The Trinity times., 1855-04-14
Ravages of the Ship Worm in San
Francisco.

Some time since it was published that zinc
paint wonld prevent the ship-worm from cut
ting timber. a committee Of the California
Academy Of Natural sciences, appointed to
investigate the subject, have reported (as
given in the PdcifcJ thus
The Committee appointed some months
since to make examination in regard to a
method for preserving submerged timber
from the attacks Of the ship worm, offered the
following report;
Shortly after our appointment, we made to
the Academy partial report, stating that
the method proposed had every prospect OF
being highly successful We had visited the
ship-yard Of Neefus s. Tichenor below Rim
con Point. where a set Of ways had been
coated with the preparation recommended by
Mr.. Swan. We v ere assured that the timber
was then entirely sound, though timber
equally exposed near it for the same period
was almost destroyed by the Ioredo. a re-
cent visit, however, to the same ways" re-
yeals the fact that the ship worms are rapid
~ destroying them, and that the coating OF
the supposed preseryative has merely delay
ed their attack a few months. In the Judg-
ment Of the parties interested, the success is
not sufficient to induce a renewal Of the at
tempt.
We are are therefore forced to the con-
cusion that we are scarely more advanced in
knowledge concerning this important bject,
than we were before the trial Of these eXper-
iments Of Mr.. Swan. Such a result is much
to be lamented. \ very great number OF
buildings in the lower part OF the city are
supported upon piles, which must sooner or
later Weld. The fall Of block Of dwellings
on Sacramento street ew days since, is
merely a warning Of much greater los sses;
the piles which were found bored to honey
comb. had been driven only about four months
Timber covered with the bark is neal y safe
so long as the bark remains, but 50 soon as
that is removed, by a blow, or by the gradua
wear Of Of the water, the destruction com
mences. And it is therefore a source o.
great regret that no method of protection
from this evil. at once cheap and eiiectual, has
yet been discovered. Many have been de
vised, but none have thus far resulted in any
degree more iavorably than that which your
Committee were appointed to investigate.
W. q. AYREs. NJ. ID.
j. B. TRAsK, NJ. ID.
On the other side, the Washington Star Of
Of Feb. 24ih, gives the following as the re-
suit of several years Investigations by James
Jarvis, Esq, {. S Inspector of Ship Timber
at the Norfolk navy yard:
In a few words, zinc paint, and zinc paint
merely, proves the antdote, rather preven-
tive so long sought. lie shows large num-
Der of specimens, and wherever zinc paint
was applied, there only is the wood free from
the ravagos of the worm. Timber painted
all over with zine paint, but with a spot as
large as sixpence left untouched, is found
to have been bored, (rddled insde,) the en-
trance being made through that spot. Peces,
Of which some of the sides are coated with
zinc paint, are covered with barnacIcs on the
sides coated with anything but the zinc paint.
Among all his specimens, not one is to be
found where zinc paint was used with even a
single 5arnacle fastened upon it. Some
were months, and others years submerged,
yet in every case, according to the rczuts Of
these experiments, everything else has failed
zinc paint, never