The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-12
Tuesday Morning, January IL. 1864.
OUR STEAM NAVY.


OUR STEAM NAVY.
rHE ATTACKS UPON Mr.. SHERWOOD CHIEF OF THK
BUREAU OF STEAM ENGINEERING.
Defence OF Mr.. sherwood.
In the issue of the New York Herald of the
18th instant, there is published the speech to the
jury in the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, by L. n. Dickerson, attorney in the
case of a contested patent suit for the use of
Sickles' ''cut-of' in the steamboat Columbia.
Printed in small type, it covers nearly two pag-
es, as if aiming by its quantity to command the
attention that certainly does not belong to its
quality. Instead of being an engineering argu-
ment in support of certain engineering views, it
is throughout personal attack upon the prin-
/ cipal witness, Mr.. sherwood, the Chief of the
&Bureau OF Steam Engineering, Navy Depart
ment, and upon all who stand in any way in
the path of Dickerson and the patents in which
he is interested. From the beginning TO the
end. il i filled with garbled statements, and
with extracts from books and evidence, SO torn
from their natural connection and arranged in
juxtaposition, as TO produss erroneous impress
sions. He quotes verses, too, without mercy,
for dealing SO much in fiction, he naturally ap-
peals to the evidence of the poets. The speech,
indeed, contains almost as many errors as state
ments; and SO overhows with personal rancor,
that its animus is apparent 10 the most cursory
reader. There must, of course, be a reason for
the personal feelirg which has carried its author
with such passionate vituperation and reckless
raid through two sides of the New York Herald.
A brief sketch of his antecedents in this connex-
ion will show both his qualifications for giving
opinions on Engineering questions, and the mo-
tiyes of his attack.
Dickerson was originally intended for the bar;
but he appears TO have soon abandoned the law
far as to turn his attention to steam engin-
eering--to which he was directed by his connec-
zion with Mr.. Sickles, known chiefly as the in
ventor Of a "cut-of' that hears his name-and
Immediately commenced to carry outthe patents
and views of his client His first attempt-his
prentice hand-was tried upon the Detroit Pump
ing Engine in which he embodied the samecrude
engineering ideas, and the same falacious prin-
ciples which he still entertains. He obtained the
contract for that engine in precisely the same
manner as he obtained whatever others he has
had, and whatever notoriety he possesses-by an
lndiscriminate and wholesale disparagement ef
everything in his way both privately and through
The press. That such was the fact, the following
citations from the tenth annual report of the
Water Commissioners for the city of Detlo
will prove:
1T being made public that it was in contem-
plation to procure pumping engine for these
works. Mr.. Edward n. Dickerson, of the city of
New York. opened correspondence with indi-
yidual members of the board relative TO furnish
ing such an engine, and submitted propositions
in various forms addressed TO individual men,
10 the public through the columns of daily pa
per in this city, offering and guaranteeing the
engine he proposed to construct, with pecu-
Iarly constructed pump of his own invention,
recently patented, to perform, duty greater
than had been hitherto attained by any steam
engine in the world
'sThe Jersey City record books, which were kept
on the Cornish plaintiffs Is an admirably construct.
ed Cornish pumping engine = showed maximum
duty OF about 100 900 000 he DckersoD would con-
fractsto do l50 900 000 of such millions the Jersey
City engine performed; i. e. he would contract TO
other engine in the country by fifty per cent.
The progress and final result of this machin-
cry u best told in few extracts from the report
already cited, namely:
.'The contract having been prepared was executed
the 18th of July, 1856, the contractors fling
curty In the sum Of dfty thousand dollars.
"By the terms Of the contract this engine to
he fully completed by the first day OF July 1851 but
the time was subsequently extended until July ],
1ss and again until March !, 1864; in both by
aud with the consent Of the sureties.''
'In his report Of January /, 1853 the engineer Of
the board reported, that considerable portion OF
the parts of the engine have been received, and
,he contractors expect soon to commence the cree
ton Of the engines. But on the lst of January,
1885, we had to report to you that the engine had
not been completed. The lst of January 1850, came
and we were again compelled TO report TO you the
engine uncompleted. On the LIST Of January 1861,
we were compelled TO report TO you that the engine
had not yet been offered TO us for acceptance"
II was finally completed about the LIST of May
1861. and used during about six weeks, but gave
so inferior performance that it was not offered
for the trial test. Its best duty was 40 900 006
instead Of the promised 10, ,o00, 600.
subsequently, says the report, the new engine
was thoroughly oyerhaulcd, rollers were removed
and slices substituted, and after making several
contractors cesed the house and left for the city of
New York, taking with him the keys of the engine
n & he rpo 20 Of AZ M lHs'y ,Se
the house returned TO the secretary of the board
by express, aud the president Of the board received
u communication by Mr. 4. y. DekeIson. one Of
the contractors, apprising him that the keys had
been returned as above and with an infimaiton that
the contractors would probably abandon their inten-
ton of making any further efforts TO complete the
The board anticipating this result, had long be-
contractors and their sGreteS accordingly, and re-
fcrred the matter to committee OF the board with
to ss ,o pe Of sa
against both principal and suretes, who have placed
the matter in the hands Of Messrs Burriil Dawson
Burriii, attorneys fn the city Of New York. with
instructions to institute suit without d1'ay.
Thus ended this first effort. Even piekers1n 5
effrontery was not sufficient 10 enable him TO Of
fer precarious performance of 4o,090, 600 in
place of 80 900 600 guaranteed, and With a ma
chine that could scarcely be got to run an hour
without breaking down. The unhappy Water
Commissioners grew wise with sorrow, and SUI
perseded the Dickerson abortion with an engine
0f the well tried and usual construction, the rep
dtaton OF which. no one having any particular
interest in il, kad thus been left to the yindca-
ton of time.
While the Detroit pumping engine was drag
ging its slow length along to such utter failure,
Dickerson was smitten with ambition 10 build d
marine engine-an engine for a first class naval
yessel-and he commenced in his usual charac-
teristic manner, by vituperating to the Navy
Department all its engineers. lie assailed the
engineers of that day in exactly the style of his
speech now published in the Herald; they were
fools and knaves, because they opposed then
practical experience to his erudities, and then
knowledge to his ignorance; but he made nc
progress until he brought his political associ-
ates to his assistance.
He was at that time affiliated with the then
Senators, Mallory and iglse. Of Florida, ane
they bestirred themselves vigorously in his fav-
or. Mallory was chairman of the Senate Com.
nittee on Naval Affairs, and necessarily had
great influence with Mr.. Toucey, the then Secre-
Iary OF the Navy, who long resisted the attempt
but bis opposition was finally overborne, and
she Secretary signed the il-omened contract