Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-03-05
Gbr Doilp Oiroiniau.
Caioric ships fOrthe U. =. Navy

stanton chairman OF the committee on naval
affairs. of the House Representatives suggest.
ing the propriery aud Importance OF their com
mending 10 Congress the immediate adoption
of Ercssons great invention for the use of the
Navy, and the passage of resolution TO direct
the Secretary of the Navy forthwith 10 make
contract with Captain Ericsson for the con
Islruclion, under the superinendence Of the De
partment of one Ericsson lrigate of not less
than two thousand TONS to be equipped with
caloric engines of sufficient power, a ship Of
war; aud for this purpose to appropriate the
sum Of five hundredt housand dollars. Mr. Ken.
ncdy says:
] am convinced that the experiment indi
Gated in this measure would result IN iu-
iure determination 10 introduce the calorlc en-
cine generally to the naval service under cir.
cumsances and conditions which will prove il
to be the most effective, useful and economi
cal power that has ever yet been applied 10
navigation. The robab'lity-indeed the cer-
tainty of future improvements IN this engine
would commend the restriction of the con.
tract al the present moment tc one trigate,
" hilst the appreciation which is due to this
ment could not be more becomingly express
ed than in the prompt recognition OF Its value
by an act OF Congress.
Reports of the late test trial of the Ericsson
from New York to Alexandria, made by Cap.
tain Ericsson and Commander Sands, u. 5.
Navy, accompany the letter OF Mr.. Kennedy.
The report of Com. Sands is as follows:
WAsHrNGToN, Feb. %, 1859.
Sir: have the honor toacknowledge the re-
ccipt Of your letter of the 22nd mstant,and in
obedience to your Instructions beg leave TO
submit the following brief statement
My object in requesting permission to make
passage in the caloric ship,on her recent trip,
was to witness the practical operation of the
new motive power; and it fortunately happened
that the weather which we encountered was
such as enabled me to satisfy myself on the
points with regard 10 which had entertained
doubts. was apprehensive that with The new
engine it would be impossible to obtain that
continuity of action in seaway which the
steam engine has To my astonlshmenl, how,
ever, found that, during run OF seventy odd
hours consecutively, there was not IA sing lie stop
in the engine, nor was there the slightest check
10 the steady movement Of the paddle wheels,
although the ship often rolled her paddle wheel
out of the water, and pitched considerably.
was also apprehensive that the immense SIZE oi
the piston, and the eeva'e position OF the up
per cylinder, would be likely to produce de-
rangement when the ship rolled and pitched
heavily. noticed very carefully that there
was not the slightest giving way IN any part
everything remaining as firm as # the
ship were laying at the dock.
The piston moved perfectly steady and
smoothly while the ship was rolling and pitch
ing.
| had heard good deal said of the great
heH applied to the engine, and | therefore IRE
quently visited the fire rooms, and found, 10
my surprise, they w ere as cool as a cellar.
was much struck with the fact that only one
fireman was required on duty at time, and
that he had only to supply small quantity OF
coal occasionally. l learned that the rcgula'
ton to put in sixty FIVE pounds every egh'
ty minutes in each Of the eight furnaces.
The ship encountered gales Or head winds
alternately much of the time from leaving San
dy Hook last Wednesday morning, between
nine and ten o'clock, unit the anchor was lot
go near the mouth of he Potomac on Satur-
day morning, in snow s'orni,It being lmpossI
bic for the pilot 10 proceed
The weather was such during the voyage
that the canvas could be used to little advan
tage at any time. My attention was particular
ly called 10 The pressure kept upon the engine
which Captain Ericsson strictly limited to eight
pounds The speed during the gale averaged
six and a half turns of the wheel minute,
VIXEN he wind was moderate the log indicated
SIX to seven knots at sea.
1t would be useless TO notice particularly
the speed as the working pressure was limited !,
az have already stated; at the same tlne'
must say that the result was altogether salts
factory.
On the whole, deem the test trip OF the
Ericsson as conclusively establishing the sue
cess of the new principle, and trust the day Is
not remote when its introduction into our ma
val service may free ships from the dan.
ger of being blown up by a chance shot through
boiler, perhaps in the very moment OF victory
have the honor to be, sir, your ODD t serv't.
JOSHUA SANDS.
Commander United States Navy.
Hon John p Kennedy Sect'y of the Navy