The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-28


: Saturday, 18th ptember.-Raised steam, and
started from Newport bound westward, at p. M
no sail; wind increasing towards night, made sail
and at 10 p m. blew gale; up to this time u0 p.
NO. carried As to so lbs; engines working well,
making AZ revolutions After 10 p. M, carried only
IS to 40, and as low as 90 lbs; engines making 80
to 35 revolutions. Coal consumed up to IL p. M,
scamng 10 hours, 3 tons 1873 lbs.
| Sunday, 29th September.-Ga increasing; en-
gines working well journals cool; anchored near
Throg's point at a. m. Steam carried last six
hours, 80 lbs; IS revolutions. Coal consumed, 2
tons 90 lbs.
Monday, Goth September.--R Raised steam, and
started the engines at 10 a. mi wind ahead, and
without sail anchored New York l2h. 45m. p. m,
carrying from 40 to As lbs. pressure the boilers
AZ to As revolutions; steamed Oh. 45m. Coal and
steaming, and to raise steam, 9 tons 240 lbs.
Steamed Ash. 20m. Coal consumed, 81 tons 33l
lbs.
. VIM. w. WOOD,
i Chief Engineer u. S. steamer Spencer"
i Capt. A. v. FRASER.
WARRINGTON CRY, May 80, 1845.
Sin: Ihave tho honor to submit the annexed report
| of the trial of the United States revenue steamer
4 Spencer, made agreeaby to your order of the 10th
instant.
1t is but justice to Captain Lopez, the patentee Of
the propeller to state, that, in making the alterations
in the mode of propulsion, the cylinders, &c. have
not been disturbed, but remain in the same position
as when furnished with Hunters submerged
wheels; rendering it therefore necessary cog
wheel gearing, and, owing to the great length of the
| shafts, requiring six bearings TO each increasing
the friction very greatly. The peculiar model of the
vessel is likewise to be considered, as interfering
materially with her speed.
The relative revolutions Of the engines and pro-
pellers are as one of the former to one and one
| quarter of the latter.
Skeptcal as was relative to favorable result,
-
| exceeded my expectations; and have no doubt
that were the bottom of ordinary form, and the
1 cylinders placed TO take direct hold of the
shafts still greater increase Of speed would be the
| result.
4 On my arrival at Philadelphia, found that cir
cumstances over which neither Captain Lopez nor
4 Messrs Merrick e. Towne had any control, de-
layed the completion of the work beyond the time
specified in the contract and she not ready for
trial until the Goth instant, when few turns were
taken in the vicinity Of the city, for the purpose OF
seeing that everything was in working order.
i The machinery working well, fixed upon the
2lst for making the trial. and, in order to prevent
any dispute relative distances tide &C.. selected
the straight reach Of the river, between Chester and
Marcus Hook; making six passages between those
points, The distances are established by the super
lntendent of the coast survey.
During the above trial, the Vice President, Hon
c. J. Ingersoll, Commodore Elliott, and Captain
Gauntt, OF the navy, committee of the Franklin
Institute, and several other gentlemen interested in
steam navigation, were present and noted the times
II In the evening anchored near Christana creek
cleaned the furnaces, &c. At daylight Of the 22t
got under way, and proceeded down the bay, the
II machinery working smoother as we progressed. IL
the evening, the wind hauling to the eastward, and
the furnaces having become foul from the bad
quality of the coal anchored at the Delaware break
! water and cleaned out.
II On the gath, got under way at TAO, M, wind
light and variable, the food tide running with grea
rapidity, and the weather threatening.
When abreast Of Great Egg Harbor, the wind
veered to northeast blowing fresh, and bringing in
head sea, hauling more northerly as we approached
Barnegat, and increasing in force. This wind and
sea we had to contend with the whole distance tc
i Sandy Hook, the machinery working as well al
could be expected. The distances and times in
II which they were made are hereunto annexed, and
show great increase of speed over all former
trials.
i The coal procured at Philadelphia contained
i very large proportion of slate, which fouled the
Il furnaces very rapidly, making it necessary very
frequently to let the fires down-the contracted
space for the engine-room rendering il impossible to
remain below after the fires raked out, or unit
the cinders are partially cooled.
Some fifty feet in the body of the vessel ID occu
pied by machinery; and, notwithstanding that cur
rent Of air is forced into the engne-room by blow
II er placed in the hatchway, the thermometer fro
quently ranged from 1900 to 1900 Fahrenheit Were
the machinery adapted to this mode of propulsion,
the whole space required for its accommodation
would not exceed Is feet in the after hold enabling
her to carry full supply of fuel, and to accommo-
date the comfortably. Under the present ar
rangement, but six days. fuel can be carried and the
principal part of that quantity above the water
line.
The George M. Bibb, built at Pittsburg, upward.
of 400 tons admeasuremen, is so much occupied by
machinery, that it has been found necessary to
move accommodations for the captain to the spar
deck, in order to provide space for fuel.
I, 1t may not be irrelevant to remark, that am ex
ceedngly fearful that the same error will be com
mitted in the two sde-wheel steamers now in course
of constructon-havi understood from the engi
neern-chief that he required about forty feet iT
length, with the whole beam and depth of the YES
sci, for machinery. There are at present two side
wheel steamers building at New York for the Mexi
can government; and, Notwithstanding the dimen
sions are the those building for the revenue
service and the engines low pressure, the whole
length occupied by machinery is but twenty-sx
feet Information has just reached the department
that the revenue steamer Jefferson (on the plan Of
Captain Ericsson) has broken her propeller for the
second time; and the same accident has happened tc
the Legare.
y would respectfully recommend, as the ma.
chinery Of the above-named vessels is adapted to
Lopers as well as Ericsson's propeller; and as the
propeller may be made, sent to the vessels, and ap
plied by their own engineers, that that of Lopez
may be used. lam satisfied, by my own observa.
TONS as well as the assurances Of individuals who
are engaged in the navigation, that the Lopez
propeller is far superior to the other in every pon
Of view, and particularly in strength, and consc
quendy in durability.
have the honor TO be- very respectfully, sir, your
obedicnt servant
ALEXANDER w. FRASER,
Captain U. s. Revenue Marine.
! Hon. ROBERT J. WALKER,
Secretary of the Treasury, Washington.
Il OrrIcE OF THE CoAsT SURVEY,
WAsMNcTos, May 81, l845.