A Navy for the Confederated States.
--The New York Leader says:
‘
"Our enterprising fellow-citizen,
Alderman F. I. A. Boole, has been awarded the contract, being the lowest bidder, for the construction of the forty gun-scows required by the Southern Confederacy.
These boats are to be seventy feet long by twenty-two wide and five feet deep, double planked, and with sides of the regular naval thickness.
Mr. Boole has hired a new ship-building yard at
Greenport,
Long Island, close to the Tenth street ferry.
Each scow is to mount one central ten-inch pivot gun and two thirty-four pound carronades.
They are to be anchored in the mouths of the
Mississippi, and at various exposed points up the river — thus guarding alike against attack from the sea, or a descent from the
Northwestern States.
With their full armament on board they will draw thirty- six inches of water, thus presenting but a very narrow target to the enemy.
’
"The plan of these boats, as a cheap substitute for a Southern navy, is due to
Commander Hartstein, and they are to be completed for $3,200 each — the armaments to be furnished by the
Richmond foundry.
Twenty of these scows are to be delivered on or before the 31st of next July, and the balance by the end of October. Three of them are now in progress, to be called respectively the
South Carolina,
Mississippi and
Georgia, and
Mr. Boole is confident that he can easily complete his contract within the time specified.
There were two ship-builders in this city amongst the bidders, the bid of one being $3,750 for each scow, and that of the other $4,200.
Commander Hartstein believes that these vessels, almost wholly submerged in the water, will prove of more use and receive far less damage than
Lieut. Hamilton's costly and dangerous iron-plated battery."
