The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-13

all of which went to confirm the statement
l had made. Yesterday I received a letter
which will read, from gentleman with
whom am very slightly personally ac-
quAlnted, but who WAS introduced to me
Oy the Senator from Massachusetts furthest
from me Mr.. Sumnerl year and y half
ago. He has never been An advocate or a
or particular friend Of the Navy Depart
ment, but is man known all over the
country as one OF tho most extern
sive shipbuilders in the United States.
desire that his statement may go to the
country in this connection. The letter
Will speak for itself. Let me say here.
thaC owing TO the peculiar character of the
war and tho great cutlery for fast vessels,
we shall be liable 10 sacrifice too much to
secure speed.
DEAR SIR: My attention has been call
Ell to the controversies now before the pub
TIC, III which our naval machinery has been
severely criticised and our naval steamers
set forth rs monstrous abortions and COM
plete failures. l have watched with deep
interest the course pursued by the Navy
department, both regarding the models Of
null and tho style and power OF the steam
machinery used. | have ideas of nv own
on tho subject of the proper requisites for a
steam vessel Of war. and do know that it is
difficult problem to solve. Also, know
the fact the present war has called FOR a
class Of steamers hitherto untried and I'M
known TO the great naval Powers of EU-
rope. The requirements of the blockade,
and offensive operations on the southern
coast, have brought forth a class Of steam
ers admirably fitted for such work, but, IN
my opinion, hardly the proper models for
fast cruising ships. But am surprised to
see that there are people unpatriotic and
selfish enough to use every effort. personal
u ,vaAf,v sysA
and poison the public mind with the belief
that the recently constructed naval steam
ers are failures and wholly untitled for the
! work intended for them to do.
II have also taken pains to inquire into
the merits of the steam machinery used in
1.-The naval service, and my conclusions are
without prejudice and entirely uninhuen-
ced by any party or parties. l have fully
conversed with engineers IL civil life, also
with our naval engineers, and I hero re-
mark that from observation and expert
ence with the Navy engineers I believe
| them as q body to be an ornament to this
country, and that they combine theory
| with practice, and are doing and have done
! much TO elevate the standard of mechani-
cal engineering in our country. They are
as body superior to the English engineers,
but think not quite equal to the French,
and do not hold 80 high a position in our
service rs the corps OF engineers do in the
French navy We must educate these
young men AS we do our midShipmen, give
them the advantages Of our dock-yard
shops, and send them to sea on practice
ships; and after this experience then thor
oughly examine them, and If they pass
make them third assistant engineers. l
consider the organization of the imperial
| corps OF French naval engineers to be COM
plete. They rank first on the list of staff
officers of the navy, are educated in the
Government dock yards, and the highest
| in rank, inspector genera, OF naval engi-
neers, corresponding with our chief OF bu-
reau, &C. ranks with genera! of division
lmalor general first class engineers
| with captains OF iine-of-battle ships: and
so down 10 the eng .neer cadets or appren-
tees. And / read with pleasure in our
honorable Secretary's report that il is the
intention of the Navy Department to edu-
cate this important class OF officers at Gov
eminent expense.
II find from reliable sources that Mr..
Edward N. DicAerson, OF New York, has
| been the author OF most of the attacks on
our steam navy, and has expended much
time and money in spreading his news
paper articles and pamphlets all over the
country; also that he is n lawyer by pro-
| fession, having ample means and interest
ed in An important part Of marine steam
engine known as the "valve gearing. -
From evidence collected from naval engin-
GERS and those III civil life I do not find
| that he has any reputation as an engineer,
and is considered as a sort of enthusiast OF
perhaps nonomaniac on the subjec, of coal
expansion OF steam, and his peculiar "cut-
OFF, also that his engineering operations
so far have been complete failures.
"On the other hand the representative Of
the Steam Bureau, Chief Engineer Usher
wood, although, not practical man
in the strictest sense of the word, tina,
is "A, machinist by trade, and do not
| think it necessary that u man must file and
hammer iron for seven years to be good
engineer, for there are SO many trades used
in mechanical engineering that it would be
impossible to learn them all, but man OF
| extensive engineering experience, under
standing the working Of metals, has had
long practice at sea, land while in foreign
ports, as the English well know, improved
| his time in thoroughly inspecting the ma
chinery of their war vessels, also having a
good education, is Mathematician, and q
sound clear-headed thinker. This is the
opinion of engineers and manufacturers
generally, also OF the members of his own
corps. l know personally that his books
have been read with interest in England
and that English engineers have a very
high opinion of his capacity as marine en-
gineer, and believe his experiments were
faithfully made, land not frauds rs the pu b.
lie had been led to believe,l and it would
have made any American engineer
proud to have heard the warm APP
prevail they gave of his systematic and
thorough way of experimenting and ex-
planning causes, effects, &c. l will here
add that the experiments made with en-
gines and boilers by the Navy Department,
exceed anything of the kind ever tried in
Europe, for they have been practical. and
if any experiments can give US light on
such subjects, those that have been made
are very valuable to the country at large
as well as the Navy. l have very little per.
sonal acquaintance with Mr.. IsherwOod
and know him only from others and by his
deeds, and truly believe that he has not had
fair play. He seems to be q hard working
man, while those attacking him, SO far as
know, are idlers and have not much else t.
do. Understanding that there was to be an
investigation regarding Mr.. 1sherwoOd's
machinery and bis official course as an en-.
gineer, present the following table O.
British war steamers with their speeds q,
the measured mile; and l know full vel
what the delusion of a measured mile tria
is, and know that at sea under ordinary
circumstances, they do not equal the meas
ured mile time by at least fifteen per cent.
and often more. In running the measured
| milo (aud I have spnn il rono and Lrox,