The Washington union., 1857-06-10
For tho Union.
THE FIRST PASSAGE OF THE UNITED STATES
STEAMSHIP NIAGARA


STEAMSHIP NIAGARA
peculiarly unfortunate that the first passage of the
Niagara the Atlantic should have been attended by
number Of petty accidents which prevented the sailing
qualities of that noble ship from being thoroughly tested
but Uncle Sam always unfortunate in the details of all
his great undertakings We built one of the largest war
steamers in the word the finest model and fitted her
out international expedition regardless of expense
The whole country ptoe of expectation awaiting
the intelligence of her arrival In England confident that
she would beat every other vessel aoat and the first
hear Of her is that she nearly twice long
in crossing the Atlantic ordinary steamer and the
consequence of this long passage was owing to no fault in
the ship in her engines but in the worthessness
her spars and the Insecurity of her rigging When the
Niagara first getting under way in harbor the
head of of the cylinders burst and she detained
a week while one was being made. She started
trial trip of two days, and gentle wind carried away
her opgaant mast she had hardly got to when
she carried away her mizentop mast and the first
smart gale proved that the iron fasenngs of the standing
rigging could not be relied upon of the four swers
having parted that it necessary to he extremely
cautious about carrying sail The consequence was that
instead of crossing the Atlantic in twelve days. she took
nearly eighteen Notwithstanding all these annoying
cdents which trust the Secretary of the Navy will
make the subject of investigation that the blame
may be placed where it belongs, the Niagara is pro-
nounced by her officers great success.-M y Times.
We deem it but fair to state in advance of results that
the Niagara did not emanate from the Navy Department
but on the contraryas have reason to believewas
forced upon the department by irresistible outside pres
therefore, the department cannot take credit for
any excellence this ship may display it must be held
equally above rcproach for her inefcency The model
of the Niagara submitted by her constructor though pre-
senng admirable points, and most especially designed
for the attainment of high speed did not meet the ap
prova of the constructors at Washington, and the
rangemen of her decks and disposition of her interior
variance with the general views Of the navy Her
spars as well everything else about her. dughted
by the same hand excepting only the engines, which
built by contract.
In fact all that the Navy Department has had to do
with the Niagara to appoint her and Off
ccrs-has been well done for her commander has most
wisely considered the of the mission in which she
engaged of too great Importance to the nation to
be haEarled by testing to the utmost the power of her
machinery the endurance of her spars both of which
had ntmated by strong symptoms that they required
nursing.
perfect steam-fgae is not to be improvised it is
problem which has long engaged the best minds both of
Europe and America and its solution only be APP
preached with any probability of by profound
study enlightened by long and varied experience there
fore, in departing suddenly and y from the path of safe
precedent in attempting at the cost of than mil
lion of dollars, the creation of upowered steam
figte appear to have been in rather too great haste
after perfection nevertheless hesitate blame the
it in the right direction and will at least result in
teaching the nation what it would not otherwise have be-
evedz that the construction and equipment of ships
of-war, in this age of the world, is Specialize demand
ing for its successful application high atainments and
long experience and that it conclusively follows
because man has built world renowned clipper that
he build successful figate than that he who has
built good rail fence is consequence, qualified to
construct a railroad.
In conclusion, must say that it would be very pre-
mature and unjust at this time to express any opinion of
the Niagara that she has fine qualities cannot doubt
and most sincerely do hope that experiment in
val architecture made at such vast expense may not be
without valuable results to marine We assured
that at the earliest convenient she will be thor
oughy tested and the excelences of her model fully de-
veloped but this only be done according to all
accounts after she shall have been spared and rugged
upon different principles. X. w
From the Detroit Free Press, juno S.
FROM LAKE SUPERIOR