The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES,

Sir,—l observe in the Times of to-day letters
from " A Passenger Shareholder" and from " Spec-
tator," pretending to contradict my evidence and
Mr. Dixon's regarding the part I took, and the pact
I did not take, in the management of the paddle-
wheel engines ; and I find another from a Mr. Dil-
lon, of aprevious date. _

I frankly admit that I communicated probably
100 messages, in the course of the voyage, from the
bridge to the paddle-engine room.
I as readily admit that my chief assistant was in
the paddle-engine room, giving all the assistance in
his power to carry the orders I transmitted into
effect.

I equally admit that my son Norman assisted me
in transmitting some of those messages, and that
he counted for me the strokes of the engines, and
reported to me every five minutes their condition
and speed.
It is perfectly true that at one time the screw-
engines went faster than the paddle-wheel engines,
and at another time the paddle-engines faster than
the screw.

But all your correspondents have omitted to state
(what they could equally have stated if they were
competent witnesses and wished to be just), that I
transmitted the same number of orders in the same
manner to the screw-engines which were not made
by me, and where no engineer of mine was assisting.
The fact is I merely worked the telegraph, and
transmitted the necessary instructions to both
engines from the pilot and captain, in such a man-
ner as would best give effect to their wishes, and
cause the vessel to perform the evolutions they
desired.

But is it just or fair to argue from such circum-
stance that I was in responsible charge of the work-
ing of both sets of engines ? lam sure Mr. Blake
will not say I was responsible for his engines be-
cause I concerted telegraphic arrangements with
him.

I may further state that I did not go into either
engine•room, and I could not even see the paddle-
engines work from where I stood. My engines, and,
as I imagine, those of Messrs. Watt and Co., were
in the hands of the Company's engineers serving
under the ship's articles. Out of 170 persons, ser-
vants of the Company, employed on the engines and
boilers, only four were appointed by the Company
on my recommendation, and an equal number on
Messrs. Watt and Co.'s recommendation.

Had the paddle-engines remained my property;
had they been worked on my responsibility ; had
the trial trip been in any degree mine-1 should
have taken upon myself the entire and absolute
control of the whole paddle-wheel and boiler de-
partment, and should not have permitted any one
to touch either engines or boilers who had not been
absolutely appointed by me, and been solely re-
ponsible to me. As it was, the Company refused
my offer to recommend to them competent persons
for the entire staff of the paddle-wheel engines and
boilers, and only accepted my recommendation for
the appointment of their four first engineers.
The management of the engines and boilers being
thus placed in the hands of the Company's own ser-
vants, all I could do was to render the utmost
assistance in my power, as every maker of engines
naturally would do, when he had the opportunity,
in a work of extraordinary magnitude.—l remain,
sir, your obedient servant,
J. SCOTT RUSSELL.
Weymouth, Sept. 20.