The New York herald., 1874-10-24
THE AMERICAN NAVY.

.Nta LIE AMEh1CAN NAvx.
Launch OF tho Steamship vandaiia Mt
the Boston Navy Yard-Ten Thousand
People Present-Dcscription of the New
War Vessel-Another Now One To BE
Launched at East Boston To-day.
BosToN Oct %, 1874
One Of the chief events In Boston to-day mas
been the launch of the new war steamship Van
dalia, at the navy yard, in the Bunker Hill dis
.trct. There we're nearly 10000 people present
to witness the event, notwithstanding 1t
came or at the early hour OF
nine O'Clock. The Mayor and various members Of
the city government, and several members Of
Congress, were among those who accepted invita-
tions, and took places on board the vessel wnen
she was glided into the stream.
The vandalia, although reckoned as repuilt man.
of-wsr, is almost thoroughly new craft in every
respect. At the time work was commenced on
her there were no appropriations for the building
OF new ships but there existed appropriations Tor
repairs. The Vandalia was then lying AZ the
Portsmouth yard, and, In order to give the
Charleston yard something to do, she was
brought around here Tor repairs, and in repairing
her the only portion OF the original vessel which
was retained was part OF her old keel, just
enough to keep within the bounds OF tue appro-
priation for repairs Like the old barrel, she is
AL new except the bunghole. The designs for
reconstruction were furnished py Mr. Hanscom,
Chief Constructor OF the Naval Department, and TO
carry heavy armament and make rapid speed
have been the chief objects IN view Her loal
displacement is 2. 100 tons she is 2OS feet long on
the keel 22o on deck and 24s}l all her extreme
breadth Of beam Ii 80 feet; depth from the throat
line to the gun deck 20 eet; dead rise at half o0r
13 inches swell or rounding oi sides leet inches;
sheer feet forward and ieet ait. she has ports
lnr anhn nlUn Hill nnh
work from either side. Her frame Is OF live OAK
built solid, and caulkcd INSIDE and out up to the
turn or the bllge, ana she ls Also uled IN sOnd In
the wake Of the channels, lore and ait. she Is
diaGonally cross-braced with iron from the foor-
every timber and r,yeted toastter az every i1.er.
section between the frames There is AN iron belt
around her inside, to which the upper ends OF the
outside by an iron belt which takes In all tue
cants and is bolted through them. The
hooks and pointers are all live oak, bolted with
copper. Her midship keelsons, assistant keelsons
and boiler keeIsons, as wen the platlorm
motive power, are coaked with lignumvlt4 anu
bolted through the coaking, and all the frames
and keeisons are also coaked. Her panEing is oil
White oak square fastened with copper q i00t
above the load displacement and above there
with galvanized iron. The deck-lrames are hard
secured All her knees aud stanchions are OF the
best MATERIAL finished III the best style Of work
mansnlp. sne mas water-tlght Dulkneads lnci0slng
The space for her motive power. Ine accommoda-
ti0ns Tor her officers and crew are spacious
ana wen 90 arranged. She has q good
well out, which viii give her 10Th buoyancy
and stability. Her lines are slightly concave, ner
ends are long and clean, her forefoot is boldly
curved like that OF pilot boat, and the stern is
rounded and hneiy formed. ner motive power
was made in the Navy Yard. The ruddcr post and
rudder Will oe vi composition as we'll as the pro-
peer, made alter the most approved designs. Sue
is expected 70 steam At the rate OF twelve Knots
under ordinary circumstances, and more, If re-
qHlred III case OF emergency. Sne viii be full
rugged snip and will d0 most OF her cruising un-
der canvas, with the propeller ungeared
A new sloop-ol- war, built on contract by Donald
Mckay, at the Atlantic Works, in East Boston,
Wlii De iauncneu Tomorrow forenoon. General
Butler and several naval dlgnltaries viii be pres
ent on the occasion.
Movements and Health OF the South
Atlantic Flcet-The European Squad
ron.
WASHINGTON, Oct. %, 1874.
The Navy Department has received dispatches
from the South Atlantic station. dated Rio
Janeir0, September 20. The Lancaster and Mo-
nongahela we're IN port and the health OF al on DO
SHIPS good Tue latter vessel preparing to leave
for Crozet and the Venezuelan Islands to gather
up the transit OF Venus parties at those points.
Paymaster Furey had arrived out to relieve Pay
master Wright, ordered home by steamer OF 25th
Rear Admiral lie Roy brings TO the notice OF the
Department. the bravery and presence OF mind OF
Ensign g. A. Merriam, Thomas Kelly, coxswan,
Henry Edgeworth, ordinary seaman. Frank Burns
ordinary seaman. and Dennis Lacy, landsman, all
OF the Ticonderoga, in their pralseworthy but un-
successful efforts to save Peter Greary, ordinary
seaman, wnU iel overheard from the foretopga-
liant yard OF thai vessel August 20.
The Franklin, flagship OF Admiral Case. or the
European deet, with the Congress In company,
left Messina October for the lonian Islands. rne
health oil all was good. The Alaska was last re-
ported at Cephal0nia ana the Juniata at Corfu.
surgeon Delavan Bioodgood Is detached from
the receiving ship Vermont at New Yorg and
placed on waiting orders.
New sioop-of-War To BE Launched on
Monday-Quarantinin the Ticonder-
ega.
PORTSMOUTH, N. II. Oct. % 1874
The United States sloop p-of- war, No. OF the
eight ordered by Congress, a superb specimen OF
naval architecture, Will be launched at the Navy
Yard on Monday.
The liconderoga, at quarantine for yellow fever,
went out OF commission to-day, has been dis
mantied and wiH remasa At quarantine I'LL mid
wInLer,