The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-29

HbhN6 P f>
tend to be very wise, say that no cabinet changes
the deck" clay not that hattering JUNCTION to your
soul."
EXTREMES MEEr.-The leaders of the two grand
factions here, take pretty much the same course
against Captain Tyler-but the rank and file are
not prepared to 60 with them.
American Ocean and Steamboat Machinery.
A great deal has been said of late relative to Amer.
lean steam machinery adapted to the navigation Of
the .ocean-some for it-some against it-some COM
plimentary-some otherwise. Let's have a word
on this subject.
In steam machinery, adapted to river navigation,
cur engineers and mechanics are unrivalled; but
among the specimens of machinery for ocean navi-
CATION, we doubt if any boats have been so success
full as those built under the management Of L X.
Collins, Esq of this city, for the local government
of Cuba. In proof of their success, we annex a com
munication which is perfectly conclusive on the
point. Even the far.famed steamers, the " Misses
Sippy and Soury," built by the American govern
ment, at half a million a head, are considered of
doubtful utility on the ocean. For several years
past Mr.. Collins, whose talent, energy and enter
liz SaNCo oh iAAiPoAc w 'h' ~" Otn PoShNt
lines, has been endeavoring to induce the American
government to unite its aid, in connection with the
mercantile interest, in the construction of lines of
steamers, on an improved system, to run between
New York and the principal ports Of France and
Enpland-but in consequence of the folies Of faction
and the disturbing forces Of party i~ntrigues in Wash
ington, the government had no time, nor money, to
spare for an enterprise, the like of which is giving
England a new lease Of power and wealth-we mean
establishing post routes over the ocean by means Of
steam ships. Mr.. Collins has now gone to England,
probably to see if he can organize a company that
will advance capital to build steam ships in New
York, with American engines, and TO be managed,
in every point, on American principles inside and
outside. If he should be successful, we have no
doubt he will be the first man who will have rem
dered ocean steam navigation capable of returning
a profit on the capital invested. AS yet, the Eng
lish have entirely failed in making their enterprises
pay sufficiently to induce additional enterprise.
With these remarks, we submit the following i'm.
por,ant article to our commercial and3 scientific
readers:-
To THE EDITOR OF THE New YoRK HERALD.
In a recent number Of your paper l noticed an
extract from the London Mechanics Magazine,
relating to the steamship Kamtschatka which was
built for the Russian government, by the Messrs.
Schuylers Of this city, with an implied invitation
to the engineers OF this country, to vindicate their
reputation from the disgrace which the reputed
failure Of that ship was likely to bring upon the m
in that country and elsewhere.
Now, l believe, there are few who were acquaint-
ed with the circumstances, under " hich the Kant.
schalka was constructed will attribute her faults to
the want Of skill or knowledge of American engi
neers generally. There are few indeed who were
ignorant of the fact that, that so far as the engines
and boilers were concerned, it was profess edIy an
experiment, and that it would not succeed was al.
most universally believed among practical engi
neefs. The engines, no doubt, were inconvsnient
and ponderous, and the boilers inefficient and com
plicated-and suppose they were so, il the Empe-
ror Nicholas desired it, and was willing to pay
Jonathan for the labor, who Is to find fault! surely
John Bull need net. He may wish to make a little
capital out oflt unsuccessful issue for the benefit
of British trade. 1t does not look well in his eye,
to see other than British steamers, s~plashing in the
big pond; even though they do so by the way of
experiment |! No, it is decidedly anti British and
dangerous in its tendency tits, no doubt, some.
thing else which excites the rabisityo Of John Bull
upon the subject Of American ship building and
steam navigation Ii is not the failure Of an expo
rimcnt, but a kind of fearful Consciousness that the
resources of America and the development Of
| American skill will not b. come tributary to Bril-
fish vanity and wealth The trnth is, there is
some evidence of the ability Of Americans to com
pete with the best foreign builders and engineers,
if not to establish their superiority over them.
We submit the following extract of a letter to a
house in this city, in relation to vessels built in this
city, for a foreign government, a short time pre-.
vious to the completion Of the Kamiscbatka Let
the practical good sense Of American workmen be
displayed, free from the restraints and control of
theoretical schemers, and the mist vii be dispelled
which now too much obscurcs the practical worth
of American builders.
An important fact we might mention, in regard
to British and American steamers is, that the ST.
RUS, the only foreign steamship Of about the same
tonnage, which has resisted our shores, did aot
perform, within twenty five per cent Of the dis
lance per twenty. four hours, which was accom-
plished, by the Regent, while the relative nominal
power, was as 800 horses to l40-a fact that can
only be accounted for, from the intrinsic SUPERIOR.
ty ofthe American engine.
HAVANA, March i, 1872
DEAR SrR:-
wrote you a few days since fiom New Orleans.
informing you OF my ~intention TO visit this place. 1
took passage in the steamship Natchez, Captain Swi-
Ter, and had a tine run OF three DAYS; the Natchez
has been quite successful on this r~oute-Capiain S.
Is an able and attentive commander; few men
could at this time take his place In the confidence Of
the travelling public
was mych pleased en- my arrival with the ap.
pearance Of the two New York built steamers Wing
at anchor in this harbor, and as l had never seen
them before, determined TO take the earliest oppor-
tuniiy OF visiting them, apd confess my national van
ify was somewhat excited by TIE enthusiastic epco-
miums bestowed upon the skill and integrity of our
countrymen by Commodore De Lanes and the CON-
manders of the ships, VIII Gu are now called the Re-
GENT and Congress All speak in the highest terms
of the performance OF he machinery, and those per-
sons who havs seen the British aud Spanish steam.
ers here allow that the premium must be awarded
10 the latter by q great majority, and the Ulcers OF
the British steamer say they are not to be beat; Tor
cleanliness they are unsurpassed. The engines have
gained much credit and are highly esteemed; to Mr..
LIST engineer OF the Regent, | am IN
Iah,.I e. a ~ N of The loo of IN AZ SHIN on her re-