The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-28
The Anglo-Rebel Navy.
Full Account of the Rebel Yes.
sells at Glasgow.
Preparations to Break the Blockade.
THE STEAMER ALABAMA.

From the New York Tribune.
Mr.. Cameron on his recent return from
Europe excited no little attention and some
alarm by his accounts of the formidable
fleet of irOn-clad vessels of war said to be
rapidly completing in England on rebel &C
count, and intended both to open the
blockade of Southern harbors and to Ope-
rate against Northern seaports. We have
been favored by a gentleman just from
England with some further information on
the same point, which is both authentic
and minute. 1t may tend to quiet what
ever alarm is felt about an immediate des-
cent upon our coast; but it is by no means
of such q character as ought to lessen any
efforts the navy department may happen
to be making.
According to Mr.. Cameron, three i'm
mense iron-clad rams, the most powerful
ever constructed, are building for the reb
els. 1t is not certain that the statement is
true Two are on the stocks at Liverpool,
in the hands ofJames Laird, M. P, who
built the pirate Alabama, and is pushing
them rapidly to completion. The third is
building, if anywhere, on the Clyde, at
Glasgow. Our informant has little knowl-
edge of the Liverpool rams, their size, or
how nearly finished they are at present.
His account relates especially to Glasgow.
In the great shipyard of that port three
iron-clads are building. One of them, the
Hector, just launched, is for the British
government another for Denmark, both
in the yard Of Messrs. Napier 81 Sons.
The third is a screw steamer, under con-
tract by Messl's. George and James Thomp-
son, of 5000 tons and 500 horse power, of
Il model so flat that she is calculated to
draw but fifteen feet of water; built Who'll
ly of iron, her frame included and with
plating of twenty-five inches thick, of
which four inches and half are iron and
the rest solid teak This vessel is said to
be for some foreign government not nam
ed, though if for any recognized govern
ment there is no reason why there should
be any mystery about her. But al
though no effort is made to hide
the facts about any other vessel,
little is generally known of this one, and
information like that we give was obtain
ed with difficulty. \ man of war is COM
monty named when her keel is laid. This
has no name, but is known only by her
number in the yard. Her frame is about
halfraised, and work is going on slowly.
The contract requires her to be completed
in twenty months from last July. If any
vessel is now building for the rebels on the
Clyde, it is this. But it is quite obvious,
from the rate at which the work progress
es, and from the period fixed by the con-
tract, that she is not relied on for imme
| date service. And concerning both this
and the Liverpool rams, our government
I is and has been constantly fully informed.
Whatever doubt there may be about the
iron clad, there is none at all that other
steamers for different service are bought
! and built for the rebels at Glasgow. The
Columbia, Adela, and Leopard, all sailed
last summer from this port, the Columbia
to Hamburg for cargo, the Adela to Liv-
erpOol, the Leopard to Cardiff The two
former were captured endeavoring to run
the blockade; the Leopard got through.
The rebels are preparing, apparently.
not to break the blockade this winter by
force, but to evade it by vessels of unusual
speed. With this view they have bought
and are fitting out steamers at Glasgow,
which port seems to share with Liverpool
the honor of being rendezvous for pirates.
There is great activity in all the yards,
especially in that of Messrs. George and
James Thompson above mentioned, in
which six iron-but not iron-clad-vessels
are on the ways for construction or repair,
all owned by rebels or those in rebel inter
est. The Iona, Pearl, Eagle and Ruby
were selected especially for the work OF
carrying arms and ammunition into block
AIDED rebel ports. The Iona was the first
to attempt the voyage, and was sunk by
collision six weeks ago. The other three,
like the Iona, are long, narrow, swift,
smooth-water, side-wheel steamers, built
to run fifteen miles an hour on the Clyde,
and from $50 to 200 tons burden. The Pearl
was lying at Queenstown, taking in pow
der, when the City of Baltimore, on her
last voyage out, touched at that port. 1t
is proposed to send her and the rest-all of
them being unfit for an Atlantic voyage
by way of Madeira to Nassau, there to
load, and thence attempt the blockade.
There are immense stores at Nassau, wait
lug Iuo opportunity W uuU outIduCc iuCO
rebel ports, and the rebel necessities are so
great that they will leave no means untried
to obtain them.
Besides these there are steamers of ano-
Their class-the Thistle, Giraffe and Colum-
bia-three screws built for sea voyages,
destined for similar service, but of much
larger tonnage. The Giraffe cost G28, 900,
the Thistle 912,0 900, and the seven toge-
Their not less than 100000. It appears
from an examination of their custom house
register that all, except the Giraffe, are
owned in the name Of George Wigg, Ii
verpool merchant, active in the rebel
cause, and were bought by Henry Latone,
agent. Both Wigg and Latone have been
In Glasgow on business connected with the
vessels. Messrs Begby & Co. of London,
who were concerned in fitting out the
Gladiator, of recent notoriety, have also
three iron steamers of 500 to 600 tons
building on the Clyde, probably intended
to run the blockade. From the fact that
Captain Reasons, who went to Glasgow to
%o1xo ~ ia L.. Hz1.