, 1865-03-17
Chicago Grtbune.
FRIDAY MARCH II. ,Als,
SPEED or THE AMERICAN NAVY

made their report on The subject Of Ndrine
Engfnes shortly before the close OF the recent
session Of Congress. The public will remem-
Der the controversy which aroee on this sub
.ject about ono year since, originating In Ger
tain charges preferred By Edward N. Dicker
son; ESQ, OF New York, against the Nayy De-
pa1tment, and particularly against the Chlcf
OF the Bureau Of steam Engineering, Mr. B.
F. 1shcrwood. Mr. Dickerson charged in
substance that the vessels then constructed.
and In course Of construction, for the Navy,
were fat'ures that the cause Of their failure,
~ns the alleged fact that sihcy did not use
steam expansfve]y"; that d conspiracy
had been entered into by officers Of the NAVY
Department to "break down. the engines Of
the stcainer Pensacola, which had been de-
signed By Mr.. Dickerson, for.the purpose of
bringing his system Of steam machinery into
dlsrepute; that some person In tho NAVY De.
partmcnthad received bribes from contract
ors Of engines, etc. The resolution of the
House directing the investigation authorized
The Committee to require the opinion of the
National Academy OF Science on any scientific
question involved. The subjects Of inquiry
embraced In the resolution were;
I. lhe plans snd structure Of the Il. n.rins enrtnes
constructed and NOW tn course OF construction for
tie navy. AVA
al. m Wna1 essential particulars these engines
from those Or commerciaI ttcane,a ~ ~ ~ ana
In The navaes Of France md England.
s,o 10. y Sneee ,. a.InoIty. under Nhosc supetvi-
made; and whether lie fnadeousts nower "G1s .aI
speed Of our naval vessels arc caused by these dif
nSH. N 7,.h
sny c1nniogec 81 ihe Nasy l1coar,msnt ~ ~ IL
Auttority, TO break down aud ot1ns into disr.pa,e
13i.n. n wiz IL IT. aae scnsts"c,na Ut ne
+. whether any person connected with the Nary
Uepsftment nas fsfeisea e.. any, .ees eommqisslon.;
engines. o. comprlied the payment of patcnt ises
TO unauthorized persons By contfactors Tor en-
@i4ee' N .n -. - - t.-:s - ss'
~. az a:s.1s,., % ~ s>,"n. e ~ -, 'aaAe
sAI u1'se., y. raas ~. ~ masme ensmes
nae o<e" ea'p'ose ~ " 'u' Nass Depafs slncns
IN the construction o. steam mh:hlnery and
1hat no particular pian has been adopted to
the exdnsaon OF others; that The Navy De-
qaftnen oocs use steam e4pans.Vely
tAouGn mol 10 tue e4tenI oecned fno3l ao~
1antagtons BY M1. UlcEesson. WHO alleges
that the power and economy to be derived by
the expansive use OF steam has been ascct-
taintd with mathematical precision BY Mr.
1iotte and Regnan1t and is defined in tho So
called " Inv Of Marrfotta" which Mr.. 1sher-
wood denies. The National Academy Of
Science, being interrosatcd by the Commit
tee On this p int, replied that the pressure
,ot expanding mir ie not governed by the law
OF Ma11iottc, much less that Of steam.' y
The Committee add that the evidence
before 1hcm showed that the theory Of Mr..
1sherEood on this subject is supported BY q
very great prepoDdcrance in actual practice,
and TINT while some Of The engineers Of the
Navy and some Of tl.senginecrs in civil life
d.der from tho Naval Bureau Of Steam Engi.
nccriue in relation to other appliances, there
is the least diversity Of opinion and the least
yariattop of practical results in regard to this
fubtcct. In regard to the Sicklcs cutoff, for
, 1vbicn orrat erooomy rand efficiency werc
c1a,nnd hy Sfr. Dickerson the Committee re-.
marl.. |" some ycars aro it WAS thoncnt to be
ccono1ny Of fuel TO work steam expcnsiyely,
Tim Denar,,nenf ordered the ordinary aide
inf ynlyc to he removed from the Prince
4o, and s;ctles, ,nde,.nd.ot cnt-o1F In ht
nut m. Size was tried. and the whole films
r,und a. he ,ttcr1y nse,css and IT vas takeI
oT Tho pa,socola and Richmond were fan
,rns M accornt of the ,ni,cncndcn,,snnt. an ,
~ rx,,,r " ~, second in,erroca,orr ~
ronr,;,.cc tor thnt +1,e cr,r;nas in nse IN m
49, me- IN - rcsnect infcrinr to those of m
T,no1,sh and Frcnc1, nayies. while In som
-,or9,c,1.rs thav ore dec;d,dlr erne-;or
Tn -cfercncc n The third sn,,,ect of ;nou;rv
f+hc al,cocd ioadennatc snacd and 1,n,Fer n
shc navT1 t1,e Committee show that mn suc1
fact exists that there has ,,ecn a marked in
engage Il, fha sneed Of tbe vessels of the ms
since The present Administration came int
power. II is shown that the screw cunboa,
OF the Itasca class have maximum speed i,
knobs per hour, the double cudcfs o
tho Octarora class Ii Knots, thos
of the Eutaw class 1877 knots, tn
screw s1oops Of the Tfconderosa cIas
12 knots. screw gunbcats Of the Nypsic clas
1e39 Knots. The average speed Of the Cunart
paddle wheel steamers In IN ocean voyage
1889 knots. and that of the Lfyerpool. Ner
1ofk arg fn1laoe1pnla sore" steamers W
-,arfao+ - c.;tsrson ;n.srono1 - ~ r.ssa, . 49, =
,oo.., u.a+o- M 49,, na,a;sus,,,,. cs..a
chan vessel In mid ocean, exposed to til
,.z1oa:,,a,+s ~ ~. ,-.s+h.. ~ ~. "a.
upsautsu I ~ .ae Ns74uet VI eps osus ~,
,,r,, 1noae,s different FINN +trnsc ~ ,,n,
49,. s4"s-.a.s ~. ~. s.ao....a,,t.o. 1850 -. 80
@..o.a,1a 4n- snead ~ Vonaban A.,
TIA - Dsn.s.,E3,,o 49,.
4ses :. IN 1he natnre If 1hinqs II l. imnozs
h,c for , vessel or war to he as fast as q rezs.
~ tbc s,me tonn,cn in tha merchant So
-;.a - Tfe comm;ftee con,,lude 4his hranc
~ ~. ,nroe+ioation Nv set,nr :. 1hera Al,
49, s>near te +. =. IN ni,cd IN Ma rs.o,,