The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-10
THE NAVK YARD.

s,oy, our OOn oorvespondenl
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The following is the
report submitted TO the House of Representa-
lives By Messrs. Kelley, Stevens, and Ferry, the
minority OF the House Naval Committee on the
purohase OF tools at the Philadelphia Navy
Yard
Tn taking leave of the official reports of Engi-
neers Wood, Henderson, and Iuch, the under.
signed invite attention to the following, one Of
.he three conclusions submitted with their
Anal report, and TO the extracts from their own
evidence before the sub committee, as COM
yoentarv thereon. The proposition OF these
vontlemep. which we propose to illustrate by
1he sworn testimony Of two Of its authors, is as
follows:-
nFlnally, the Board adheres to the opinion
avnreasSd in their report of July Ia, 1868, and
are still of the opinion that the selectlon OIL
these tools was proper ana Juulclous, aud bnat
their purchase was the pest economy ior the
Government"
Extracts from the testimony OF Chief Engineer
Wood taken by the subcommittee
TIE BORING BAR.
The instrument Is complete and strong, so
far as could Judge, II VIII do no other work
than bore cylinders of large diameter and
length I had occasion to supervise some of
the work done upon that machine when cyiu-
ders were bored a hundred inches in diameter
for the Dunderberg. 1t will cut off the fanges
cutting of a modern boring mill.
O. Is it an essential inslrument In small
machine shop? A. Where cylinders above 45
or 60 inches are called for 1t is useful; it is not
well adapted to boring cylinders OF small dame
ter.
THE DOUBLE HEADED LATHE.
O. Did you examine minutely the double
headed lathe? A. Yes, sir; have very good
idea of it. examined it sufficiently to see
Q. Do you think it was originally double
headed lathe? A. That | am not prepared to
say. | observed that one end had the appear
ance OF not being as strong as the other.
made some inquiry as to where 1t was con.
structed, and l learned that it was built in
Nashua New Ham pshire-when, / could not
say-by Warner d Whitney.
q. Can you say whether all or only part
was built by them? A. cannot.
Mr.. Roach testified that 1t was not built as
double-headed lathe, aud that he had built the
more modern half of il IN 1864.
THE BRHAK LATHE.
In answer to the question, "Did you examine
the break lsthe?" Mr.. Wood said:-
did; it has the appearance of having been
in use; how long could not determine; 1T is
tool not generally introduced into modern
machine shops,
Q. Will not modern boring mill and
screw-cutting lathe do all the work that can be
dene on q break lathe ANY variety OF work? A.
Yes, If they have the capacity,
Y. Then shop supplied with modern bor-
ing mill and q good screw cutting lathe does not
require break lathe? A. Not unless there
might be necessity to multiply your resources
by increasing tools.
THE THIRTY SIX INCH PLANER.
Q. Did you observe the wear of the cross feed
screw, near the middle? A. did not measure
1t. l noticed there was some loose motion due
to wear.
O. If the grooves in that screw were quarter
OF an inch at the end where 1t is not worn, and
quarter and sixteenth at the middle, wha
amount of use would that wear indicate? A.
machine nppleCtpd WOuld
quire great deal OF use to produce that result
Ii properly taken care of, it would require con
siderable, In looking at the tool formed th'
opinion that it was comparatively new too
and could not have been greatly used, aud
consequently, must have been abused to pro
duce that result.
Q. How new tool do you mean? A. 1t II
not by any means an obsolete tool; some shop!
build them now.
RATE OF DEPRECIATION.
Q. Have you any idea of the allowance made
by manufacturers OF machinery for the depre-
citation OF tools aside from the repairs?
A. That depends upon the kind of tool very
much, whether new or old; If the tools were
new, there would oe very little deterioration the
first year. l should say that, in establish ments
like those in Philadelphia, they would probably
make an allowance OF seven per cent, for tools
in constant use.
Q. In your estimate you include the progress
Of improvement and the possibility of tools be-
coming obsolete? A. Yes, sir.
THE STYLE AND AGE OF THE TOOLS.
Q. Are the tools purchased for the yard al
Philadelphia OF John Roach d Son generally OF
the first class originally, equal to any IN the
country? A. Some OF them were and some
would not be 80 called.
o. In general, did they strike you as first
class tools in finish and structure? A. Perhap:
not taking into consideration the tools of to
day, they are not equal In every respect, all o.
them, to the tools OF TO day. Some OF them are
of very strong design, and are capable of doine
work rapidly, and, think, efficiently.
n nru uOu hnd at Unr nna hiT
which lead you to believe that any OF then
were constructed within the last five years A
Some OF them have been. The shears OF tina
double headed lathe are about as heavy as the
are made now. There was shaping machine
that think embodies all the improvements o
to day. A 0reak-lathe built to day would pro
baby be the same as that, perhaps some OF tht
lathes- some OF them. The gear cutter woulC
be the came; the rollers are modern; the other
are all older style.
ECONOMY OF OLD OR NE v TOOLS.
O. Which would be the better economy il
stocking the shops of the new station, to bu
cheap secondhand tools that might be capabl
of doing the work that is wanted or to buy ne
yardf A. / should say 1t would be better T.
buy the very best thing you could get; and neN
tools In preference 10 secont hand, worn ones
Q. In starting any machiue shop that is t
compete with another weli.apponted sEol
and which is to make fOe and large work is nc
the best tool always the most economical? A
Yes, sir; poor tool diminishes the accurac
and amount OF work. and both are marred
any imperiection in the tool.
SECOND HAND TOOLS FOR TIE BROOKLYN YARl
@. Have you purchased any secondhan
machipeTy? A. None, except one or two lathe
/ purchased them from Mr.. Roach, three
four months ago; | saw them In his shop bl
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