The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-05

from twelve to six knots An hour, recurring hs.
to be sent north to be cleaned. Had the Phil.
adelphia Navy yard been in condition To "a.
ceive her, and complete her other necessary 70
pairs, her passage through TIE fresh water Of
the Delaware river from Newcastle, which !.
practically the limit of the salt water, would Of
itself have cleared her bottom of those imned;.
ments as perfectly as it could have been done by
mechanical means
Il is hardly doubted by any one that iron ves.
sells are hereafter to constitute our principal re
ance tor harbor defense. 1t will unquestionahlv
be the rolicy of the Government to keep thea
vessels, when not required for active service +,
some secure place where they will be as lttie
liable to decay as may be, and where the larpest
possible number can be put in repair and S;s.
patched to the threatened points at the shortea.
notice. Experience may show the necesaitv a.
economy OF keeping such vessels in drv sl;ns n
which case the capacity Of this island will nv M
means exceed the necessities of the Governmsa.
should it be otherwise, and should it he das,noJ
advisable to dismantle and moor them in ~.
docks in time Of peace, the value of Leapue III
and for naval station may be more correc.I.
estimated when say that il is the on; n;on II
naval officers and scientific experts that an ;ron
vessel will last more than ten times longor -
fresh than in salt water. The United States 10
steamer Michigan was built in 1874. has been 10
continuous service in the fresh water lakes nf
the North eighteen years, and has had mo 70.
pairs 70 ner null, which is apparently as perfect
AS ever IL was In salt water her bottom vouId
PROBABLY have been destroyed ten years ago.
8. The proximity Of the island to LARGO
maritime and manufacturing city 10 one Of its
greatest advantages for naval station. When.
ever an extra force of mechanics or seamen are
required, or an extra supply of naval stores
needed, they can be procured at short notice.
ana az no extra expense. It is well known that
whenever such extra force was REQUIRED at the
southern yards, neither of which were near .
large industrial population accustomed to such
labor the cost Of procuring the necessary crafts.
men was much greater than at Chariestovn.
Brooklyn or Philadelphia. The men had to he
transported at Government expense, extra wages
we're demanded, and the laborers in almost eve,v
instance were clamoroas to be retained perms.
nently because of alledged loss of situations At
home. Nor could sailors be procured at those
yaros IN an emergency, except by sending to the
northern cities to recruit, always an EXPENSIVE
process, and generally consuming weeks of time
the value OF which could not be computed in
money. The great advantage of Governments
establishment of this kind in proximity to .
large mechanical population, whose leading pur
suit 10 the fabrication Of iron in its various
formsand for its numerous purposes, cannot be
over-e stimated.
8. Another consideration of the biphea. i'm.
portance is the susceptibility of League Island
for perfect defense against foreign Invasion ~
domestic instruction. The channel of the Del.
aware, although affording a sufficient depth of
wafer at all times, is so narrow and tortuous for
a distance Of one hundred miles above its mouth
III a IN m ho hon &c
experienced pilot, especially with the buovs 70.
moved, would have the greatest difficulty in
reaching Philadelphia at ALL If the present de-.
lenses should be considered insufficient a single
martello tower on the edge of the channel
mounted with an iron turret like that of the
Monitor would command the approach to the
Island from the sea more completely than For.
tress Monroe commands Hampton Roads or Fort
Sumter the harbOr of Charleston. A Succession
ot auch towers would cost less than any one Of
our large coast Notifications So far as station.
Try defenses may be relied on, there can hardly
De any system more efficient than this The
Stand is even more susceptible of defense againss
domestic instruction, being cut off from the
shore by deep natural moat ifty
eet IN width No assault could be made upon
except by vessels, in which, of course. the
government would have such superiority that
10 attempt to capture the yard would ever be
lazarded, even if we suppose that the materials
or an instruction of that kind would ever no
ound in the vicinity of Philadelphia.
7. The accessibility of coal and iron commepds
league Island very strongly to our favor Stu.
ted at the junction of the Delaware and Schuyl.
ill rivers, it is the natural e1trepot of the whole
nthracite coal trade of the United States. The
team powe: necessary to the maintenance of a
modern navy is here obtainable at the smaIIest
ost. Pennsylvania, il not possessing the lare-
st iron resources to be found in the country.
ertainly has those resources in by far the high
st state of development and in close proximity
the sea-board. Philadelphia is the great
ronmongering metropolis of the country. Her
nrnaces and shops are numbered by hundreds.
er artihcers by thousands, and her capital in.
ested in the production of iron by millions.
8. The island is below the bend in the Della
rare, and hence mainly out of danger from ice
orges, from which the present yard suffers to
considerable extent; and yet it should be remark
d that the river Delaware is seldom closed by
,e-the only point on the Atlantic where fresh
Iater can be obtained that is not closed two or
hree months in the year.
9. It is to be observed also that the insular
ostion OF the proposed yard will effectuslly
stop corrupt speculations in real estate, so far
the Government property is concerned It
'ill be impossible for jobbers to besiege Con-
ress with any degree Of FEASIBILITY or hope Of
uccess to buy the adjoining lots at fabulous
rices, and can hardly conceive of any other
han an insular position which will debar tho
ribe OF spectators and lobbyists from all chan
es OF successful assault upon the Treasury.
TO- The selection of this site for a hayward
III! save to the Government just the sum at
hich the present yard in Philadelphia can be
old, the estimated value of which is 81, 800 600.
hat we must have yard at which iron vessels
an be built ia, l think, admitted. Were it ca.
ablished at any other place than Philadelphia,
ne yard at that place would be continued, with
g officers and large annual expense Estab-
shed on League Island, the present yard would
e vacated and sold. and the cost Of keeping up
ne present establishment saved The price that
ould be realized for it would nearly equip and
omplete the yard on the island.
The city of Philadelphia has purchased League
and, with all its riparian rights and privileges,
cost OF $780, 900, and rendered it to the