Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-10-29
DRY ROT.


sells has long been subject of serious and anX-
ious concern. Many plans for their preservation
from this evil have been suggested and trled
without success. Having, for long series OF
years had considerable experience as coh-
structor, owner, and employer OF merchant yes.
sells; and believing that nave sucoeeueu, So'
least | have succeeded to my own SAUSAGE
tion in preserving ships OF this description
as LONG as they are likely to be useful or pro-
6table-I therefore feel prompted to unfold
INV plans and my experience to the Navy de-
partment. .
In order that those plans and that expert
ence may be better understood | shall COM
mence with my SITUATION ana ooser'a'io"S Ia
early life.
In the year 1866, at a very early age, was
placed i'm the counting house OF shipping
merchant in Philadelphia, which city was, at
that time, celebrated, perhaps, beyond any other
place ia America, for fine vessels. My employ
=. ,yer. largely engaged in the shipping business
they built ship or vessel every year or two:
IRE had a favorable opportunity of seeing
az nacn ming familiar with the building equl-
-, and employing Of merchant sea vessels.
g.,.,! 20 these circumstances, | acquired so
r,,,, an attachment and fondnesS for vessels
+. 'th.y have adhered to me through long life
Tara rs now, the speedy decay OF ships was a
n ter of serious consideration, and every
SO. n for their preservation that was suggest
--r tried but without answering any useful
.....r Sc Some merchants, in building vessels,
s.. . NJ their frames, when raised, to remain
Il length of time on the stocks, exposed to
H. Weather; others smeared the tmocrs Win
fish OIL; and others again used oil and pant;
al Of these experiments were attended with little
or NO success. In one instance, | knew the
frame of vessel to be plyed with fish oil
throughout an entire summer; and, in the TALL OF
the year when she was about to be finished, II
was discovered that the oil had not penetrated
the timbers more than quarter or hall an men:
this proved 10 be little or no protection, and the
expsriment was abandoned. In another in
stance knew Of a very fine vessel built Cor
Charleston packet with so much care that
she required no caulKing nor repairs tor Tour
wears; at the end OF that time, when she was
carried into dock to be caulked, she was found
to be so totally destroyed 10y the dry rot as to
be unworthy of repair, and was broken up
Her rapid decay was attributed to the unuSu-
al care which had been taken Of her whilst run.
ming.
Some few even at that early period, made
use of salt: but great prejudice existed against
this mode owing to the belief that 1t corroded
the iron fastenngs Cooper was not then used
in fastening our vesselS,) and the apprehension
that the dampness in sailed VeSsel might oe
injurious TO the cargo.
| became ship owner in the year 1878, and
one of nv first considerations was, how should
[ preserve that description OF property from
speedy decav2 Observing that timber, when
sunk deep in swdmpS or in water, lasted Tor
ages | conceived that exclusion from the air
and Saturating the pores of the wood with
moisture must he the true secret for its preSer
vatIan. Rejecting on this circumstances, and
nerceiving that the wooden floors of ware hou-
ses used for the storage of Bay salt, were al
ways damp in moist weather, was led to the
conclusion that Bay salt, properly applied, must
have the effect of preserving timber. Under
this impression, | adopted the following plan
with all the vessels have had built from that
time till the present Ga period of more than six
ty wears, as am still a ship owner); while
building when the'bendS and bottom Planks are
on and before ceiling have caused three sets
OF shoppers to be placed fore and ait between
all the timberS, to keep the salt In lis place
The first tier of shoppers are placed at the moor
heads, second Immediately below the lower
deck beams, and the third between decks just
above the air streak, common in all double
,Iecked vessels Air streakS are left above The
first and second tiers of shoppers Tor the purpose
of adding more salt as the previous supplies of
that article settle or are dissolved. Just before
finishing the ceiling ofthe vessel the Salts filled
in among all ofthe timbers, from the lowest tier
of shoppers to the upper deck-taking care that
the salt in the upper tier is well rammed down,
If wetted so much the better,) for, after the
blank shears are laid and secured in their pla-
s.s,. the salt cannot be replaced without incur
r,uy TOO much trouble and expense.
Having experienced great difficulty in pre-
serving large lumber Especially transoms)
yrvc ij,ht water mark, have, of late years,
.na.3 ~u1a pieces bored through the centre with
qauger Il two inches or two inches and an hall
IA u:d,netrr-these holes are filled with wetted
salt I'D then plugged at both ends before pla-
eng the timbers in the vessel.
In the forward and after parts Of the vessel,
where the timbers are 50 close together that salt
cannot be introduced among them, have found
it necessary to incase the timber and conhne
the salt in this way. In one instance had all
Of the knees and the steps Of the masts in
fine ship boxed in and filled with salt: this an
swered a very good purpose, but it is too trou-
blesome in merchant vessels.
have not only sailed my vessels in the man. !
ner pointed out above, in the first instance but
I have had them examined carefully every two |
" three years. and, where the salt has wasted |
or settled, fresh supply has been added
In all nv experience, have never found
defective timber in vessels thus prepared, and
thus taken care of. and am persuaded that the !
dry rot NAV be entirely prevented by adopting
tho above precautions. AS proof OF the good |