New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-04

success since the capture Of New.o,,.,,.
nearly year ago--all conspire to strength.
our conviction that Treason among the of;c.r.
is backed by incapacity and imbecility n ~.
Bureaus charged with the construction a..
ing and fitting out Of our National vessel. "a
is quite usual to lay the blame almost who,I.
on the Head Of the Department; but ri. J.
most unjust. The Secretary of the NAVY Az.
not even appoint the Heads of Bureau. ,u,s
less control their operations. When ve,,.,.
draw too much water, make two or thru.
knots less per hour than was designed Ana
promised, and prove as ineffective in apa
as slow in chase, the fault lies in one or
more of the Bureaus aforesaid. And q, ..
have hitherto endeayored to show more a.
pecially the mistakes and defects eyipced /,
the conduct of the Ordnance Bureau. Wa v;n
adduce some further evidence on that bs.d
intending to pay our respects to the Construe.
ton, Engineer and other Bureaus Of no di,t,u
day.
The system on which guns of large caliber
are procured and tested for the service A
Washington is substantially as follows:
The Navy wants great guns; certain found.
ers, patentees, or spectators desire TO furuish
them, and to this end submit proposal win
specimens to the Naval Ordnance Burssu.
From every five guns offered by a maka q
contractor, one is selected to uadsps
the severcst tests; if il passes the ordeal salts
factorily, and the guns are otherwise uaob.
jectionable, contract may be awarded; If not
the lot is rejected, and heavy bill Of expense
for guns, projectiles, &C., falls on the maker
or wOuld.be contractor. The test is therefore,
purely empirical: no general conclusion l. estab.
Iished, no principle can be deduced from i;
and guns thus rejected as worthless have, "a
subsequent and fairer trials, been found ID.
nirable; and this unjust rejection has often
been achieved at a heavy cost for powder, Sc,
o the Government, amounting in repeated IN.
stances to thousands of dollars. In confrma.
ion of our statement, We cite as follows from
Ordnance Officer Rodman's Official Report:
In 1885, after the failure. at the hundred and sixty
firth fire. Of the Vest Point experimental gun made fcn
his Mr. Psrrott being too high for bessy
uus From this rejected iron made the last pair Noa
n, md Jb3 OF trial l0-Dch guns at the Fort Pitt foundry,
rel beng b.. oi powder add one solid sho, and nsis
nun broke These guns have since been fred LOO rounds
aoh with ls. Of powder and sold shot and neither ~
,Token.'
IL will be perceived that our intelligent
ordnance officers did not succeed in bursting
,hese guns made from rejected iron, although,
IN the effort to do SO, they fred them escA
3, 452 times, and expended lO4,656 pounds. or
over fire tuns Of powder, and 6,9O4 solid shot,
Yet, from this costly but useless experiment
40 general conclusion was drawn; for the same
system of bIindly firing off powder and shot u
pursued to this day: not ray OF additional
is 10 be observed, but, on tho
for the purpose of proving nothing,
,ver and over again, the country is exhausted
# its most important material OF warfare ~
nam scientific experiments instituted 70 ound
he nation to the pitiable ignorance Of it, coo-
zen officials. With the positive knowledge Of
IL these facts, Admiral DahIgren, in bis an
lual report, 1862, which, By the way, wa
made about three months after assuming his
present official position, and after all the work
which he therein recommends had been accom-
,lished By his predecessor and bis able assist
.nts, neither OF whose names are mentioned IN
aid report, states, with refreshing coolnsss'
hat there was a great scarcity Of powder AZ
he beginning of the instruction but 10 did
lot add a. the supply having been exhausted In
ain though costly endeayors to inidse some
PRACTICAL knowledge into the heads OF our chiel
rdnance officers" Such a statement would
ave been at once candid and truthful.
We had intended 10 offer some further
trictures on the general management Of the
laval Ordnance Bureau; but We forbesr On
caring that Admiral Dahlgren has applied 70
e relieved from shore service and appointed
o a Naval command. We most earnestly hope
hat his request may be granted, and that as
chievements as an Admiral may do much 70
estore the furnished honor of the American
yavy. Sincerely believing that the Burssa
yer which he has presided requires very
fferent order of talent and requirement from
il, we rejoice that his own judgment dictates
change of positions; and we trust that as
uccesses as commander at sea will soon
face tho recollection of bis mistakes o.
irector on shore. carrying q large balance 70
is credit as a patriot who has deserved no
steem and gratitude Of his countrymen.