The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-11
EVENING TE1EeRAPH-pHIIADE1 MONDAY JUNE H.

I have stated how Il was that the site of Phila-
delphia came to be sought for this purpose. !
have stated our national necessities in this mat
ter, our local wants, which mean our national
want; that scarcely an officer OF the Navy ever
recommended New London, and none that
ever heard of recommended any one of these
other places so gratuitously added to the bill
The very commission to which the gentleman
referred said unanimously that for the purpose
OF an iron-clad Navy Yard, League Island was
preferable TO New London, and one of the
officers of that commission has since said that
he was mistaken even in recommending New
London as far as he went. Why was that mis-
take madeg SIR, it was a very natural one, AZ
that time the battle between the Monitor and the
MeTTiYndc had scarcely been fought, certainly
not finally appreciated. These old officers of
the navy scarcely knew what it was to test iron
clad vessels, nor had they yet fully learned the
long reach of our improved cannon. At that
time Farragut had not passed the forts near
New Orleans and in Mobile bay; Fort Fisher had
not been taken by Porter; we had not the light
on the subject that we have now. And so each
year the advantages Of League Island, and the
disadvantages of the other proposed sites, have
become more apparent.
What, then, are the characteristics which
should determine above all others where this
additional navy yard room shall be obtained by
the Government? At the risk of repeating what
has been better said by others, | cannot help re-
ferriDg to the two great advantages which League
Island possesses, and which none of these other
places afford. These are, fresh water and dis
tance from the sea.
There has been a little book sent to each of us.
q very modest little pamphlet, advocating New
London. suppose 1T was written by the mem
ber of the last Congress | have alluded TO. 1t
says that New London is as well situated as
CherbouTg, in France, for a national navy yard.
Well, this is most unfortunate illustration, Be-
cause Cherbourg is by the sea it has taken fifty
six years to build its works and Notifications, at
a cost of foIty millions for the works and twenty
millions for the detenses, even with the aid of
convict labor one basin, the "d1Ttere de ttot,"
fol lyirnrr 30 htNfII ANaA
now it is admitted that with the modern long
range guns vessels might steam to within three
miles, lay outside the breakwater, and perhaps
ruin If not reduce 1t, although tier on tier of
classmates rise from the water bristling with
cannon.
Portsmouth is on the Channel almost oppo.
site, and the English have spent $50, 900, 900 to
extend and fortify it; serious arguments being
made in Parliament that it must be abandoned
on account of its proximity TO the ocean-hve
or six mles-and not as near then as at New
London. When it was found that missiles could
be thrown for miles, the British went twelve
miles up the Midway to build Chatham at an
enormous expense; the three main advantages
alleged in its favor being that it was not on the
coast, but the defenses of Sheerness had first to
be passed Gas it is with us at Forts Delaware and
Mifflinl, that the river could be protected from
the lands on either side, and chiefly that 1t was
an island (St. Marys) affording facilities for
wharfage not on the main land.
need scarcely go further. Brest taken by
the British as Nelson took Malta; l'0rient, on
the Bay of Biscay, with its five hundred guns
trailed ready for an enemy; Touion, whose
approaches are stronger than Cherbourg, yet
with tw ice five hundred guns and immense for
tifcations to defend, tell us we must build a
navy yard where 1t can be defended at little cost
or be safe without other detenses than its ships
which may run out from its docks. So much
for defensiblity.
admit here that whenever it can be shown
that we should build navy yard such as is
proposed, within a few miles OF the open sea,
and the reach OF modern ordnance; when
ever it can be shown that salt water is better
than fresh water Tor iron vessels; or that
the granite rocks OF New London can be
cut down with little expense and be filter
for a foundation than hard ground, will
vote for New London. We do not want this
site at Philadelphia selected unless it is tor the
national benefit.
Philadelphia. believe, has among her popu-
lation q larger number OF returned soldiers who
are skilled mechanics than all the inhabitants,
male and female, men, women, and children, of
New London. We have offered this island a
free gift, costing over $30O,OOO, to the Govern
ment when it required and asked for additional
| accommodations, and it ought not TO be refused.
The London Times continually contains adj.
| vertIsements, sometimes Offering as much as
10000, Tor the discovery OF some effective means
| for keeping iron vessels as clean as copper now
| keeps the bottoms of wooden vessels, upon the
condition that no patent shall be granted for the
| process, but shall be open for the use OF the
| Government and the public.
Mr.. James Beazley, the chairman of the Ship
Owners ASSOCIATION of Liverpool, writes, "There
is only the touling against the iron ships, which
| none OF the patents yet get over; for when theV
| do claim to have done so, it was the action oi
| the tides in fresh water that had cleaned their
| bottoms" as at Calcutta. For Calcutta trade
iron ships answer best, and for that trade half
| a-doZen iron ships to one wooden one are used.
| One more reference. John Grantham, OF Lon
| don, says:-
'Foung is the difficulty with the Warrior; 1t is
the incubus that The minds all: that ships
going to iorelgn ciimes, unless they go straight
| iIOm one point to another and into fresh water
| rivers, must become foul"
| Fresh water then, for station is second only
to defensibility, and Philadelphia was sought by
| the Government because OF her fresh.w
| stream, for in times OF peace our iron-clad navy
| as well as our wooden navy, can lay there and
! be cleaned without any additional expense and
subject at New London or any eligible place
| thus far presented. There is an ingenious sug
| gestion IN the modest New London pamphlet,
| namely, by providing means for taking such
] vessels out of water when not required for i'm.
mediate serVice.n Expensive as this would be,
| the notion is not an original one, as Admiral
Spencer, in England, stated IN April 1864, in his
evidence before the select committee or dock
| yards He states that as the bottoms OF iron
| ships not only corrode if not covered with q
| imposition, but get covered with barnacles and
| weeds even then, 1t would be great advantage
| to place on pontoons all the iron ships not
| wanted for immediate service; tor" said he,
| 'as long as ships bottoms are of iron and un-
| protected from foulng as they now are, iron
ships can never be said to be ready for service -
| No wonder the advocates of New London
| water from reservoir "at an elevation of about
| one hundred ieetn to fill DOCKS with for iron.
| clads when not in service.
| Now, Mr.. Speaker, l have been somewhat DIS
cursive in these remarks As | stated at the
| commencement the ground was well trodden:
tod Rnt