Document

Progress in building frigate at Philadelphia, Pa.

Difficulty in acquiring live oak and cedar of appropriate length for building frigates.

1795

12

12

Enclosed in Pickering to US Senate, 12/12/1795.

Timothy Pickering

live oak

timber

cedar

frigates

1795121290101

6

2

Report
of progress made in
providing materials
for the Frigates, and
in building them.
December 12.
1795


No 6
Department of War
recd. 15 Decr. 1795
3.
A Statement fo the progress in providing materials for the
Frigates and in building them.
If the Frigates had been constructed with the timnber at
hand in the several places where they were destined to be build, they might
by this time have been completed. But the design of rendering them permanently
useful having determined the Executive to have them constructed
with live Oak and Cedras, the measures deemed necessary
and adequate to the procuring of those materials were take during
the last war. The common and easy acquisition of those articles for the
ordinary service of the merchants forbade any apprehension of extraordinary
difficulty in procuring the same for the frigates. But in the experiment
it has been found that timber of the lengths and sizes necessary for
frigates was greatly disperes and grew generally in places difficult
of access and required extraordinary means of trnasportation to the
landing. The natural diffuclties of the Country have been increased
by unusual quantities of rain. Shipcarpenters were sent from the
Northern States to the Islands bearing the live Oak, and employed
during the last winter in cuttin gand [undecipherable] the Timber: but the
climate deterred them from staying to prosecute their work, so that
these men only capable of selecting the proper timber and moulding it in
the requisite forms have been prevailed on to remain. These with Negro
labourers have continued the work and are still employed with these
however it was judged practicable to procure the whole of the live Oak
timber by the month of May 1796. Such was the report of an intelligent
agent employed in Georgia during the last winter and who has not
returned hither to superintend and as far as possible to expedite the
operations.
Upon this report made in June last it was judged eligible to
concentrate the efforts that were making to furnish the yards with live Oak
timbers and accordingly orders were given to accumulate at two of
the yards as much of it as would be necessary to complete two frigates
by the ensuing spring. But befor these orders could reach the Margin
several vessels were dispatched to different yards; and one was cast
away and the cargo lost. Some difficulty occured in procuring proper
vessels to transport the timbers: several of those which had made one
voyage having incountered such hardship and distress as to be detered
from making second.
Nevertherless under all these embarassments the work is continued
and with the well grounded expectation, before expressed, that all the
live oak timber will be cut and transported to the different Ship yards at
farthest by the next midsummer.
Details of the quantities of timber and other materials already provided
and of the progress in building will appear in the anniced schedules.
The live Oak and white Oak timber mentioned are generally as wholly
moulded and dussed[?] and ready for raising.
Since draughting the foregoing report a letter has been received
frm the Chief Carpenter employed in procuring timber in Georgia
presenting a very favorable account of his progress. Two vessels laden
with live Oak had recently sailed for the yards of Philadelphia and
Baltimore and the cut of the timber to complete the frames of the frigates in
building at these places was cut and ready to be shipped. These were the two
frigates which as before mentioned it was proposed first to finish. The Chief
Carpenter adds that if he is furnished with vessels fir for the [undecipherable] he will
have all the timber in the [undecipherable] yards in the month of May next [undecipherable]
the trees all of which he thinks cannot be got of libe Oak. The Agent [undecipherable]
engages the vessels for transporting the timber has no doubt of procuring
timely all that will be wanted for the service.
Sail Cloth has been provided for set[?] of Sails for each of
the Frigates. It was contracted for, and manufactured in the
United States in the year 1794. It has been [undecipherable] to because
one kind of foreign Clof of a superior Quality, for the second
suit but the purchase has been suspended, to [undecipherable]
Money untill it should be ascertained at what [undecipherable] the
Cloth would actually be wanted to equip the Frigates. In the
like reason no more Hemp has been purchased than will be
required for the Cordage of the tow Frigates, the Building of
which it was intended to ordonance in pressence to the Shores
and which it was then hoped would be constructed by the
close of the comming Spring. For the same [undecipherable] the purchase
of Anchors which will eventually be required remains incomplete.
All which is respectfull transmitted to
the Senate of the United States.
Timothy Pickering
Department of War Decr. 12 1795