New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-17
OUR NAVY.

The Secretary Of the Navy is receiving piO.
posals for the building Of Fifty .tcan g'lnJoat'.
They VII cost probably some four millions Of
dollars If they are constructed according "a
the specifications that haze been furnished by
the Department, they Will be unit to 90 into
action. We call upon tho Pre-. deut to look 70
il. The Importance OF this ann Of public defense
Mt tie present time Cannot be oyercstmetfd.
crave responsibility viii rest upon him il, with
the matter tDus scasOnably called 10 Bad attention.
DE saal permit tae public money to be 'quan.
dcrcd, sld ihc public honor and safety to he
jeoparded.
We do not intend in this article 20 examine
the details Of The plans submitted to The eng-
noerine houses i,q their proposals. 1t u enough
for our Irescut purposes TO say that ihGy arc
very iull in matter Of no importance, md very
meagcr in information o. substantial utility.
They securo nothing but fifty engines, which VIII
not be alike. They ought to be 50 constructed
that tie pieces OF each would correspond win
the pieces Oi oil the others, SO dat il would be
possible TO repair them with dispatch and Win.
out difficulty. This would cal for Ytry cur2te.
detailed, working drawing, which there dOes not
seem 70 be sufficient engineering sill and eNpc
r.cncc in the bureau Of the Chief Engineer TO
produce. All this, however, We pass By. Inca
pacty is not necessarily dishonesty, though It
resembles it very nearly when it is allied wiih
charlatanLsm.
Nor do We think it worth while 10 dwell upon
the immense consumption Of coal attending the
new. tangled notion Of working steam noB-eIpan.
sigely, in the face Of the experience Of hail
century in favor of the contrary system. In con.
sequence of this arrangement, nearly fifty per cent
more fuel will be burned in the new gun.boats
than is necessary. But this is matter merely
OF dollars and cents. The United States can pay
the cosl-bin.
There is q point, however, which is not one of
expense nor convenience, to which we feel it our
duty TO direct the inquiry Of the Secretary of
the Navy and Of the President. The people will
not submit in silence TO zee this sll-inportant
feet sacrificed to job. The specifications re-
quire that every engine shall be furnished with
Sewes Patent Condenser, and with Martins
Patented Boilers. Every contractor mus. present
Sewelrs receipt and Martins receip. before he
can have his bills rettled at the Department.
Martin and Sowen have been fellow-eng inecrs.in.
chief for many years, with the present
Chief Engineer. 1t is natural enough that he
should desire to give lift TO he Old comrades
and cronies, without the adIaixture OF any selfish
We do not blame him for In
amiable weakness in this regard. Ii is not un-
likely that Scwell's Condenser will answor as well
as any other, but it viii not answer ~ much
better as TO justify the Chlel.Engnocr ia throw
ing the monopoly Of the gun-boat construction
iato the hands Of his ffiende. This may add to
tie expense % the Government, but ii IS conpsr-
atively unimpOrtanf because it ia harmless.
Whether one condenser OF another 10 used is a
matter Of small moment.
MARTINS boiler is very good one. II has
been used in some Of our largest commercial
steamers, for which il is well adapted. But for
these ganboats it is the worst possible Of boilers.
aad the Chief Engineer cannot be so stepidly in.