Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-11-04
MRSCEELANgIsblJS
THE may poT


We give below excellent letter on the -s,h;.c, .,
Fry hof from The pen OF Mr. Patterson, OF Baiipor.
me su'leet eNces great interest in England, where in
stances are recorded OF entire fleets having bee
oy inc kot when they deemed by the builders IN ho
IN sound state We saw 10, long since az interesting
article from an English paper in witch i, was s,a,c 81, y
frequent experiments had tested the excellence Of ~ 80
scheme Tor preserving timber, by sa,uratng i,ia soln
W corrosive suhIimae.-N0iJO6 Beacon.
Iron Nilos' Weekly Rogon1
II. Miles Esq, Baltimore:
DEAR SIR send you, herenil ill., copv nj /, comm.
nica,ion that caused be placed in The N,yyv n
at w Arlington last winter " ich wish Won to ,nJ ~;
your use'u Register Tor the benet those who NAV
servant: wM. PATTERSON.
Baltimore, ISM October 1884
Inc dry rot IN ships of and merchant vessels la.
iohg been subject OF serious and anxo sconcrru ~hs
my plans Tor their preservation from This evil ~ -
suggested and tried, without success Ia,ino
efes OF years had considerable experience as N con-
ue'or' owner ana employer Of merchant sal
believing mat have succeeded, at Irast nv. g.
eeeded 10 my own sAaction) in preserving ships Of M
description as long they likely TO be Isci,I o
haoe- therefore feel proa,pied 10 np fold my
my expeiience 10 the Navy Department. N
-" oer u'a nose plans and that experience may DO
DETER understood shall commence with nv situation
and observations in early life ~
IN lne year l4e6 at very early age, | was placed in
me counting hoase Of shipping merchant i'm philsdei
phia, which city was, az that time celebra,rJ ,orIa
oeyond any other Place in America for its vessels Al -
were largely engaged in The shipping business
-hey punt ship or vessel every wear or t,yn. bor.
nau aVofaO'e opportunity OF seeing and becomino "a
n'iar WIN The building, equpage aud employing of ner
chant sea vessels. Owing TO these circuusia,cco ~
CURED so great an attachment and onl,,ess or 49,
hey nave adhered 10 me through a long lie lfl,en ~
now, tlie speedy decay of shns ,y.s = -, "e'' ~
consideration, aud every scheme Tor tlr;r
mat was suggested, tried but without ans a
usciu' purpose Some merchants, III building ves.es ai
lowing Their frames, when raised to remain ior =,
'1 On e STOCKS exposed 10 the weather. others smear
ed lie 'imbefs with fish oil aud others again used oil J
Pa.n" al OF these eSpes!leuts were attended with
s'"ie VI no success In one instance, 1 knew The
frame oil vessel TO be plycd with fish oil r,ousl
our an enure summer; and, in the Fall of The wear
"heh she was about TO be finished ii yeas d,sc1,,ar
ed that the oil had penetrated the imlers o ',
quarter or hall OF an inch: thin proved To bo c or ~
Pto'eeuoh and the experiment Abandoned I'm ano
leT instance, knew of very line vessel hull, Oar
charleston packet with much care that she reo,ireJ
no cauxns nor repairs for four years; the end Of ha
VINE "hen sne was carried into dock be -cauleJ she
Was found TO be so totally DESTROYED bv Tho Inv o, 49, -,
Be unworthy OF repair and broken up Her rapid de
was ATTRIBUTED TO me unn'ua care Shicl had been la
ken oil her whist running.
some lew even al that early period made use of sal,
out great prejudice existed against this mode owing IN
the belief that corroded The iron lasteuine rcor,
was not then used in fastening Of orr veseeIs FL ~ ~
p'echS'on mar The dauPness in sailed vessel might be
injurious TO tlie cargo 'S'" 'e
became a ship owner i'm Tho wa, t7-o - -
CONSIDERATIONS was how should preserve that esc,,o,
oil property from speedy decay Observing lbet t;her
when Sunk deep in swamps in Tie water lasted Io
'ha' exclusion from The air and sauna
ting the pores Of the with inoistgfc must i've do [
secret of i's preservation RI ecDg on s crcuusraucp
ahu PeTceVlhg that the wooden uors of re housx
Tor The storage Of Bay salt were always t.,,n H. 80,
weather. was led TO he ccncnson tina, B,v sail n,,or
Iy applied, must have the effect Of preseryi, ,i
uer ts impression, adopted lie follow ing p. ,yif sn
the vessels have had built from tbai ii,ue I'M Tic sr,
"a period OF more tan sixty yesrs asI am sill Shin
o"eO WINE building, whcwte bends aud bottom ol auk
are on, and before ceiling, avc caused three SETS "
Pers TO be placed fore and aft between all the ibers 10
heep ,ne ssi' ~ It's place The first Oh shoppers are
paeeu az Hle ioor heads the second Immediately L.loVv
'he lower decS beams, and the third between drcks is
DoVe tne ar streak common in a double decked
Air sresks are left above the rrst and second icrs If %
mOfC ol.. a..
supplies Of th1t article settle or are dissolved H., H.
'ore hmsbng the ceiling Of the vessel the salt GeJ in
among all oil the unbers, from the lowest ,ier Of sfor,J
TO the upper deck-takiug care that lhe sill in the I'M,
uerIs wen rammed down, (l ~etied so s,,ch f, brl
ior' aieF TIE plank siears laid and secured ia ,e
Places we SAT- cannot DC replaced without incerng foo
much trouble and expense 'S wv
Baying experienced great difficulty in preserviny LARGE
hmDers, Especially ifauso.ns9 above ioin ,ya,cr ~
have, OF late years, hsd such pieces borrl u, ,,
centre win an auger Of two inches two incSes and an
10 the vessel. F5 "'' ""'Oc's
Ia the forward and after parts Of the vessel where e
umOeFs nfo 80 close together HAT comet be introduced
among them, have found IL necessary IN incsro a.,
per AMI contine the salt in his way I'm one i,.s,a
had al OF tbe knees and de steps Of Tie ,sass H. g.
snip, boxed IN and hllod with salt Ths ansyyc,cd ,
good purpose, but 1t i5 TOO Troublesome 10 rnefcbsn, @
have not only salied my vessels in ;,
OH above, ~ The first instance bat have h.i ~, w.
aminod carefully every two or three ycars. s,J L.
we san nas wasted OF settled, fresh supply has been sl
10 al my experience, have never so,,,,J sofo.,.
"oe' ~ vessels tlus prepared, aud flus taken care M
ana em persuaded tkat le dry rot mas, no cu,i,sg
prevented by adopting fhc above prersoGons AZ
proof OF the good effects Of the above mode / an lT
s nave '"O yesscs nov running, which are per,eei
" so1h1 anu trust worthy; VI di,ai IL q v,.r Iii
p'o sho other 20 and lic only repairs that T.vn t
EfSn 70 ,ne nuns were tbe reneWaiUi the s,sisf pit
., Oolp' anu me quarter deck Of one Of tysa THIS 90
os,'s 20 ne decay Of Che plank, bot TO tie crcon
To- - Tug 4s'ened with iron; The corfoson Of TIE
ron caused openiogs where psssed ii,tooob lie ytH
nag copper iasenngs beor used rie decays ,y,fJ ,o
nave happened iink 90 vessels Of var oneI, 4, G
i m'a copper sslenings a0j iron ought to he
"ssd "hen v ean possibly De svolc,l 90" " V'
nave selaoir Used live OAK n the construction of e
s,, u. " ns," 70 "ok cod TOO heavy for merchant
up gfeauy prefer ic timber OF DOR ,sv-- ,eosp
,yoOs'' cedar and yellow pine Use lie rhi,o.,t 49,
~ eng 'oi plank from lhe keel Up 10 and incljog
s oen9s. FROM tho bends 10 the upgsr ,leck ( ~
=, 's - locust and red ccdsr. eqad number Of escs
VI ei'hef knd' altern8itly Distributed Tie sii,s t
ufs oecas, uppef beams and cafiins arc formed " ~
"sSt OF yehowpue Latiery, have f,.,eoed tie 49,
aye generally been employed on long eoy
e - we hisi Indies and South America. ami "a 800
'6sh'' delay aud accida 90 such voyage haze