The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-19
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1866.
The Condition of our Iron-Clads "A New
York Libel Refuted.


veracity which is so characteristic of all the
utterances by the press of the metropolis on
matters appertalning to Philadelphia, publishes
O letter purporting to come from our city,
descriptive of the condition of the iron-clad
vessels at League Island. In this communi-
cation it thus describes the observations of the
correspondent -
"a few Gays ago our reporter visited the iron
clad depot on the Delaware, and saw the vessels
laid up there. 1t IS not long since the vessels
were removed from point near the Navy Yard
to the so.called channel at the back OF League
Island. This channel Is six hundred feet in
width, and is daily uncovered by the tide, 80 as
10 leave a portion OF it more like land than
water. There /, a narrow place in the middle oil
The channel, OF sufficient depth to receive a
single monitor, and in TINS the vessels are drawn
mp in q line. At tines when the tide is very
low, the monitors are to be seen fast in the mud,
and elevated several feet above their usual
height when Ill the water. The bottoms OF the
vessels viii undoubtedly be much damaged
by long continuance in this place,
aud The effect OF the water there has
fides already. One of the officers in charge of
The Dictator and Ne,c hoasides stated that he
expected, if the stories about the ice are true, to
find bis charge at the bottom before the winter
was over. 1t is also known that II the vessels
we're wanted tor service they could not be got
out in less than month. The Dictator and ReD
HopSides are moored out OF the MAN channel,
and are very secure, II security consists in CHAINS
and anchors The matches OF the Dictator are to
be scaled up, Tor lear OI 0elDg submerged, so
that the only entrance viii be through the
tuTret Now is not this rather a dangerous eX-
perm 'ntY Here are vessels winch have cost the
Government many millions OF dollars placed in
position Whc1e they viii certainly be damaged,
and, possibly, some of them maV be destroyed,
as ii is said that when The Ice is III motion 1t
moVee at the rate OF five or SIX miles an hour,
nd M aCl l,oD lip "a pD
there are plenty OF places NiChin the bounds of
the United States where Ortr lron.clad vessels
could lie in safety without being subjected TO
the damaging influences which are at work at
the iIOn-Clad depot on the Delaware"
The charges here made exhibit falsity and
malgnity almost unparalleled. What can
he the morality of journal which will invent
circumstances tending only to damage a
sister city and at the same time do no good
TO the municipality it represents? For should
all the charges against the Delaware be true,
it is certain that there is no probability that
the North river or New York harbor would
be selected as the resting place OF our iron
navy. Let us examine the statement Of the
Times in detail and compare its fabulous pic
lures with the facts. The channel back of
the Island is not six hundred, but two hun
dred end fifty feet vide and is never uncovered
at low water. When the tide is fully out
there is sometimes but nine feet of water in
il, and this is the minimum.
1t is mot true that the iron-clads anchored
there are ever to be "seen fast in the mud
and several feet above their usual height"
Those of heavier draft rest in the soft mud
A. IL, e. fo1-
eyes Of Argus to "see" them in the mud; and
the idea that by any means vessel would be
elevated several feet by any process known to
hydrostatics is too absurd to need refutation
OF course, when the water is low more of
their sides are visible, and the reporter of the
Times probably mistook the decrease of water
for an elevation of the ships. The fact that
the vessels rest in soft river mud at low water
is quoted as some terrible and ruinous circum-
stance by our contemporary, while, however, it
is well known that there is hardly navy yard
in our country at which the same narrowing
phenomenon does not constantly occur.
1t is not true that since they have come
here "the effect of the water has been to strip
the paint off their Sides" Their long continu-
ance in salt water has subjected them toits cor
rosive influence, in consequence of which seve-
raj Of them want repairing But, coming as
they did to our city in the midst of cold
weather, it was impossible to overhaul them
until the return of spring. The effect OF their
continual subsection to the salt water Of New
York and New London may well be esti-
mated, if a few weeks in the sea can so injure
them as to excite the indignation of the Times
Anxious to discover the true facts of the case
we despatched a reporter to the Navy
Yard, the officers of which officially inform us
that "No officers Of the Dictator or NelU Iron
sides ever told a reporter OF the Times any
such thing about the anticipated trouble from
the ice. No reporter OF the Times is believed
now to have been on board either Of the yes,
sells, as no one can visit any of them without
permit, and no such permit has ever been
issued at this Office" 1t would, therefore
seem that its characteristic energy has lee
the Times to think they were writing up {
special in war times, and that the reporter
was in New York, and the letter manufac
tured in the Office. Such things are common
in the offices OF the leading New Yorl
journals.
The truth of the matter is that the ice. in
stead of rushing at the headlong rate of fv
or six miles an hour, as pictured by the New
York reporter, sweeping and destroying all il
its path, in reality gently glides down tn
river at less than one mile DER hour: an