan,factursd in Bal
ttMorc, &c.
l learn from gentleman just from Washington that
at length really to be sent to him. The why
they have not hccn sent before has been that tho
administration undervalued the Importance OF having
strong and effective force Fortress Monroe but
the troops at Washington could be used to more ad
vantage there. Now that the rebels have beyond
all doubt abandoned all designs on Washington, and
are retiring towards Richmond tho General in Chief
has directed his viglant and sleepess eye towards
Fortress Monroe as the spot whore now a decisive
blow may be struck against the rebels and a bril-
liant victory achieved The War Department is well in.
formed to the recent activity of the rebels that
direcon Of their erection Of batteries James river,
where the steel plated steamers Yorktown and James
town are lying all ready for action OF their having made
floating fort Of the great steamer Merrimac, clothed
with plates Of steel and mounted with batteries OF
mendous strength OF Their recent reinforcement Of the
troops ut Yorktown and Of their evident designs against
Newport News and Fortress Monroe itself II would
be proper 10 mention what measures have been taken TO
meet and defeat these vast preparations Of the rebs hut
may say that they have been commensurate with the
object in view, and will be completely successful BE.
fore the close OF the present month the rebels in
that vicinity will be completely vanqushed, aud the
Stars and Stripes will wave in triumph, not only over
Yorktown and Big Bethel, but over Norfolk also Gene
raj Wool has received the most positive assurances that
he shall have Immediately men and guns enough to
compsh this much wished for contamination
IT will be remembered by your readers that the HERALD
Of October lin speaking Of the dcplorable collision which
had just taken place at Falls Church. where two bodies
Union troops had fired each other and many had boh
kled) suggested that system Of night signals be
nVtndx hr.it.u olo,
the same army TO recognise each other when advancing
from different points. am happy to say that this sub
ect engaged the attention OF General Mcclellan imned
atey after the distressing event alluded to- and that
system Of night signals has been perfected and estab
shed by which the Of such unfortunate mis-
takes will be avoided in future Prudence requires
not TO describe the system The colonies If the army
the Potomac will be Immediately instructed 70 the
mode in which these signals are to be made aud they
will be required TO that every officer in their respcc
| tive commands understands it thoroughly.
An agent Of the Navy Department has been in this city
for day or two past with view to examine into tn,
expediency Of establishing here two large machine sheps
shipyards 10 facilitate the construction of naval
chnery and the steam works for national vessels It hu
been found that the works IN operation at the Wash
ingon Navy Yard inadequate to the requirements
the service. When the vast extent Of the works at tn
Washington Navy Yard Is considered, when il is re-
membered that they include all the machinery necessar
for the manufacture Of cannon of all cabre both bras
and IRON that for the last two months they have
kept operation day and night, and have furnished
ploymcnt to twenty 1--WE hundred persons-when all thes
things arc considered, some idea may be formed of til
vast extent OF the naval preparations now ON foot
informed that the Naval Committee will at early da
III the next session Of Congress Introduce bills for pac
the navy on footing equal extent to the army of hal
million men, authorized To be raised at the last sesso
and equal TO the riayss of England France. The i'm
portance, the actual necessity of having such navy
| becoming more apparent day by day Among the bin
will be for the construction Of additional numbe
Of stee!patcd steam vessels, for the permanent
crease OF the personet q the navy, and for tn,
rcation OF additional ranks OF naval officers,
which will be the rank Of admiral
am informed that the army wagons mado in this city
have proved superior ia strength and servicoablc quail
ties to all others Ia IN Washington. Their pecularit,
consists in the wheels being made of combination o
cast and wrought IRON The hub Is cast and the spoke
and tire are wrought. The experiments made at tn
Washington Navy Yard with these whees, used in gr
carriages have also been highly successful and there
little doubt that they will soon be extensively in til
artillery service. Artillery officers say that gun car
riages with ircn wheels will be vastly srrvccabl
than the present wooden wheels, as they viii be les
likely to be dsmounted by the encmy's shot.