Report on State of & Activities At Portmouth Navy Yard
Item
Type
Letterbook Copy
Title
Report on State of & Activities At Portmouth Navy Yard
Description
Letter, discusses arrival at Portsmouth Naval Yard; describes declivity of keel; discusses employees and arrangement of yard. Encloses account of work done in the yard to 1st of June 1795.
short description
Doc, des work in naval yard to June
year created
1795
month created
06
day created
09
author
sent from location
Portsmouth
recipient
in collection
in image
note
Cited in Humphreys to Pickering, 06/22/1795, and Pickering to Fox, 06/23/1795, and War Department to Fox 06/23/1795.
notable person/group
Josiah Fox
Negroes
African Americans
notable location
Portsmouth
notable item/thing
keel
fore
midships
river
block
mud
timber
clerk
molds
steward
meals
bell
scarphs
scarfs
rabbit
letter of introduction
yard
wind
weather
futtocks
sternpost
transom
joiner
notable phrase
lower part of the keel at the fore end rises 6 feet & half above the ground
ground form the midships of the keel forward is a dead level
direction of the keel as it now stands reaches nearly 1/2 way across the river before it strikes the surface of the water which is something more than the ship's length from the after block
she would have to run over soft mud
submit the impropriety of so much blocking forward as will be required if the keel should be lifted to the declivity directed
lowering the after part of the keel will be more eligible
great part of the blocks to be new laid & some of the ground removed
timber that has arrived is of the first quality
no account has been taken by the clerk of the contents of the pieces
when they landed we are under the necessity of being guided by the invoices for those timbers already sided
entered several additional hands
most of those already employed are negroes very few of whom can work the timber to the moulds
enclosed is a list of what had been done before my arrival
little progress has been made
depend on my exertions to keep pace with the other yards
remedied by appropriating a small place for his office at one end of the store house
recommend to have a steward under the clerk to take care of the provision of the men & serve out their meals
occupies a great portion of the clerk's time
when more men are employed, the clerk's attention will be entirely taken up in serving out the provisions
want of a bell to call the men to & from their meals
found the vessel laid on the blocks the scarphs bolted & rabbit partly trimmed out
require some alteration as the declivity by no means agree with Mr. Humphreys directions
delivered my letter of introduction
appeared ready to afford every assistance necessary for conducting the business
yard is well situated for the purpose of building vessels of war
extensiveness of the enclosure renders it convenient for laying timbers to advantage for work
clerk's office being some distance from the yard
frequently attended with great inconvenience
exertions for the public service will be such as to merit your approbation
immediately on my arrival I waited on Mr. Pennock
instructions requiring me to represent to you the state of the yard at my arrival have taken the first leasurable hour of complying therewith
unarranged state the yard was in at my arrival made me anxious to sett every thing in a regular train as soon as possible
expected to have been here at least a week sooner but was so unfortunate as to be detained some days at Boston by contrary wind & unfavorable weather
acct. of work done in the yard
keel trimmed, scarphed, bolted & blocked
floor timbers laid
futtocks
top timbers
none of which are moulded
pieces of keels on square to 18 inches
upper fashion pieces laid
deck
transoms sided
white men great parts of whom are shipwrights
joiner
blacks
sternpost trimmed
inner post on & fastened
wing transom trimmed & bolted to the post
upper fashion pieces trimmed
futtocks & top timber sided
document number
1795060937001
page start
5
Item sets
Transcribe this document
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (5 pages) | BBR01 (5 pages) | Collection: Josiah Fox Papers | [unknown] |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Josiah Fox | Portsmouth | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Timothy Pickering | [unknown] | [n/a] |