Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-16
DAILY EVENING STAR.
Local INTELLIGENCE.

Sary Ya,A-Fs HGeAi'e SioP.-Of all the differ
ut objects for inspection aboa. this Metropolis the
Navy Ysrd is cerrainly the mot Interesting So
much Of instructions, Gs well as Of scientific and
mechanical knowledge, may be gathered from an in
-. tos Of the different objects that present them
s,iyrs 70 notice, that n" one st,nGining in Wa,hin
vh-,h.r a citizen or a stranger, should I., pa :,
In. o,ca.isa cs sther OF paying visit uihe N.vy
lard. sach an opF'oraHir, was afforded to u. las,
,r,s and, although few brief hours were all tina,
49, could spare from other duties We saw sui
se,eu, 10 conrncs u. of the inv 9or,ance thu, ought
necessarily b. attached to this essential part
ofaNavy cSt,sIi-l,mrnt INDEED In slodern times the
tim Navy Yard, is of 40 large meaning, and ,mbra
variety Of various cupafios that those
nat connected professionally with this branch OF the
,,vice are nv mrsns aware nj the mui,ifario,is
,vo,s,loas comprised by the Even ship build
iuqt. who might naturally suppose ;hata Navy
Yard was exclusively dedic ated, Only forms ono item
RI it. abor important one certainly, the v.sse!
,,e,l Is the bal- whirh all the remaining occapa
ION. rcst bat many others requiring vast scientific
snowled-c and great mechanical skill, are likrw
,r1,,d Ola " ItIiu The same enceinfc.
F,r.t and foTemos among these s he machine d.
rHrr,rni, that branch OF 4 modern Navy Yard
which y, among tbs ethcr large martini. powers,
gradually pr. pnndsraiing in influence and assuming
The greatest impwt.nce. The reason of this i OBJ
viru<, the attention Of The great powets i, HOW
nInIy directed TO the formation OF steam navy il
being rfett; well determined an ssurcd FACT tina,
IN al future battles on the ocean, the steamer will
b. an essential or powerful auxiliary. We are
glad to md that some respects, our Navy Yard i.
M, dehcient The mac hne shop is good substantial
bIidIrg ard contains many eXcelleAt machines. hut
We sorry to find that the greater pert Of them
were lying idle. The whnie fpfce employed as ma
chIDisrs, is very small when contra-tcd with the
lathes and s'her machinery that the building con-
tains. When reject, thai this Yard possess. thu
Of Doing any and every of work that NAV
be require tor fitting Up steamships, We cannot bu,
b. surprised ut the line of policy pursued hr Con
Urss, which continually give. to contractor. ioh. Of
work tn be done, which might bs performed better
and with greater economy at home. When we
CONS 10 speak Of the smiths shop where the heavy
iron work Is forged, we shall have t mention pain
fol e'sRp's OF tins njudicieusnrs<-contract work
having been brought .. this Yard for rerar and
foHnd sa examination to be. most, shall we say rss
caly, Directive Let III, for goodne.s sake when we
have thrn.ans, de our own work II is pursued in
other countries, and found by experience. 10 be- the
moot evoHoRical Ia the end. Why, We ask sbouid
the lives OF those brave men, who maintain tbe
h"nor and repstatlen of the country on every sea,
IN every CLINE, be JeoPardised by some avaricious
CONTRACTOR who If he can make an ex,ra prof, bv
using bad material, will not fail to do so. This
should not be the case, if Uncle Sam is rich enough
mild "A MAJ sl,on, 49,.
and - stock with good chincry he ougbt moi 10
efudse employing worknen to pat them into opera
noH. Tn the principle Of profit and loss, this is a
great mistake, ior much OF that machinery which is
now lying idle, would il set in motion, b. returning
TOR ITS Use large per ceRtage, whIe al present it is
loss from being unemployed, being at tho least 70
mnch dead capital. II Is unsratafu task 10 insti
tute comparisons, bat cannot refrain from con-
uastng the little activity In the shop of our
steam Navy Yard, with that Of the English one al
Wooiwich In a similar manner As with rs, the
machine shop Tor war steamers is ocated in that
Yard, and supplied with all the necessary TOOLS but
uese are all In full operaoR large force of work
mea being employed, who form Tire nucleus of a
steam navy, and from whom, any number of Epri-
necrs Tor It's use be drafted in ease of an rmer
Naval engineers, for they have large reserve in
their factory, whs can be called upon for servic,
ahoat when necessity require. it, snch method
Ought !" be adopted at the Washington Navy Yard.
Az the rttan engines and other machinery ought to
be made at its factory and a fuffic lent number Of
w"rsmes employed, who, whea called upon, would
be as abb. and willing to act as engineers on board
The -t'aE,er, Is they are to fl nur.
Respecting the work in progress, the principal il
The harine railway. This Is inteaded as u sin on
which to haul dp vessels from the water 70, r.usjr
"r IA other words. II acts Is a kind of dry dock In
VIII take up, when finished the largest siz. ship in
the navy, that all vessels can BIZ ov,rbaul,J and
examined, and Te-coppered with the greatest case.
The shaft OF the Susquehanna, which is fine speci
Hish 81 smiths work, and OF heavy turning is nm
iSseo, ard has been placed board a vessel, TO b,
taken to IT. destination. Blythe by, we wer. shown
Ia ths foremah's Office, some furnines which had
berh taken OF in long strips, IRON the above men
H'ued shan, one Of which was eighteen fee, ,opy
and winch are kept original specimens of the
iTon, and Of the skill OF manipulation in the Da,h,
among iAs other work in this shop, we were much
lirastd with small double steam cuyin,, iu,end..
Is On auxiliary engine, to pump water into the boil
erS' and to do any other extra light work such Ar
hoistias e1al OF MOOD, &c, on board or Other pur
pose, where II woud not be desirable 10 empoy The,
idrss engines This little toy, as il may /. aimos,
called, consists of two upright cylinders, eac., o.
aocut Tour horse power, and having direct action
In tli. boiler shop adjoining, the workmen a,
present. are principally employed in constructing
"o"'s Tor the COAT, and oupIe Of cylinder boilers.
To replace those al present in use. This has BEEN
required On aecrun, Of the hate explosion, when o.,
% If- boiiers burst, by which, II Will be recoIl.cted
l"a's H'iH Nd' Killed. Instead of copper, these new
Soisfs Will b. OF hon, which, We believe Is prefer
III a. n-H. less liable, le course of THE 10 IN,
hs''ui'lons Of heat and cold. We also notc ed ont
'd', ia's. quantity OF copper tanks used for hold
ms powder, which are iinned inside and outside, To-
prevent the effects Of the weather, these, although,
H'hs Ia 'hs SANE place with the wafer tanks mus,
~" Dc cosiousded with them The Liter are much
''fsf' ana made of different shapes, 10 suit the pau
u INA 's-''l io' which they defended the object
''hs % prevent any los. Of stowase room. Tn,
"AA''- % wafer tdnAs Is principal part of the &C.
,''i"' la this chop, aRd mach skill is required IN
~ "irins OF some OF ,hen is suit tl. shape Of tina,
P"'' th- vessel wh%rs they are required to b,
P''e"- They are rendered perfectly water tipb,
" O''h' oIo-"iy nvrited- This operation is Der
rf-'rd by making the nyers red so., and while i,
''' Inserting them INTO the hole. taat have