The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-28

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| alton and respect, your obedient servant,
| JOHN P. KENNEDY.
Captain JOHN EaIcssoN, New York.
WAsHINeToN. February %, 1859
SIR: The owners Of the caloric ship having kind
consented to my proceeding with her to the seat
OF Government agreeably to your request the shin
left Sandy Hook for this purpose, under the com
nland Of Captain Lowber on the mornino o. of vyed-
| nesday last
| Captain Lowber had received written instruc
tons to give the ship thorough test by standing
out to sea- Accordingly, on rounding Sandy Hook
ne steered east In the face of strong head vino,
which shortly increased to gale from the south
east by east. This course was kept up for about
eighty miles. The wind then shifting to the north
1 west, our course was changed, and we stood in
shore In the face of the gale, and then shaped ours
course for Norfolk
On going up the Chesapeake we encountered q
heavy snow-storm, the thick weather compelling
US to come to anchor at the mouth of the Potomac.
The machinery had then been in operation for
| seventy-three hours without iutermission with a
regularity seldom equaed in the best-constructed
| sea steamers. In fact the motion OF the paddle
wheels was found to be more continuous, owing to
| the powerful momentum of the double pistons
which form main feature in the caioric engine
1t ls proper to observe that whilst times the ship
pitched her bowsprit under water, and although
| the lee wheel was sometimes immersed to the cen
tire, not the slightest vibration or movement was
perceptlble in the frame and braces of the engine
neither was there any side action or Earring in the
pstons during the rolling Of the ship. Thevarious
valves OF the supply cylinders also worked with the
utmost regularity and freedom, Notwithstanding
| their inclination consequent the heeiing of the
ship 1t is important to observe that after the first
days run the consumption of fuel proved to be
fully one ton less per diem than my previous trials
| had indicated Sixty-five pounds Of coal supplied
to each one of eight furnaces, amounting to some
thing under four and quarter tons in twenty four
hours, proved to be the actual consumption. The
| speed attained with this very small consumption
averages seven knots per hour in moderate wea-
/ ther
| For the reasons which had the honor to explain
| to you atlength at our interview this morning,
was compelled to limit the pressure in the eneipe
/ to eight pounds during the whole trip.
In conclusion, cannot refrain from stating that
the result OF this first test trip has exceeded my ex
Pectatlon, and that the practical success of the
caloric engine ia now no longer problem but an
established fact.
In constructing the machinery of this caloric
ship | was limited to cylinder of fourteen feet
diameter, that being the largest which the manu-
facturers would undertake to cast at that time At
present, cylinders of any required sizs may be OBJ
tanned, and accordingly any required amount of
power may be applied to future caloric ships
have the honor to remain, with very great
respect, sir, your most obedent servant,
]. ERICSSON.
To Hon. JOHN P. KENNEDY, Secretary Of the
Navy
WAsHINaToN, February %, 1853
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the recent
of your letter of the 22d instant and in obedience
to your instructions beg leave to submit the follow
ing brief statement.
My object in requesting permission to make a
passage in the caoric ships on her recent trip was
to witness the practical operation ofthe new motive
power; and 1t fortunately happened that the wea-
Their which we encountered was such as enabled
me to satisfy myself on the points with regard to
which had entertained doubts. | was apprehen-
sIye that with the engine it would be iunpossi-
Die to obtain that continuity of action in seaway
ne has To
however 1 found that, during run of seventy odd
hours consecutively, there not single stop in
the engine nor was there the slightest check to the
steady movement OF the paddle. wheels, although
the ship often rolled her weather wheel out of the
water, and pitched considerably. | was also ap-
prehenslve that the immense size of the piston and
sne elevated position OF the upper cylinder, would
be likely to produce arrangement when the ship
rolied and pitched heavily. | noticed very care
fully that there was not the slightest giving way
In any part, every thing remaining as firm as If
the ship were laying at her dock.
The piston moved perfectly steady and smoothly
wnlle the ship was rolling and pitching.
had heard a good deal said Of the great
neat applied to the engine, and therefore fire.
quentiy visited the fire rooms, and found, to my
surprise. they were cool as cellar. | was
much struck with the fact that only one fireman
was required on duty at a time, and that he had
only to supply small quantity of coal occasion.
ally. | learned that the regulation was to nut
in sixty five pounds every eighty minutes in each
of the eight furnaces
ne snip encountered gales or head winds alter
nately much of the time from leaving Sandy Hook
last Wednesday morning, between nine and ten |
O'clock until the anchor let go near the mouth
OF the Potomac on Saturday morning in snow |
storm, 1t being impossible for the pilot to proceed
The weather was such during the VOYAGE that |
the canvas could be used to little advantage at
any time. My attention was particularly called
to the pressure kept upon the engines which Can
tain Ericsson strictly limited to eight pounds |
The speed during the gale averaged six and |
half turns of the wheels minute; when the wind |
was moderate the log indicated six 10 seven Knots
at ~
1t would be useless to notice particularly the
speed, as the working pressure was limited ae I |
have already stated; at the same time. mnst aa1
that the result was altogether satisfactory.
On the whole, deem the test trip of the Erics |
son as concuslvely establishing the success Of the
new principle; and i trust the day is not remote
when lis introduction into our naval service NAV
free our ships from the danger of being blown m
Oy cnance shot through a boiler perhaps in the |
very moment of victory
nave the honor to be, sir your obedient servant
JOSHUA SANDS,
Commander United States Navy.
hon. JOHN P. KENNEDY, Secretary of the Navy /
WAsHINeToN, February "a, 1858.
SIR i have the honor to acknowledge the recent |
of your letter of the 18th instant transmitted to me
thanks for the kind expressions of interest and
confidence which it contains.
Fully approaching its suggestions, and your
disposition to promote the full development of the
new motor, beg leave to propose to build two
ships Of war, to be equipped with my caioric en-.
xine and propelling machinery said vessels not
to be less than 1000 tons burden, and to be pro.