The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-07

The allowance Of additional pay 10 officers perbns
ing The duty of higher grade. Ia often subject Of
contention and pepexiiy, and lie liable 10 abuses
The uuy OF such allowances la some hat question:
able; nut n eXpedionl 10 continue them, the Law
might be benehcially modified Il should define moi 9
accurately what constitutes a higher command, and
perhaps also provide that extra pay be allowed un-
less expressly stipulated in the order directing the Of
hcer To perform such duty.
Pursuant to the act of Congress ofMarch 80, 1913,
Captain Rousseau, Commander Adams and Lieut.
Stephen Johnson, have examined and sufveyed the
harbor of Memphis, in reference to It's cspabty for
"a Naval Dept and Yard for The building and repair
ing steamships and other vessels Of war al that place
The report OF these officers has been received and
companies this.
An appropriation Of one hundred thousand collars
was male al the last session Of Congress for the pur-
pose OF buiding floating dry dock sufficiently large
TO raise second class frigats such plan the Sc
erelary of the Navy should approve to be used at
Pensacola After various inquiries, the examination
of various plans and the consideration Of the offers of
persons proposing to build it, no plan presented
on which suitable dock could be built within the
limits of the appropra alton and the Department did
not feel authorized to enter into a contract requiring
larger expenditure than the sum appropriated for
the purpose. The plan presented by S. ID. Dakin, for
sectional dock, had the preference Of the Depart
ment but one of a suitable size, with the me-
cessary machinery 10 work it, could not be bull
within the sum appropriated. detailed report
on the subject, with esmat Of the cost Of such
dock to be used as the elevating floating power,
and connected with a level rail track by which ships
can be- taken upon the land with ease and safety, will
be submitted in another communication when all the
necessary facts and conclusions shall have been
ceIved from the persons having that subject ia charge
Mr. Sanger, the Engineer of the Bureau of Yards
and Docks in compliance with the resolve Of Con
gess, making the necessary examinations as to the
praclicabiiy of using the Oroton water as an eeva
ting power for dock at New York. When his
vey shall have been completed, the Department will
report upon that subject.
In the estimates are included the cost of the appu-
ra,us for laboratory at the Washington Navy Yard,
and for the employment Of chemist and pyroiech-
INST IL is believed that great advantages may be de-
rived by employing scientific persons in testing the
quality OF copper and various other materials and in
the preparation of many articles used in the service
which have heretofore been found when used, Of in
ierior quality. 1t is highly important that compe
tent person be employed in the preparation of fuses,
rockets and other fireworks Indispensable in the ma.
val service So deficient is the service in this know
ledge that the fuses necessary for IFS are obliged
TO be purchased.
The Medical Department of the Naval Service re-
qulrcs aent educalion and moral worth properly
fill II, OF high order in other branch,s of that
service but the Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons
have no military rank. A modification of the law,
by which medical officers in the naval service shall
be entitled To rank in manner similar TO that pre-
scrlbed in the army might be bene6cally made
Commander Wilkes with the officers under him,
has been assduously engaged in preparing the Hy-
biographical results of tn, Exploring Expedition for
publication Before the end of the year forty
plates of charts will lie ready for publication, com
plslng upwards OF seventy general and local surveys
Of the groups and islands of the Pacific Many
more are ready 10 be given out TO eDgrave.
Commander Wilkes repoI that the Narrative pre-
pairing by him. under the authority Congress, will
be ready for the press prev Gus to Mach next.
The Naturalislsand others are also employed in the
pitrn al 4,
of natural history. For their pay and that OF the
persons necessary in he keeping and attendance of
the hall, and to complete the arrangement, small
appropriation is asked The whole making ra-
pd an approach 10 completion can be expected in
such duties. The report and estimate of C. omm, n
der Wilkes is sub nitled herewith.
In the general estimates for the half current year
ending June 30th, 1913, and the fsca year ending
June Both, 1874 fifteen thousand dollars required!
Tor the erection of The building for Depot Of Charts
and Instruments. That sum is embraced in the
amount appropriated for enumerated contingent eI-
penses in the act Of 80 March las, but the serecton
of building for Depot' is not specified therein and
the law prohibits the application OF any part OF the
amount appropriated for "oher objects" than those
enumerated therefore legislation is necessary to per-
f,ct and egalze the application of the 81 600 to
"lhe elton of Depot" the object for which the
amount was specified In the estimates and for which
larpote 1t is applied.
append the report of he Superintendent of the
building, in which be asks for an appropriation Of
$1,000 for grading the grounds &c. The house he
has estimated for would be convenient, but is not
deemed essential at this time. 1t IIuper remark
that this building is adapted in its form and structure
not only for Depot of Charts and iDsru nenis but
for Astronomical Observatory and fol other scien
tic Investigations.
IL cannot but be gratifying TO you to learn how
great an interest has been e,nced by the learned
cietits and scientific men of Euro,e, as well as at
.hl ishm Of Ins I,v III
Government, in which potion Of the duties will be
the advancement Of sci Great liberality OF feel
irg expressed towards the officer sent abroad for
the purchase Of insiiu nents and a another mode
in which Their great satisfaction was shown extreme
y valuable esents of books made It's library
through him.
Contracts awarded to the lowest bidder have been
made the last year for heavy ordnance bu, the
contractors have Jailed TO fulfil their engagements
and consequently the guns have no, been procured -
L he policy of giving contracts for supplies Of such
importance TO the lowest bidder, in preference 10
known and experienced founders, is Of questionable
utility But such Is the present requirement OF the
law. The lowest priced guns sre not always the
cheapest The lo,s Of lives during the last and
since that time, from the bursting Of guns on board
our ships, is said TO have been nearly much as The
loss from The enemy's shot. Ammunition as well as
guns Is by law TO be procured IN the like from
the loves, bidder Powder made from the Nitrate of
Soda in lieu Of the Nitrate Of Potash, appear well
and is about as strong when fret made as that manu-
featured fion Salt Pelre, but detehoratos daily and
is nearly worthless IN few months and yc, this in
ferior ingredient cannot be detected except by
chemical analysis. True economy, hence, would
to dictate that 1efent rule than that Of Civ
ing contracts to the lowest bidder regardless of the
sk and character Of the manuf ,ctures, should pre-
vail in procuring he ordnance, arms and smmuoi-
ton for The service.
A series NJ experiments have been made at the
Washington Navy Yard, BY Profe, Johnson, to test
the qualities Of cal Of different kinds preliminary
report Of which is appended Charles RciJer, Profes-
sor Johnson and Or. Thomas p Jones, have been
engaged in making experiments upon salty valves for
preventing pusons in steam boiltrs Professor John
son has also made series Of experiments to test and
improve The strength Of iron, upon The principle Of
Arer these several experiments shall
have been completed, reports will be made concerning
hem