The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-10-10
CUR steam Navy..

The JournaEof. Commerce pay to SecretaTy
Dobbin a wel.merited. compliment in the fpt
flowing interesting article on our steam nay :,
No department. of tho, goyernnient hMasssbesn has
managed with more marked ability and sqE-
cess than the naval, and We have every reason
to anticipate that Mr.. Dobbin's exertions 70
give that arm ofsthe public service elevation
and power will prove emnently snccessfni.sA
He devotes himself with untring vigilance.and
energy to the duties of his station, aud iss.ai
ready receiving the reward which is sure tosbe
bestowed BY just people upon official .6detity'
and ability:
".OUR STEAM NAvY.-It is a reliefstobe able
to discover any signs that the steamehayyo
the United States will ever be extricated from;
the shameful position which it has heretofore
occupied. Almost every successive attempt
to establish s1good fame has only served sto
detract from what it had already earned. ScIi
eral good hulls have been constructed, Whh
the engines, in most instances, have ptoped
unmitigated failures. It is said that this result
was not SO much the fault Of engineers, nlasN
nists, or naval constructors, as 5ofs.soldsfoges,
who, by their intermeddling, spoiled whatever
they endeavored toimprove. Secretary Dob3
bin, in adopting measures for the construction
of the six new steam frigates pursued a course
very different from his predecessors, having in
vited plans from experienced engineers through
out the country, and, as a consequence is ena
bled to avail himself OF. their combined talent
We are assured by we'll known scientific
gentleman, just. returned from Washington,
that there are;Eeasons for confidently believing
that thespoposed steamers will be model speci-
mems of naval architecture, and not lnferorsto
anything nowsto be found in the navies of Eu-
rope. = The contracts, were awarded on Friday,
and will very soon be made public. These
Ships are to be of 5000 tons burden, 255 feet
| nlength, 81 in breadth, and will draw 90 feet
at extreme lead line. All Of the machinery
will be below the surface of the water, which.
plan was first introduced in steamers intended
for war purposes by. Mr.. Ericsson, in the steam
ship Princeton but which has since been al
most universally adopted in English and French
vessels. .of.war Of our, own naval steamers it
is claimed that none have proved more success.
fnl than the Princeton.E During her two years
cruise in the Mediterranean her engines re.
fduired nosrepairs whatever, and her, perform
ances attracted much notice. 1t was during
thisscruise that all the measurements of her
engines We're taken, and subsequently repro:
duced in France, on the steamer Pomone, and
are now, asbefore observed, in almost univer-
sal use. We are informed that in all prcbabili-
ty one, and perhaps two, Of the new. steamers
will be furnished with engines on substantially
the same plan. Mr.. Ericsson had with him at
Washington a beautiful model, with important
Improvements. He terms it the vibrating le-
yer engine'-the principal feature beilgsth
application of.a~rotary motion to the propellers
similar to the Prineeton's: s.. Vibrating pistons
are done awas.with, and the ordinary ptstons
introduced. ! 1t is exceedingly simple and very
compact. The engines of the famous English
steamer Ajax are on muchethe same principle,
but a larger number Of cylinders are empIoYedB
all working the same shaft, necessarily occns
pying much space, involving many compca-
tions. and consequently more liable to need fire..
quent repair. 1t is said Of Mr.. Ericsson's
engine, with <alt of its simplicity, that the
amount ofspower exerted will exceed the pow
,r Of the Ajax"