Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-03
GAZETTE.
DRY ROT.

In the Gazette Of Monday week, will be
found an article from the London Quarterly Re
view on Naval Timber, in which an estimate is
made Of the annual loss to the British Naval Ser
vice from the Dry Rot, and the Importance of a
remedy for that destructive pest. The succeed
ing number Of the same journal announces the
discovery of preventive IN the use Of corrosive
sublimaie! We copy the following abrIdgemept
Of the article from the Journal Of Commerce:
New York Gaz.
Mr.. Faraday, Of the authority Of whose maine
we need not say any thing, expressed himself
in the outset Of his lecture Of the 22d Feb last,
as having been very soon impressed that this
theory, add the practice thereon founded, would,
in all probability, stand the test Of experiment.
The subject appeared SO important in itself, and
the doctrine Of the new application SO just &c
facie, that he took considerable pains OF exami.
ming into the Misunderstanding from time to time
the tanks OF the patentee's establishment. watch.
iny the progress Of the experiments at Woolwich,
aud also trying the thing for himself in variety
of ways in his own laboratory. lie proceeded
TO narrate in the first place, the history Of the
experiments which had been made in London
and at WOolwich, as to separate pieces Of wood,
and to exhibit Ia his audience abundant speci
mems of the r, suits. The display was most
curious one.--but we shall cOntent ourselves
with very brief aud imperfect repetition Of
things, which certainly must have left an ex.
traerdinarv impression On the mind Of every eye.
witness.
The fungus pit at Woolwich, is sub,erra.
mean chamber, lined with wood in the worstpos.
sible stages Of corruption; it is kept extremely
damp, generates carbonic acid gas in profuslon,
and in short, furms, as its name implies, perfect
hot bed for the growth Of all those fungi that
used to be considered as the causes, but which
are oay the most usual symptoms Of dfy rot -
1t is a pruveIb among the people "f the torkyard.
that a month in HE hole is worse Tor bit OF tim
Der, than ten years IN almost any possible situa
ton cnt Of it;-and the government, pes,ered
with the eternal applications ct the Rotdoctors.
have hitherto found their safety valve in this fun
gus Dit. Mr.. Knowles concludes one ut his
chapters wiz distinct statement that no prepar-
ed timber, exposed during twelve months to the
action Of this ordeal. had unless insulated BY
some other substance. entirely resisted the in.
Huence of the gas Up. 50.
We have ourselves visited this noxious place,
and seen an hour and half elapse, after opening
the trap door. before candle would burn six in-
ches beneath the surface. Blocks Of timber-oak,
elm. pine, beech, sc. prepared with the solution
of submate, have now, as Mr.. Firaday said, and
as the printed documents before prove distinct.
", stood the test Of the fungus pit, without ex.
hibitng the slightest decay, during no less
pei iod some Of them than .jire gears; and these.
instead OF being insulated by means of some heter-
oseneous substance, had been lying on the fun.
gus.spread floor Of the dungeon, each with an
unmedica,ed fragment o! the very same tree.
sud Of the like bulk, slose BY its side-every one
Of which unprepared pieces was found at the
opeaius Of the pit in rapid progress to decomposl
tim. The results of various experiments, insti-
tuted By sir Robert Snirke, the eminent archl-
tect, with view to his own professional business,
were in a like manner detailed, and his evidence
as to the pn~er Of timber prepared in this me.
thod to resist the action of dropping leaves. &c.
during a course Of time sufficient To bring utter
decay upon uPr.paied ones similarly exposed.
was no, less sa'isactoryrhan The upsho o. the long
trials at Woul~iCh,