New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-21
OUR IRON.CLAD NAVY.
The IroR.Ciad Fleet In the Deiaware-Ihe
Dcpof at Leagues Isinmd-skesches o
the Vessels-A Mile and u Hall Of Iron.
Cisds 90 be Laid Up i'm Back Chaa-


nell:
Correspondence Of The N Y. Tribune.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. le. 1865.
To-day have visited the celebrated League
Island with view OF seeing the prep arations which
are being made to "lay up" orr iron clad navy The
Navy Department have selected OF the arms OF the
Delaware River which forms the Back Channel
IN the rear Of League Island, as the spot pest
calculated TO place the ironclads which have rendered
so much service during the brief sketch OF the
ally history of this island WILL perhaps, be not unln
erestng at this time and IN connection with our present
writing. The island firm land ct the irst occupa
ton Of the country by English colonists ana was
no by land company OF London in lo99 lott Delu8
erected it for Defense II was occupied as farms as
early 705 and titles descending from these nav
been regularly derived by number Of occvpahts anu
residents 10 the present time. The Old slanu'
farmed and occupied in this way for 80 years con.
tanned s35 by the original and official survey OF
1922 II was from the beginning protected aga,ns. en
treme high tide by embankmeDt OF eartD now inauc
| by strong stone wall. Within the last so years
| new meadow has been reclaimed and added 10 ine
original Island the western or Schuykil SIDE ihis
new portion contains ia acres. anu ID nS'o'"a " :"
| stone wall.
Tic water at League Island fresh the moan point
of brackshness being about Wilmington, Delaware ana
water never approaches nearer nn
until they are wanted for active service Back thnhe
IL about one mile in length and has water enoug ~ u
a mean low tide float tho MONITORS. iDc
draft vessels will be placed the furthest up ths
water course and securely moorcd head ana ster anu
~ toe mouth OF the channel is reached two vesses WIN
be placed side by side. The list OF clad vessels mus
proposed to away sr safe keeping. WIZ II placed
line ahead OF the other, reach just one mile anu ha
and together will form sight not only new ana mover
bu sincularv Interest To those who are acquainted
with their individual history, the sight will recall the
memory OF thrilling scenes, and s0me OF Tue eIdhocst
achievements Of the war; yet unparalleled IN the history
of the world.
| ,,.;,;,, 7 oaouo Ielond nrocurpd n boat and
went ON board of the ironclad fleet which lies at an
chor below tho NavyYard. The sight IN IT'S every as
pect Of the grandest II mas Deeh my ot 70
ness for MANY months. The day was warm ana pc
cuar haze hung the water. aiding IN naSins up
n picture cf great beauty and rarity. Nearly 'hrc5
score war VESSELS anchored in groups OF TWO anu
tbree's some with yards a cOckbii ana IN tne 'url.
ous m lses of ships in ordinary. But few OF the Meet
are in commission and from their mastheads ana Peeh
drooped the coors of the greatest naval power OF te
globe Space will not permit Wc TO aver upon snu
scene and must rest content to give PLAIN I4c's %
than attempt 10 pen picture tue emotols w 5 n ;,h
my breast in my trip over the placid water ao'ea
vessels whose histories VIII pc ha""o" INV" "
The frs, of the iron-cad fleet, beginning down me
river Il the Atlanta the pride ana nope Vi .ne
ncone of Savannah and which sailed forth from tnat
CITY ON tho 18th Gay OF june, l-oJ to cru'h on. ,no
Yankee gunbolis and iron CLAUS Ia |" asse" '"L h
| Hundreds of vain and deluled people. among tnem
many ladies accompanied her IN less Formidable yes
sells 10 see the fix ht and they supposed 10 r'Joeo
over Confederate victory but aus ,or ra'
and by fes well directed shots soon compehea tno
monster 10 snccumb Fifteen minutes aud all was over
and m. stars and STRIPES foaied over what was once
the British steamer Finga and afierward the ram a
lnna She was brought North and RENTED AT TINS var
and loned the james River hotiiia, Dnt seldom hos "u
an opportunity To test her merits WIN Shps ilo o
cobftTucfors guns while under the nag sue now nles
when In commission. She looks grim and deserted nut
the lay may come hen from her sopng sides sil ron
volumes oil smoke, aud throwing WIN "h.rri"s a1lI
mis les against through the SIDES OF ships under
the tg which protected her on her voyage across the
oc. IN aud into enemy port. g.. q,
PuIinC M stream. aided by the Hood tide we visited
Tho torlso boats Modoc and Naubnc, the lat
ter having iinch gun mounted on her forward a. ca
These vessels belong To the fhnons SINNERS hRht
dram monitor class according 70 ther oigai p'ans
the sitdrait applied 10 the light amount OF ar they
dr.w above water They are nov htted win 'hlei-
Engineer Woods orpeoes and for special service are
valuable adjnncts TO our navy. - III. -.
| Next We came to the monitor Sangamon. blllt az
Chester Pa IN le' and launched on the 9th OF octo-
Der Of that year She made her entry into actual war
faro on 'hs in ~ August, 1863 on reconnaissance up
the james River in company with three or four wooden
craft Subsequently she was transferred 10 the Sodth
Atlantic SQUADRON arriving al Port Royal on the llih
OF February l-,4. Her turret bears tie marks o'
having met The enemy To-day she looks rusty and de-
serted; her sides co0red over Win green grass
VARYING in hues by tho rust dIippnes winch course
down her plating. The extra deck plates tho cnall
Amor around tie smoke Jacket the punetnIed smoke
chimney aud the indeBtured hull show that the San
CANON has been tried and found true TO the trust placed
/ Tho Nehsuts dect nelt gave Us = solid footing. Bos
ton claims her Of her contributions 10 our iron
clad navy. She made her deblt Mt Fort hcalIister
Ga ON the 81 day OF March Ices. and for eight ho''
Piled shell into the sand works. and IN company VIII
her consoris vas obliged to withdraw, not haNlnf
effected the fun object oil the mission. month iaei
she participated IN the hnai attack upon foit sumter
and in Jnns she was present at the capture OF Atlanta
in Warsaw Sound. On the 10th Of July she attacked
the Morris Island batteries, and on the 'h OF August
1.-Two years ago she attacked Fort Wagner p IN nve
DAYS after participated the night attack apon Fort
lSumter. Eighteen deep scars marx her tnIfet aIohe
a long scar shows that heavy shot glanced her plated
house and fell far asiern. Her hull sides. deck ana
smoke stack show tina: she has played mean part III
the contests In which she has been engaged.
Moored alongside OF her Is the sunc9ok, Aght
biraft monitor whose curved deck and snow white
turret are unscatLed by shot or sho She has no history
bui in alterations and remodeling Next comes the
ward deck Now board the Canonicns built by
Iorins Of Boston aud launched on the sI ol August,
Is6a II is lust two years ago to-day since she was pui
In commission. She participated IN the attacks upon
Fort Fisher and bears a few marks of having seen
service Her smoke stack looks Ike huge pepperDox
patched up. In this group We found Inc honadnocA,
The crack twoturreted monitor iron clad "A vessel al
ways going alone. requiring no towing assistance ana
one that can oltlFip any vessel of Der class aoat She
was bnt at the Boston Navy Yard by w. L. Hanscom'
Naval Constructor She is credit To our navy and her
constructor. she first saw active service at Fort
Fisher, where she rendered excellent service She Is
still in commission Just ahead OF her is the iona
wanda a vessel Of the class. but drawing more
She looks very nice she has seen no service
Near by is the Ca'skil built by T. f. Rowland at the
Continental Iron Works, Greenpoint. J.. /. She was
auuchcd the 9Th Of December le62 and participated
in the attacks upon Fort sumter and Morris Island bat.
teres On the 18th Of August 1863 poor George RodR-
ers aud Paymasier Woodbury. while in the pilot house.
received their death Stokes She bears man, marks Of
her active operations and looks ike u terrible fighter.
as she has always been.
few strokes of the oars aud our boat scrGpcd along
side of the Passac another of Rowands build ana the
rst one OF the First batch" Of monitors with over.
hangs. She was launched in September, le62 She led
the attacking fleet on Fort McAlsler on the Sd Of