Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are
able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the
public for several reasons. That's quite a pity while these books contains
useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor
accessible. In this case the letters written to the journal gives us more
information about the dock yards including the manners to protect ships against
weather conditions by using for instance (temporary) housings.
In a letter to the editor dated Plymouth 21 December 1836 was described what
was going on at the yard, which ships were available, which were repaired and
so on. In the same letter was also the damage described caused by heavy gales
that same year. (1)
P. 114: “There is not a great deal to communicate from this port this month
in the shape of naval intelligence. The ships in commission are the Adelaide,
flag-ship, 110; San Josef, 110; Talavera, 74; Stag, 46; Savage, 10; Pigeon,
packet; Netley, tender to Adelaide. The ships which are in dock, under repair,
are the Wellesley, 74 ; Druid, 46; and Fisgard, 46; and the following are
bringing forward for commission, making good defects, &c, viz., Scylla, 18,
at the Jetty, ready for commissioning; Trinculo, 10, at the Jetty, also ready for
commissioning; the Comus, 18,
in dock, will shortly be in a fit state for
commissioning, and so will the Wizard, 10, in dock; the Reynard packet is under
examination to ascertain her state, being supposed to be in a defective
condition. The ships building are the St. George, 120; Nile, 92, on the stocks,
ready for launching; the Hindostan, 80, teak ship, in frame, standing to
season; the
p. 115: Flora, 36, also standing to season; and the Sappho brig, 16, nearly
finished. The Talavera, Captain W. B. Mends, was towed into harbour on the 17th
instant by the Blazer steam-vessel, to have her defects attended to, also to be
caulked ; and it is expected that she will go into dock very shortly. The Stag,
46, Captain T. B. Sullivan, is alongside the dock-yard, equipping for sea. She
was commissioned on the 29th ultimo by Lieutenant Worth, late of the Endymion,
paid off at this port on the 25th ultimo. The Stag is manning tolerably fast,
being only about one-third short of her complement of men, which is to be 275.
The armament of this frigate is to undergo an entire change, as the whole of
her guns are henceforth to be 32-pounders, instead of 24-pounders, as when
recently commanded by Captain Lockyer. The following are the particulars of the
former and present armament: Main deck former armament 28-24 pdrs, 47Cwt
weight, length 9”0‘, present 28-32 pdrs, weight 39 Cwt and length 7”6‘;
Quarter-deck and forecastle, former armament 2-24pdrs, weight 47Cwt, length
9”0‘, 2-24pdr gunnades, 14-24pdr carronades, weight 13 Cwt, present 4-32pdr,
weight 39Cwt, length 7”7‘,14-32pdr carronades, weight 16Cwt, former and present
total number of guns 46. The effect of this change will be to alter the amount
and distribution of the weights which constitute the armament and ammunition.
The guns will weigh less than formerly, and, being shorter, will elevate and
depress more than the 24-pounders; the shot will be one-third heavier, since
the number of rounds (eighty) will not be altered; and the powder will be about
one-fourth lighter, since the charge will be reduced from 8 lbs. to 6 lbs.; and hence the
capacity for stowage in the magazine will be greatly improved. The Stag was
originally intended to be an 18pounder frigate, and was got up in frame
accordingly at Pembroke dockyard, but she underwent some alteration while on
the stocks, to qualify her for the reception of 24-pounders, with which she
was, in the first instance, armed. She now carries the heaviest description of
broadside shot in use in the British Service. The Savage, 10, was commissioned
on the 19th by Lieutenant Hon. E. Curzon. The Pigeon packet, commanded by
Lieutenant W. Luce, has had a new main-deck, and is under repair at one of the
jetties. The Netley tender is in the basin, undergoing a general repair. The
Wellesley and Druid, in dock, will be undocked in the course of the ensuing
month. The Scylla and Trinculo are complete, by the dock-yard. The Rhadamanthus
arrived from San Sebastian on Sunday the 18th instant; her despatches were
forwarded to London by that morning’s mail, but nothing has transpired to lead
to the belief that they contained intelligence of any particular importance.
She brought home four invalids. The accounts which are given by every one of
the behaviour of the Rhadamanthus in the gales which she has encountered, prove
her to be eminently qualified for the tempestuous weather to which her services
expose her; and it is universally allowed that she reflects much professional
credit on her constructor, Mr. Roberts, the veteran master-shipwright of
p. 116: the dock-yard, who made his first and only trial of skill in the
successful construction of this steam-ship. She is a vessel of 812 tons burden;
she is 164 feet
4 inches
long, and 32 feet
8 inches
broad; she has two engines of 110-horsepower each; and she is capable of
carrying about 220 tons of coals, which are equal to about fifteen days'
consumption. The Spitfire steamer arrived here on the 5th instant, and, from
the state of her machinery, was immediately ordered round to Woolwich to make
good her defects there. The Eclipse packet sailed hence for Chatham on the 27th
ultimo, to be paid off; she started only two days previous to the gale, and on
her passage round was dismasted. The Trinculo, Pigeon, Stag, and Wizard, have
been docked during the month. The Britomart was paid odd to-day. Some of the
shipwrights of the dock-yard have been employed extra time for the last month.,
the Admiralty have allowed several gangs of mastmakers and sawyers to work on
Saturdays. Which is an idle day with the workmen. Except on extraordinary
occasions, under a pressure of business. The object of this labour has been to
provide what is considered to be a sufficient quantity of lower masts and
bowsprits for the state of the store. Before I write to you again I expect that
the new engine will be at work for pumping out the docks. The Menai
schooner-yacht (175 tons), the property of Mr. Harvey, is in harbour; she is
having her masts shortened, and undergoing some other alterations, previous to
her departure for Malta, which is said to be her destination. A report obtained
circulation about a week since that the Devon sailing lighter, on her passage
across the Bay to San Sebastian, has been lost, but the rumour happily proves
to be without foundation, as the Rhadamanthus brings word that the Devon was to
sail for England the day after she left, which was this day se’night.”
Source
The United Service Magazine, volume 1850, no. 3, 1837.
Note
1. See on this weblog the note “A description of the damages at the British
navy yard at Plymouth caused by storms in November 1836 according to the The
United Service Magazine.
