The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-10-14
Letter from Portsmouth, N. Fl.
NEWSPAPERS AND HOTELS. NOTES FROM TIE
NAVY YARD. UNCLE SANS BIG DRY DOCK.
THE OLD FRIGATE CONSTITUTION.

| Correspondence of the journal.
| PORTSMOUTH, n. H., Oct. 8, 1856. In my
last promised letter on the Navy Yard, and
now will give Il brief sketch of the ncwspa-
| pers, hotels, ETC., in Portsmouth, with notes
| from the Navy Yard. Portsmouth, not much
larger than Belfast, has three daily and three
| weekly papers. One daily is printed in the
morning, the other two in the evening. Two
are Republican and one Democratic. The lead
ing daily is The Penny Post, established in 1884,
as campaign sheet. This paper was publish
ed by Capt. w. O. Sidcs,-who by the way was
| the first volunteer from New Hampshire in the
late war-and Jas. r. Curtis, a member of the
1st Me. Cavalry, and Belfast boy. The first of
January following, it WAS enlarged and then
| came to stay. In April 1886, the firm was made
| stronger by the admittance of John Albec, Esq,
who has a worldwide reputation as a writer
| and journalist The Chronicle is also Il Re
| publican paper and is ably edited by Col. u. j..
Vaughan, who is sole proprietor. The Times
| is the Democratic organ, and is owned and con-
controlled by A. A. IIanscom, who now holds
| the position of Collector of Customs of this
| port The weeklies are good, newsy, readable
| papers. The New Hampshire Gazette is the
| oldest paper in America.
| There are three first-class hotels here-the
| Rockingham. kcarsarge and Webster. The
| Rockingham was built in 17S5. 1t covered
| about 5000 feet of surface, with frontage of
| y - feet. In 1873 it was bought and enlarged
| by the Hon. Frank Jones. Sept. -, 1854. it
was destroyed by fire. 1t was rebuilt and
| opened to the public Feb. L. 1856, and now has
4 frontage of 105 feet and is five stories in
height. With its billiard hall, serving. kitchen.
boiler, and help department it covers nearly
| thirteen thousand feet of surface, and without
| doubt is the peer of any hotel in New England.
| would like to describe the interior, etc, but
| time and space will not allow.
While at the kittery Navy Yard the other
| day, looking over the attractive features of
| Uncle Sans reservation, the thought came to
me that | had promised the Journal readers a
description of the Yard. This Navy Yard was
| established here about 1906. 1t is situated on
| Fernads Island, which was bought for 800.
There are sixty acres in the island, and is most
y occupied by various buildings and mechan-
| cal shops. After the war, when it was thought
that this country would become involved in war
with other nations, the government bought an
adjoining island to be ready for any emergency,
50 that the Navy Yard property now embraces
these two islands. The latter is called Scavey
Island, and is used as Il coal depot and a. 4
residence for government officers. Capt. A..
W. Greeley, however. Sojourncd here in neat
4,
tic regions The attraction Of this island is the
| beautiful view it gives of the river and harbor.
| and of the ruins of an 1872 fortitication.
| Fernald's Island the main business part of
| the Navy Yard is connected with kittory by a
| wooden bridge 400 feet long and is joined to
Scavcy Island by two smaller bridges A GOV
crnment steam tug ferries the L. $. officials and
| their families to and from Portsmouth. and the
workmcn on the Yard either use small boats or
| the steamer Mystic which carries them to and
| from their work night and morning
The only means of approach 10 the Navy
ard by civilians is to take the steamer Mystic
| from Portsmouth, land at kittcry Forc>de and
then pass over the bridge. On the Navy Yard
side of the bridge is a large and small gate en-
| trance, presided over by marine guard, who
are supposed to question all corners, unless
| known to be residents or workmcn. At pres
| cnt, however no passes are given or required
and the visitors are at liberty to roam ut
| pleasure
| ON The right is seen a large Ship house capa-
BILE of roNerin" immense wooden ships The
| building is 240 feet long, 13l feet wide, and is
| rooted over with 1870 tons of Slate The frgate
Congress, sunk by the rebel ironclad Merrmac,
was built in this building; also the kearsar@c,
whose brilliant victory over the Alabama is So
well known. There are ohcrlarge ship houses
but alas the glory of the American shipping
and navy has DEPARTED and these buildings
stand practically empty, and arc only partially
used Il, places of storage for old timber and
other condemned articles.
| Passing to the right we are confronted by a
| life-boat turned upon its side, to be in harmony
with its surroundings, and evincin% like all else
| that it is now of no further use. The boat is
| about Il feet long, has two air compartments in
| bow and stern, covering about two feet upon
| the bottom. Excepting these features and the
| scupper holes in the bottom. it is the same aS
| any other iron sea boat. We pass the large
| drying sheds for lumber, and alongside of the
| floating basin where timber is kept for salt wa
ter seasoning we come to the floating dry dock.
| This is an immense piece of mechanism and
| cost Uncle sam only the trivial sum of $780,
| 900. The dock j. capable OF taking within its
| enclosure the largest wooden vessels atoat. Its
| management is aS follows: When 4 ship Is to
| be received into the dock, the latter is hauled
| out about 400 feet between stone piers and then
| its two gates, situated east and west, are let
| down and water pouring i'll the dock is sunk by
| its own weight. a. it is heavily haastCd, leay-
| ing only the two side decks about feet out of
| water. On these decks are immense pumping
| engines, and as soon as the ship is placed with
| in the dock the gates are hoi>ted, the engines
| set to work and the water pumped out. When
, the dock is atioat once more, (even though it
| has ship i'll it, it is pulled back to its regular
| place; the Ship can now be cleaned and repair
| ed in it, or the cast gate may be let down and
| the vessel hauled up on Il marine railway three
| or four hundred feet and repaired. SO great
the facilities, that three vessels may bc taken
| into this dock, one at a time. two of them be-
| ing run upon shore and one remaining in the
| dock, making three vessels that can be repaired
| at the same time. Alongside Of this floating
| dock is a saluting battery. When naval officers
| or distinguished persons visit the Yard they are
| received by salute of guns. | hope it is 4
| great pleasure for them, as otherwise it seems
an entirely useless piece of extravaganza.
| ON the opposite side of the dock is an i'm
| mense brick Building, the lower portion of
which is used as depository for naval stores,
| divided into various offices and departments.
| The upper portion is used As a sail loft. At
| present there are lying in the immediate front
| and right Of this building, three war vessels,
| the Iantic, Gaena and Swatara. They We're
| sent here ostensibly for repairs of which Il few
| have been ordered but it is the conviction Of
all that the coming of these vessels to this Yard
| gre>s, by making a show of government work.
| But we must not tarry here. Let us take Il
| look at the old historic Constitution, the victor
| of the Gurriere in 1872. Here She rides at an
| chor as neatly as ever. Her model seems
| strange as we compare it with vessels built at
| present. But trim up the Old ship with an
| American crew and capable commander as she
had in the past and we think she could and
would show her heels to the dainty vessels and