Burning Of The Gosport Navy-yard--eleven Vessels Scuttled--destruction Of Property By Union Forces

Froui the New York Times, April 24. We bave alroady noticed the fact that the steam tug Yankee, which went to Charleston with the fleet of relief, was obliged to put into Norfolk in distress oh the llth, her smokestack having been carried away in a severo storm, She has just arrived at this port, and a gentleman who returned in her, gives us the particulars of her further experience. The Yankee lay at the Navy-Yard until Friday the I8th, when the Virginia Custom House officer carne over in a tug and demanded the surrender of the Yankee. Commodore McAuley, who was in command of the Navyyard, refused to comply with his demand, saying that f they attempted to take her from the yard he would sink them where they lay. The Cumberland immediately beat to quarters, and brought her 11-inch pivot gun, which was charged with shell, to bear upon their tug, and they deemed it advisable to leave forthwith. On Saturday evening, at 9 o'clock, the Pawnee, arrived from Washington, with 200 volunteers and 100 mannes, besides her own crew, and at once the, officers and crew of the Pawnee and Cumberland went to the Navy-yard and spiked and disabled the guns, and threw the shot and small arms into the river. At 10 o'clock, the marines, who had been quartered in the brracks fired them, and carne on board the Pawnee. This movement was premature, for it was the intention to fire all the building simultaneously. A party of officers, meantime were going through the different buildings and ships, disributing waste and turpentine, and laying a train so as to blow up the dry-dock. They were engaged in thia work until 2 o'clock, when the train was fired. At 3 o'clock, the Yankee - to the captain of which, Charles Germain, much credit is due, - came along and took the Cumberland in tow, the Pawnee taking the lead. All the vessels beat to quarters, the guns were manned, and everything was in readiness to carry out the threat of Commodore McAuley, that if a gun was fired from either shoro he would level both Portsmouth and Norfolk. At this time, the scène was indescribably magnificent,all the buildings being in a blaze, andjexplosions here and there scattering the einders ia all ■ directions. i The government vessels had been ' scuttled in the afternoon before the Pawnee arrived, to prevent their being J eeized by the secessionists, who had been in arms in both Norfolk and Portsmouth, under the command oi i Gen. Talafei-ro. Their number is mated at som6 1,400 men. The ecuttling was done between 12 and 2 o'elock on Saturday. Lest this mode of destruction should not bo complete, however, trnins were laid on them and the véasela were fired with the buildings. The iollowing is the names of the vessels which were destroyed : Pennsylvania, 74 gun-ship ; steam frigate Merrimac, 44 guns; sloop-ofwar Germantown, 22 guns ; sloop Plymouth, 22 guns; frigate Baritas, 45 guns ; lrigate Columbia, 4-1 guns ; Delaware, 74 gun-ship ; Columbus, 74 gun-ship ; United States, in ordinary ; brig Doiphin, 8 guns ; and the powderboat. Oí these the Merrimac, Plymouth and Germantown were ready f'or sea, but the Pawnee made her uppearance at the yard too lato to save thom. The Merrirnac, in fact, had had steam on only a few bours previously. The Yankee, as we have'alroady ! said, left tho yard with the Cuniber1 land in tow about 3 o'clock. Tho tleet ! proeeeded down the river until 9 o'clock, ' when it oarafl to anchor wilhiu a uiilu of tho point whero the wrecks werü known to have been sunk for the purpose of obstruoting the navigation. Boats wero sent out to take soundings in order to ascertain whether some othor passage than the regular channel oould not be found. All the efforts proved unsuccossful, bo the fleet raised anchor and lorced their way directly through the wrecks. The Cumberland caught one of the sunken vetsels and carried it along with her, and apprehensions were at first entortained that she might bo carried on to Sewell's Point, where it was supposed that the rebels had erected batteries. Meantime the Keystone State came up from Washington with marines, and by her help and that of tho Yankee, the Cumberland waa towed into dcep water and the wreek was disentangled. Sho then went up under protection of the guns of Fort Monroe and carne to anchor. Whilo the vessel lay there, four .Tien, who had been employed in the Navy-yard, suoceeded in making their way down the river, and reported shat they left everything in flames, and tho araoke and flamea could easily be seen from the Cumberland. The rebels too, they reported were iearful of attempting to arrest the flames, because they apprehended that a train was laid to blow up the buildings. The Yankee left on Tuesday morning for New York. She reporta that the Pawnee and Keystone State had got the crew of the Pennsylvania, and the mannes who occupied the barracks, on board to carry thom to Washington. Both left for tho Capital at 8 o'clock, where they probably arrived early this niorning. Our informant states that the value of the property destrojv d was estimated at $5,000,000. Yosterday morning the Yankee spoke the Baltic and Coatzocoalcos, both bound for Washington, with troops, who cheered mostlustily as they passed. They probably reached their destinaüon at noon to-day. FROM ANOTHER SOÜRCE. The object of the rioters having been partly fruslrated by the scuttling of shipa, it was determined that the Federal forces should leave, and great preparations were made to complete the demolition of the property. The Pawnee, with the Cumberland in tow, assisted by the Yankee, started out, and after passing the Navy Yard sent up a rocket - a pre-cencerted signal to apply tho match - and in an instant, ships, ship-houses and store-houses were in flames, and so rapid were they that Commodore Hogers, of the Navy, and Gapt. Wright, of the Engineers, were unabled to reach the point of rendezvous, where the boat was in waiting, and wore necessarily left behind. The burning of the Navy Yard at Norfolk was done by the Union men, who are in the majority, but comparatively unarmed. The Curaberland was eixty short ol her complement. When the Pawnee came up the Navy Yard, both the Cumberland and Merrimac lay broadside to her, with guns loaded, thinking she was in the hands of the Secessionists. On board the Pawnee an opinión prevailed that a similar stato ol aftairs existed on board those ships, and was ready accordingly. When the Cumberland hailed " What steamer is that?" the answer was " The United States 8teamer Pawnee." The cheer ing on board the vessels and on shore told "how satisfactory the reply was. The Union men employed in the Navy Yard cut down the flag-staff, so it could not be used by the enemy. The guns in the Navy Yard and St. Helena were epiked. ADD1TI0NAL PARTICDLARS. From the New York Herald. We loarn that tho destruction of the Gosport Navy Yard was a most complete work, by which the government has prevented a very important naval station, with a splendid dry doek, and eleven vessels of war, from faliing into the handa of the secessionists. It was a gigantic undertaking most successfully performed ; but it is to be fearec that several valuablo lives have been lost in the esecution of the plan. - Commodore Rodgers and Col. Wright were the principal agente on shore in carrying out the stupendous undertaking, but it is thought that they coulc not get off in time, and we are therefore afraid that they and their assist ants have perished in the shock of the fire and explosión, because the build ings in the yard, the ship and other ma terials were plentifully covered with spirits of turpentine, tar and other com bustibltjs, and the whole mass was ig nited at a given signal. The match was applied from the ship, and ihose who havo escaped state that the confia gration formeel a most magnificen sight, - bringin to miud the conflgra tion of Moecow. Thus in a shor time, by an act of positivo necessity the whole Navy Yard, with eleven ships of war - were utterly deetroyed at an average loss of not less than $5, 000,000.