The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22

Builder Of the First United States Man OF War
the struggle. Congress. on Dec. IS, 1878.
ordered the construction of five ships to carry
thirty-two guns each, five to carry twenty
eight guns each, and three to carry twenty
four guns each, and insisted that they be ready
for sea by the following April. These vessels
were named as follows: Hancock, Randolph,
Raleigh. Warren, Washington. Congress, Eff
fngham, Providence. %Trumbull. Virginia. Bos-
TOP, Delaware, and Montgomery.
They were the first war vessels to be con-
structed by the United States. The construc-
aion of four Of these cruisers, the Randolph,
the Washington. the Efingham. and the Della
ware, was awarded to Philadelphia ship
builders. Of whom Eyre Brothers were among
The most conspicuous. After, the, Revolution
by his brother-in-law Fornan Cheesman, who
built the forty four.gun frigate President, one
Gheosman in turn was succeeded by Henry
Eckford, the celebrated builder of war ships for
It was on Jan. o. 1879. that the Naval Com
mittee of Congress issued the following in
iI55IHStions - and nd exhoFtat, ,o1 relative to o, the
r. Nessrs. Manuel, Jehu, and BerJdmin Eyre.
"GsNTLEMEN: AS. you have most cheerfully
mndertaken the Building Of q Frigste of War
not too much commend your zeal nor be too
warm in our exhortatlons for the continuance
build arc fixed and "a draft made. I'VE doubt
not you will conform as stricktly as possible
ship as those dimensions and that draft
Will admit of. You know there are four to be
Two in las assacRuse it's it's BAY. 'e Two IN Rhode
i islSnd one one ne Il Ma GSHnsiti' MI, Two MORT in h New so x9Ts
claimed as due our Ship Carpenters. who are
anore numerous and we hope viii prove on
this occasion to have greater abillitys In their
SGsntlemen., your Honor and the Honor of
you will complete your business so well and
80 soon that the public voice will declare in
ers under Authority Of Congress for having
these Ships Built and fitted. we have empow-
Samuel Penrose. and David Thompson to act
as Timber Commissioners with powers to buy
nsd ;sks t charge rSmS of I'll Tim 1hsss s hhiSnt'' f &S;;
and an ACCOUNT Of what Is aPglysd to the
must apply to them for ali Timber. Planiks.
and Treenails wanted for your ship and they
have aappppointed Messrs. james Craig. James
Martin, Nathaniel Falconer. and William
sSIp cS SS%%1ss.o asa other a3r 's s9Sres, sn aa'x %%sS
anything is wanted by you that falls within
s sasls aeP %es srs, f Bsnia mail SUPPLE Fuller !. Il Fh SRRal,
F~itzsimmons, Isaac Hazelhurst. and Clement
6 slaais a Srs t SppS arGoant co than rsiats to Of tb Sec
r@eciion; Mr.. Peter Young is appointed Sup;
your Slip Yard. They will form a Muster
roll of all persons employed to work In or about
6ouTers when needful; They viii procure
wanted and in short do you every service and
gender you every assistance in their power.
In the s H%re'Gb" business viii greatly promote the
work.. we earnestly II TO you and
an and ersGrs in kS With up ali f9 these sP Bo%Td, n on G SS8a
missioners. with the Superintendents. Clerks.
and with the other Ship Carpenters and other
90. and We know your Patriotism too well to
think you want any other spurr: In at things
Il by day or by night. and we hope In due time
10 hold UP your conduct to all the United Col
tonys as deserying their entire appreciation
"Your Very humble servants,
sRoBERT NORRIS, J. NJ. NEsbIrT,
sJOuE NIXON, JoHN WHARTON"
The frigate built by the Eyre Brothers eT.
cited much interest in Philadelphia. Their
ware, in Kensington. adjoining the grannd
where William Penn made his treaty wild me
t tRS shiS w Msn Under pgo epons tS'ssiT '% and a humber
OF conspicuous citizens assisted in the work. as
T r1md se"r Sr. 'H Ghr iSs GS%'a M h%T Ss OF Fiji,
sdelphia recorded in his diary under the date
Fl went to DR.. Young's. hut lie was not at
home. We went w 10 kensington and found
him and several others there at work on ho% ara
joined them in assisting what we could till
hi0ht, then came home"
FINDER date Of April u, l7T6, he wrote; Near
n o'clock set off for Kensington, in order 10 AS
sist In getting the lower deck beams on board
the frignte building 10y Messrs. Eyre. pre-
sum there came not short Of one hundred, who
STAYED until they were all put on board. IN
Which were included three parts OF the Light
Infantry OF First Battalion, who cane IN
WaT,like array" oo.uu
MANNED, All the Eyres belonged TO military
kr~nnIzntions When the news of the affair
SiTexington reached Philadelphia companies
~ minItemen ana associations Tor military
Snrnoses were formed throughout the city,
Manuel Eyre became a member Ot the rem,
SyIyania State Navy Board, Jehu Eyre was
nade Colonel In the philadelphia Artlliery
Militia, and Benjamin Eyre was elected soin-
NJ ~ me Second Associated Battalion or the
PennyslVania state Militia.
lii a not known which OF the -FOUR ,lrlHates
kuiit in Philadelphia vas constructed M the
sbInynrd OF the Eyre Brothers. One OF. the
vesssls. the Raudolph, met with "A tragic thtc.
She was the first one Of the thirteen cruisers
a rrt 10 sea. On March Z, l57s, under the
Son,Inand OF Capt. Nicholas Biddle, while IN
comuany with several other vessels sle
0lVe battle. single handed, 10 the brlil-h -.
gln shin OF the line Yarmouth. IN order thht
her consorts might escape, After seEsTtn
broadsides had been exchanged the nhnlolpll
blew up, every one OF the al5 men IN her neI,
iaSins sxcept four, who were picked up from
IA niece Of the wreck several days later; The
Deinwnre was captured In ayr, while en-
drnV0ring To run the blockade, whlie we
WnshinRton and the EninRham we're burned
~ The enemy In Delaware hay, 100 DeloIe
H. nd rpcciEel their