The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-03-02

To the Editor efths Union, Washinston City.
DEAR sra In your paper Of last January, 25th ap.
peareda communication over the signature Of West
py SOUTH which 10 well calculated to misead our Rep
resenatives and the public in general Win you per-
sent the following facts The revenue cutter "Spen
Ger" built atWest Point, Hunters plan Of propulsion.
was CONDEMNED asr sepeated trials and improvements;
tuition Of Lopers Propeller. This vessel has cost
hundred andfvs thousand and thirteen dollars.
The steamer attached to the United states corps Of
Typographical Engineers, called the Surveyor and
now Lake Erie, was built on Hunters plan, and is
now side heel steamer.
The u s. revenue cutter "Bibbn built at Pittsburg at
cost Of hundred and forty i've thousand six hun
ded dollars pronounced complete in every respect
under steam but short distance down the river when
the packing in hsr wheel gave out and she was
run on shore and lled by applying number Of pumps
cinnat, when she was hauled and contract made
for her alteration TO the side plan. The s.
nue. cutter Mclean" built at Boston on Hunters plan
has been altered to side.padde boat She has cost
eighty three thousand three hundred dollars The U. s.
revenue cutter dallas" built Hunters plan at BuAa
TO- has been altered to the side.paddls plan.
The U. 5. steamer "Wa.er WITCH" built at Washing
ton. was condsmnsda at Norfolk by committee appoint
Cd to ss her qualities She was obliged to be towsd
alton which was made in her by r. Loper the paten-
tee Of the propeller she is now propelled by.
which have not been condemned BY their officers
and engineers, are the frigate building at Pitts
Vessels pre- will bs csnesT preserved .wo 20
monuments Of the scientific and valuable invention Of
Lieut.. Hunter.
As regards the statements made by "West by South
about the "Water Witch, they essentially incor.
rect.
In May last Messrs. Farron, Copeland, and several
other officers Of the U. Navy were ordered to Nor
folk to test the qualities of the water Witch" then
propelled by Hunters wheels. The trial made from
the Hospital Dock to the nearest buoy down the bay
distance Of 1--WE miles. In December last she tried
on the same ground with the Lopez Propeller attached
than she did on the trial with Hunters wheels
Nmust be recollscted that this was performed with
engines Of little than third Of the power Of
those used with the Hunter wheels.
In October last, Lieut. Bispham, Chief Engineer
Farron and others, ordered by the Navy Depart
ment to inspect and report the water Witch"
regarded her speed and the quality of the tho
alterations, &c. She was on the Delaware river
from the Navy Yard to Greenwich Point several trips
Water Witch had fifty tons of COAL ten tons Of kent
LEDGE and water for short cruise board The re-
the speed Of this vessel and one third miles per
hour making every allowance for tide. SO. This it
sPPes was 100 much for MT Hunter Or his friends and
Construction and Equipments to load the vessel down
With pig iron and COAL and tried again. Accordingly
besides water were placed in the hold and on deck
The official report this trial was that the speed Of the
" Water Witch" niue and two-thirds miles per
hour. Il refer to documents now at the Navy Depart.
ment in proof of this statement.
few days after the first trial, the Hon. @. Bancroft
secretary OF the Navy, took trip board Of the w
w. ana the log thrown in his presence, showed her
hour
Again few days before the W. W. left Philadelphia
for Norfolk Vice President Dallas and large party Of
w. ana thst Hon gentleman and others on board can
TESTIFY to the beautiful performance of thew. WI and
also on that occasion she made miles per hour
az their observations, made with their Watches did
show.
Az for the Spencer" will state few inconroverti
BILE facts This vessel failed as often a, tried with the
Hunter wheels. She taken on tho dock twice, and
some thousands spent the steps of her shafts and in
sPns o. every opportunity afforded Mr. Hunter Of re-
eving his invention In this vessel and in spite Of
ming the boiler with unsafe pressure Of carried
on these as on every OCCASION where Mr. Hunters
sury department and ordered 10 Phiadelphis Lopsrs
Propolers were substituted The result Of this change
Of the Trsasury q October lsse and May 90 isas
.si N:w ro.k ne aasS Of ssptsab.r, in eo%psny
with the LeRare The Spencer's speed this trial
found to be asl57 miles per hour, with pressure Of
steam of NJ lbs to the square inch The speed of the
InCaptsiu Frasers report Of date May So isls page
on the Spencer, with Lopers Propsllers shown that
she averaged nine miles twenty nine hundredths per
square inch running distance Of 81 miles, from New
castle to the Delaware breakwater
II must be remembered 10 this instance that the ma.
chnery OF the Spencer not disturbed further than
taking out the Hunter Wheels which nearly in the
introduce very long shafts with Lopers wheels, besides
cog.wheei geaIing-all Of which gives MIR Hunter an
advantage in the power used would call attention to
one more instance Of the Spencer's superiority which
we find in the report Of May So isas On the trip from
Henlopen to Sandy Hook, distance Of las miles, the
whole distance and yet makes speed Of 10 100 miles
hour in spite Of these serious obsaces and the
same page we find that she attained speed Of 7eloo
miles per hour agoinst strong gale Of wind In making
the passage from Sandy Hook TO New York.
Can Mr.. West BY south" deny those facts Can the
or even welll
am credbly informed, Also that not one dollars
worth Of repairs hs. been expended on the Lopez pro-
peers now on the Spencer any Of the work done
to that vessel at the time OF the alt aton from Hunters
wheel and that she has been in active service nearly
all the time since that alteration, being space Ct nine
months.
But Mr. West by South" will probably tell that
wheel If it Is by working the buckets on hinges, the
veres tyro in such matters will condemn such
ment as worse than the old plan. The Bibb,S be-
than the others; the jar caused by the opening and
shutting of the buckets would have racked the vessel
IN very short time. FIAT JrsrIrIA.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. Q, l645 )
Extract from First Report 81 the Trial Trips Of the
sr-In conformity with your order Of the 6th Sept.
and 9th inst being the earliest period that Mr. Lopez had
By the encio ed letter from Lieut. Humphreys in the
Department OF the Coast Survey the distance from the
Navy Yard to the Powder Wharf IL given tive miles,
and the trial Of speed hes been made with reference to
In the frat trial. the 7th inst the draft Of water Of
the vessel was about feet in and forward feet IL
ncn0s ana the distance was run IN IL 90 minutes
tide or ut the rate of 10 miles per hour, and in l0
minutes with the tide at the rate Of 40 miles
hour. There was some wind at the time, which was
rather unavorable to the vessel From the above rates.
the force Of the tide was 90 miles per hour.
In the second trial. the 9Th inst the draft Of water
of the vessel brought 81 aft ard A0t forward,
and the same distance, against the tide IN 10 min
utes or at the rate Of 923 miles per hour and with the
tide in l0b minutes, at the rate of 100 miles per
hour, which II will DO gives an average beyond
that requiredb BY the contract 1913 miles through still
water
On this occasion there was no wind and bat little tide
the speed given shows It to be ii per hour.
The sails bent in both trisls About 90 tons Of
coal and 800 gals. Of water board the vessel
(Signed] JoHN 4. BnYHAM, u. 8. N.
To Com. Morris, Bureau Of Construction.