The New York herald., 1876-03-05
rHE rLEEr AVE- NoRFoLK.
ACTIVITY IN NAVAL AFFAIRs-THE noN-cLAD
BALL-UscERrAnTX AS TO THE DEPARTURE
OF THE FLEEr.

OF THE FLEEr.
NORFOLK, March l, 1876.
To-day the churches OF Norfolk are being literally
patronizcd ana for tho next few weeks the ladies will
attend strictly to the observance of the Lcnten season.
making atonement for the frivotcs in which they
have INDUCED during the gay months OF January and
February 1t Is some years since they have enjoyed
such really pleasant winter, and the hops board
the Hartford Plymouth and Powhatan nlled in very
pleasantly the or days when they were not engaged at
some private reception or the weekly german. The
event OF the certainly tho clad ball that
was given last Monday evening by the officers of the
monitor feet 1t took place in the sail loft OF
the Navy Yard, which was elegantly draped
with bunting, hung from monitor awning,
SO as to give sembance to the deck Of one of these
vessels The Navy Yard Band was stationed on q
stand painted TO represent monitor turrct, with two
1teen-inch guns peeping out The ladies OF Norfolk
and Portsmouth and the wives and relatives of the OIL
mustered in strong force and their elegant toilets
accorded pleasantly with tho brilliant uniforms Of tho
officers The guests received by Commodore
Stevens and his daughter Mrs. Comps, and dancing
was continued until three O'Clock in the morning.
everybody going homo perfectly charmed with the Gu
tertainment
Since the arrival OF Admiral Ie Roy Lhore has been
considerable activity in naval Affairs as the latter off,
Ger has evidently taken charge OF the feet i'm
pressed by the idea that tho sooner they
get to business the better The intention OF
the Admiral is apparently to send all vessels
to Hampton Roads Isoon as they ready for sea-
and let them lie at anchor there until he receives his
final orders and makes sail for Port Royal The Pym-
outh, Catskll and Alert already at the Roads
and the vandaa and Huron leave tomorrow for tho
same location Tho monitors Montauk, Nantucket
wyandotte, Passaic and Lehigh still at the Navy
ar and he n To bo
ready for 1t will probably be another month be-
fore the others put in trm thore appears 70 be
lack OF funds in the Construction Department. Some
few at work tho New Hampshire but un-
less they put additional forco will certainly be
ten fifteen days before the old three decker is ready
for her cruise TO Port Royal The Powhatan is lying
at the yard, probably waiting 70 tow tho New Hamp-
shire when she IS pronounced ready fer soa
There appears to be good deal Of uncertainty
among many of the officers to how soon the 1eet
will leave and thero rumors that the drill will
be held in Chesapeake Bay but they cannot be traced
the actual condition OF the navy read with
marked interest by the naval officers now stationed
here and though somo of tho statements were crit
cIsed by few the article in its entirety received the
thorough appreciation Of the majority as they said 1t
was impossible TO deny the unpleasant truths that 1t
contained, and in many instances the writer might
have gone good deal further without spinning yarn
The Norwegian corvette Nornen, shIpri and
noon from Havana she is an-old fashioned. bluff
bowed craft, mounting ten 2+pound, two GO
pound and two lOo-pound rincd guns, and is
mandcd by Post Captain Smith. The other officers
First Lieutenant lsaacksen Second Lieutenant
Brodtkorb Third Lieutenant Petersen, Fourth Lieu
tenant Proct, Fifth Lieutenant Hamilton, Sixth
Lieutenant Krogh, Seventh Lieutenant Burchardt DIR.
Lindlow and Paymaster Thorne The Nornen left Nor
way October and touched first at Plymouth after
which she sailed for the West lndies, touching at
Madeira, Martinique st. 'Bartholcmy, ST. Thomas, St
Juan, Port Prince, Kingston and Havana She re-
maned in Havana about week, and then sailed direct
for this port. The Norneu Will leave in about week
for Cnerbourg and from thence she will home.
The captain of tho Nornen stated that in all probability
tho Norwegian flag would be represented at Phila-
dephia the Fourth OF July.