Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-12
THE ANTEETAM.
A Vessel from which Great Things
Were Expected.
philadelphia Buue,in.l

A vessel from which Great Things
Were Expected.
philadelphia Bulletin.l
For years the United States ship An.
tietam has done duty as storehouse and
barracks at the League Island navy yard
In the opinion of the authorities al
Washington the old vessel is now neither
useful nor ornamental, so orders have
been issued for breaking it up and sell
ing the material to the junk dealer.
The Antletam was builtat the old navy.
yard in this city, work having been be
gun on her construction early in the
year 1867. For months at time mat.
ters would be brisk about the Antletam.
Then again nearly all the workmen
would be laid of and the namesake Of g
memorable battlefield neglected. Po-
htical stress OF circumstances pre-
vailed in the building of the Ante
tam, and as she was on the ship
house stocks during the troublesome
times when johnson was President o.
the United States, both Republicans and
Democrats took a hand in her construc
ton. Whether it vas case of too many
political cooks spelling the msn-o' wal
broth or not, it is now quite evident that
the vessel Of which so much WAS ex
pected never amounted TO anything, and
that the other nations of the world were
never given an opportunity to examine
this sample Of Philadelphia ship. build
ing.
Preparations were made at the navy
yard to fit the Antietam out for active
sea duty as q cruiser. Her engines were
manufactured there at great expense, and
they were considered marvels Of the ma
cbinist's art. About the year 1869 the
vessel was launched. but, alas that was
the end OF the Antictam so far as re-
CARDS her existence as vessel of war.
In 1873 n model of the Antietsm was
exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition.
II Was a perfect representation in minia-
ture Of the ship as she was expected TO
appear according to the plans. The spsrs
were neat and trim, her decks clean and
white, hammocks were neatly slowed in
the MEETINGS, and. taken all in all, she
was n model man-o-war, both as regards
appearance and effectiveness from a sea-
going standpoint Her guns frowned
from the portfolios on either side, and
she presented an aspect of general fero-
city.
AS matter Of fact, the Antietam itself
never had spar stepped on board, there
never was gun run out of port, her
standing and running gear never left the
rigging loft She was. is. and has been
simply hulk, and with the advance Of
years she has become decayed, rotten,
and useless. How many hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars were spent on her
would be difficult to determine without
an official court Of inquiry. That il
reached pretty well up there can be no
doubt, but certain it is that the Govern
ment received no return for the vast sums
expended TO build and equip the Ante
tam, except that she was afterwards used
as a storehouse and a marine barracks
The Aptictam made one cruise. 1t
was not a long one neither was it peril
Gus nor exciting. Itwss from the Phila-
delphia navy yard to League island, a
distance Of about three miles on the
Delaware river. She arrived at the
island in tow Of n Government tug, none
the worse for the voyage, but as she had
virtually rotted on the stocks while I'M
der course of construction, her value was
not very apparent.
The Antistsm, upon her arrival at
/ caguc island, was mOOred IN the back
channel and made a stOrehOuse for artl-
cles of vessel equipment, like rope, can
vas. tar, brOoms, and other useful uten-
sis. In 1878 her upper deck was rooted
over and made barracks for the marines
of the garrison at the station. She was
used for this purpose until month ago,
when il was discovered she was gradually
sinking in the mud and that about half
the garrison were affected with malaria,
the result Of the bad sanitary condition
of the vessel
The authorities at Washington then
consented to the use of a sufficient
amount of the naval appropriation to
build a marine barracks, and this struc-
ture has Just been completed. 1t Is
located Just inside the gate on south
Broad street, on tine east side OF the
Inc OulluiuB ID wv iOCV
long by 80 wide, and has an annex run
ming east at right angles with the main
structure, to the extent of about fifty
feet beyond the width OF the Broad
street building, making the barracks
L-shaped.
The old ship was offered for sale the
other day, but only five thousand dollars
was bid for her. The Governmentre
iected this proposal and another Is
anxiously awaited The copper and
other metals in her hull are worth more
than the amount named above and the
wood -work alone has some value. The
engines built for her at the old navy
ward were never placed in her but were
sent to the Portsmouth IN. H. navy
ward and put on board the United States
steamer Lancaster. The Lancaster Is
now among the vessels attached to the
United States feet in European waters
and the Antietam's engines at least are
doing good service for the nation.