New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1862-01-13
Thinss az. Cairo.


A correspondent Of the Cincinnati Commercial,
under date of Dec. 18th, thus speaks Of matters
and thingsa at Cairo: ssv@
The FLornLA.-The chief fact about, Cairo now
excepting its unredeemed and irredesmabIe
ugliness-is it's military Importance Soldiers oc-
cupy the town, and gunboats the river. There is
nothing new to you about the former. Volunteers
slovenly. But the sailors and otiIla are features
Jack, in his Scotch cap; with dainty black rib
bon floating behind, and in his neat blue shirt and
flowing breeehes, has roll1cksome, jaunty air of
aqueous propriety, that always makes q good pic
fure and pleases your fancy. Fresh.water Jack is
hardly SO tant craft as Jack on the ocean, but he
ls good emblem Of naval discipline little slack.
But Mcclellan could get equal aamartnsss" I"
infused into his volunteer army, he would proba-
bly, "On to Richmond y. at once. There is an
elegance, courtiiness, and gsntlemanliness too,
about the genuine naval officer, which has much
to do in marking the distinction between sailors
and volunteer soldiers. and may say, too, the
dtsonction between naval officers aud West
Pointers in high position is very broad-and al
togssher ~ favor of the. former. Your thorough
bred naval officer never has 30 much business OF,
hand that he forgets he il gentlemen. Yeur
Major Generals and Bfgadiers, Of bosh schools,
regular and volunteer, often forget 10 be courteous
whe'ner e. they nave business renot. But Isup-
sral IS an indication Of greatness Nbieh the public
had overlooked, or OF which they had not thought,
and by-sbe,bye, our Western river naval officers,
fessional bluff, hearty department, seem 10 have
pnt on superior grace of manner with their
disssngae uniforms, SO that our vanity ispampefed
little to see them wear their honors so honor
ably, and our esteem for them increases exceed
TnE GuspoArs.-oaf Western fotilla has been
described heretofore, so L will touch ii lightly.
The navy of the Ohio and Mississippi consists Of
three classes Of boats. The first Class were con-
strueted of old steamboats, cut down and built ND
again from the water line. They stand about as
high ont Of the water as an ordinary stern Wheel
steamer, the bulwarks being carried up from the
water line to q height about equivalent to the
caves of an Ordinary hurricane deck. They are
|panted black, with the exception Of white water
line-which is an admirable target for an enemy
endeavoring to hull them-and with their unusual
ly tall smoke stacks and frowning armament, they
present very formidable aspect. Under heavy
fre should be desperately afraid that splinters
would destroy more life on them than iron mis-
siles. F7S@ - gs - y - Y -s8 sss!S
The second class, numerically, are rare avis iu
aqua. The sailors have dubbed them sand turtles.
| Exaggerated, corrupted swapping turtles, Of ter
with long black horns, more than anything else
| you can imagine. 1t would hardly be prsfans to
worship them, because they are not like aDythng
on the earth, under the earth, or above the earth
E-f You will allow imagination little lee.Way.
But still am afraid they will not realize public ex-
pectations in some respects. They were built eby
| contractors. Dc you want any further explana-
|
more than contract price. Some of the work
1 about the boilers was not properly constructed
and, since their arrival here, it had to be dome
again-thus delaying their completion.
| They are very powerful in every respect. with
some inexeusable defects, apparent to the veriest
land-lubber who criticises a Congressional IN
vestigaton is highly necessary in relation to the
contracts perhaps coroner's inquest may be
necessary in some of them, hereafter, They will
be completed-at some future time.
The third elass.are simply floating water bat
teries, designed TO- carry a heavy mortar each
They consist of logs crosstied and strongly boted
SO that they are unsuitable and mperiahable under
cannonade. The mortar tenders are protected
by heavy bulwarks and rife shot proof iron cas-
ing. They are managed with sweeps, or tug
boats, but where once anchored, will be expected
! to stand their ground at long taw. They neve
can keep themselves outof difficulty, except b,
!, fighting. ,.ss. .,,s=s 49,. ,s...55.sssF
The fleet now lies directly in front Of Cairo, som
of the boats anchored out in the stream, others
the wharf. The tout ensemble is curious and strk
ings and with the activity Of workmen, the cango
Of hammers and iron, and the constant putting
), whrr and hutter Of tug propellers, and steamer
in the river, the harbor Of Cairo is quite sprite
place. But if desired to punish prisoners for re
n bellion, would contine them to Cairo