The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-08
THE SURVEY ON THE STEAMSHIP
PANAMA. Wt

'"S SNA> n ~. M.
At the request Of Messrs. Rowland and
Aspinwall, and Mr.. Allaite, the engine
,uilder, a survey was held upon the hull
and enrne % tie Panama. The accident
which caused the shipto return to port, ai-
ter having been four or FIVE days on her pas
sage, it seems by the decision published be-
low, originated, as is evident, almost en-
tirely through carelessness, and not, as has
been stated, by any defect in the iron OF
casting. Upon careful examination, the
engine s'prononced to be in every respect
a superior workmanship, elegantly finished,
and put together in manner that gives the
highest evidences OF skill and experience. -
Every portion OF this machine was well tes-
ted before going on board the ship, and if
the watchiulness and care Of the builder be
frustrated by the work Of an evil disposed
employee, or merely BY accident, particular
ly. when the result proves SO disastrous to
reputation, and to the interest Of the COM
pany, we think that the fair and unbiased
decision OF the survey is no more than what
is Justly due. 1t has been asserted with
much earnestness in many Of the papers,
that the engines Of the English vessels are
all tried before putting them in the vessels,
and the full powers Of the machine brought
to bear on the respective joiots and levers,
before brought into active sea service
Such, we are assured, is not the case; they
are merely put up and connected in the foun-
dry without any such experiments used, and
which is the only precaution resorted to be-
yond those adopted by our mechinists.
The undersigned having been requested
to attend survey on the hull and machinery
Of the U. S. Mail Steam Packet Panama,
Capt. J. j. Comstock, recently returned to
this port to repair damages to her machine
ry, did accordingly meet on board said
steamer on Tuesday, the 2nd instant, with
Commodore M. c. Perry and Cha. H. Has
well, Engineer-n-Chief of U. s. Navy,
who having since left the city, do not join
in this certificate.
At the first examination on Tuesday, we
found the hull and the equipments Of the
steamer, above deck, in as good order as
when she left this port, with the exception
Of the smoke pipe, which had been taken
down after the accident, to facilitate her
sailing. We found that the machinery had
not been disturbed since the accident, and
that the damage, as far as could be ascer-
tanned, by careful inspection, was confined
to the cylinder and its appurtenances-the
cylinder top being broken OF from the Aange,
and both top and flange fractured in several
places, and the cylinder damaged also be-
yond repair-the whole evidently from a
blow from within Of unusul force. With the
evidence then before us we could not deter
mine on the cause Of the accident, but sus-
pended our opinion until the cylinder could
be cleared, and the piston be examined.
These examinations have since been made.
The piston is found broken in two, and sep
arated from the piston rod the cylinder
bottom broken, and piece Of hard yellow
. pine, about seven inches long, and to appear
fanee originally four inches square, was found
greatly crushed and bearing the impress OF
the piston. The piston was found to be o.
unusual weight, and of strength sufficient to
bear many-fold the pressure Of steam which
had at any time been applied TO it.. The
clearness between the piston and the bottom
Of the cylinder was seven-eights Of an inch.
In our opinion, the first blow Of the piston
on this block OF wood after it had worked
in the cylinder, was sufficient to cause the
breaking Of the piston, and all the damage
which ensued; and we have no doubt tina
the unaccountable presence Of this blocl
in the cylinder was the cause Of the acct
dent; but whether it had lodged in tn.
pipes or steam-chest, and'whether there BY
design or accident, wecannot pretend TO de.
| termine.
II is proper to add, that we found the
machinery, with the above exception, in
such order as to furnish the best proof Of its
great strength, and Of its being braced and
secared IN the most solid manner. We also
ascertained, from the testimony of the
captain and officers Of the ship, that the
had proved herself an unusually fine sea
boat, having passed through the gales o.
ID and Sd Of December, without taking
any water on deck, during nineteen hours
she was kept head to the sea /; that the en-
CINE had not stopped from the time Of lea
wing the wharf, and that the weather was
fine and the sea smooth when the accident
happened.
N' T. K1EMBLE.
f. X. COLLINS.
VIM. SKIDDY, Naval Constructor
]. FARRON, Jr., Engineer
New York, 4th January, ls49.
The cylinder and repairs on the Panam;
will be completed on or about the 9th o
February, when she will take her departure
for the Pacifc.--N Y Herald.
Outrages on American Vessels.
Wears indebted, says the Baltimore Anne.
rican, toa commercial friend for the annexed
extract Of letter, dated
CAPE DE VERBS, Nov. 2, ls4s.
We have been gratifed by the visit here
Of an American vessel of war, the first one