The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-30
Napal Hlistellanp.
From the NauiieaI Standard.
Our yNooden Walls.


From the NatitieaI Standard
Our Wooden Walls.
II has been said that the Admiralty and the dry
rot the direst enemies OF the British neet mat
such is the in sense Is certainly true, ior
both these agents SOW congenitany Inc seed OF oe-
structon in our wooden walls. First, with respect
to the Admiralty il sows the elements Of decay in
the feet by building ships defective in their original
construction; and thus inducing the necessity OF a
succession of alterations, rebuildings, conversions,
perversions, &c, &c., whereby, even if the ship
ultimately atains any value, 1t Is not before IT
has perhaps ceased to have preserved any the ele
ments of its original identity, and when il no lon
ger possesses one Of its original timbers. II is i'm
possible to too frequently 70 this source Of ex
pense TO the country, and destruction to our fleets.
In this respect the Admiralty the race OF RI
valry with the dry rot, each vyng with its desruc
tive rival in the race of determination.
Ifit were within the limits ofour pages, we could
easily point out how actively and copousy the ele
ments fdcstructionarcd disseminated our building
yards, simply by the unchecked efforts Of caprice;
The whole, or portions of the frames Of large and
expensive ships set up merely to be pulled TO
pieces, the tiinbers wasted, destroyed, or recon
verted at considerable loss. We have seen ship
after ten years standing the stocks, and after
mourning an expense OF nearly E2O,OOO, taken 70
pieces and reconverted otherwise disposed OF;
and we do not instance this solitary case, but
merely one which prominently offers itself TO con
domination. Similar instances are so numerous that
they embrace system, and IL is only necessary 10
TclcT 10 iuuy
the legitimate expenses Of the British navy bear no
adequate proportion to the costly mismanagementof
the royal dockyards and the ravages OF the dry rot
The Boscawen an so gun ship, which we recoliect
upon the stocks during many years, and which GER
tainy complete IN frame III 1927, was, in 1882,
converted perverted, to adapt her TO the caprces
of the day from this time To 1910, che underwent
series ofdesructive alterations In 1884, an order
from the Board of Admiralty superseded that OF
1882 The former order had doomed her to be
transformed into frigate; now, a fresh maggot
had bitten my Lords Commissioners, and the
doomed ship was ordered 10 be converted into 40
gun ship, according to the approved fashion oil the
Symonds' school. But the Boscawen had originally
an upright stern and round bow; caprice now
suggested that the stern should be made to rake,
and the bow sharpened. But Admiralty caprice
did not finish here, for, in 1912, their ordshps
dered another alteration of the stern of the Bos-
The result of all this is the realization of
the homely proverb, that too many cooks spoil
the broth, for the Boscawen, although she has cost
as much would build fleet, has become an in
different ship having ten guns less than the arrla
ment of her original construction. Then we have,
again, the Cumberland, a TO- gun ship, whose con-
version, re-converson, and spoliation, stand
ing disgrace to the craft of the shipwright Nor
have we forgotten the stern ofthe Trafalgar which
their lordships ordered to be altered at Chatham
great expense, and which was shortly afterwards,
by change of whimwams, in which their lord
ships habtualy indulge, restored TO its original
condition In short, this is the prevailing system in
the dockyards; the ships sooner put into
frame, or perhaps more advanced towards compile
ton, than the Lords of the Admiralty orderas many
capricious carvings and cuttings Of the expensive
edifces if the ship were mere tree, and their
lordships learning the craft of Dutch garden
ing upon its unresisting branches. Need we then
wonder that the subject Of the expensive manage
ment OF the Board of Admiralty is in every body s
mouth; need we wonder that board which stu
diously closes its doors to all improvement, and de-
nounces every body who ventures TO question its
immaculate character, should be of all boards the
that il should, among the numerous boards organ
lied for the conduct of public affairs, be the only
one which has attained the honor Of being embalmed
amongst the comicaitics of the mrth- provoking
Punch
Examination OF Officers on Subjects con-
nected with the Steam Engine.
The following circular has just been issued by the
Admiralty:
ADMmALrY, sth Dec, S49.
My Lords, Commissioners of the Admiralty, hav-
ing had under their consideration the examination
required Of officers, subjects connected with the
steam. engine, with view to ascertain their COM
potency TO be registered steam-officers, are
pleased order that no officer shall henceforth be
so registered until he has passed an examination al
the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth on the sub
ject herein detailed; and any officer whether he has
acquired his knowledge in Other majesty dock
yards, at the factories of private individuals,
has studied at the Royal Naval College not, is at
days fixed for the purpose, giving timely notice
to the captain superintendent of the college OF his
intention so TO present himself.
The examinations are TO take place once in every
three months, at the time fixed for the present quar-
terly examinations; and they will be conducted by
the professor Of the college, the presence of the
admiral superintendent of the dockyard, and the
captain superintendent Of the college.
The subjects which the officers will be exam
ined to be, until further notice, follows, viz;
J.. The elements of geometry, mechanics, and dy-
namics. 2. Laws OF heat. 3. The application of
these branches of science 10 the steam-engine.
4. The name and use of every part of the engines,
boilers, &c 5. Construction and principle Of the
engines and boilers, expansion of steam; economy
of fuel resulting from the application of the prin-
ciplc, and under certain circumstances from the
employment of reduced power. 6. The nature, APP
plication, and use of the indicator.
The chief engineer of the dockyard Is TO furnish
the professor with questions relating to the heads OF
No. 4, 5, and 6, marked with the number which
should be given for each question If answered fully
and correctly; and he is 10 examine the written
answers, and mark upon each of them the numb :
which should, in his opinion, be given by the pro-
fessor.
The professor is TO prepare questions under the
first three heads, and in like assign to each
question the number which should be given 10 il, il
answered fully and correctly.
The whole Of these questions are to be printed
and placed in the hands Of each officer on the day
of examination An abstract is ultimately 70 be
made by the professor of the result Of the examina
tons, showing in one column the greatest number
which could be gained under each head OF the ex-
animation, and in another column the aggregate
Of the number under the separate heads awarded %
each officer; and this abstract is TO be transmitted
to the secretary of the admiralty, with copy OF
the printed questions, for their lordships informa
ton.
BY command Of their lordships:
JOHN PARSER.
From the Nautical Standard.
Performance Of the screw steamers Bospho-
rus and Hellespont, their fret voyages from Liv-
erpooi 10 Constantinople, lo49: