New-York tribune., 1874-12-01
WASHINGTON.

REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER WOOD OF THE
NAVY.
STATEMENT OF IRE REPAIR AND CONSTRUCTION OF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. WITH ENGINES AND
BouERs-DIFFICUITY IN SECURING COMPETENT
ASSISTANT NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. REGARDING
THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AT TIE NAVAL
ACADEMY.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30.-The following are ex-
tracts from the annual report Of W. w. Wood Chief OF
the Bureau Of Steam Engineering Of the Navy Depart
ment:
Daring the past year the machinery etc OF tho fol
loving named vessels has been repaired and reftted for
bad boilers placed on board Plymouth. second
rates Blue Light tug ana speedwel tug at the kttery
boiler, and Brooklyn, second rate. at Charles Charles
ton Navy?ard SSradO fst Is' rafs kaSsa
third rate Dictator ironclad Roanoke ironclad and
second rate; aud Ajax iron.csd at the Paadelphis
Navy-Yarn; 'Shawmut. third rate; and Mayaower tug
at the Washington HayyYSrd; PSnS,sola sCcond
third rate. at Mare Island NavyYard; I;
] % M Manah at a@G the
Iron Works, New-York; iron-clads Jason, 'Nahant
and shipbuilding Works Chester, Penn aud the iron
cads Canomcus and Lehigh. at the works OF the Har
OF the 80 by AZ engines converted into compound en-
gnes pair has completed and erected on board
tory results obtained froT the trials at the dock
and during its performance at sea- while the vessel was
sent ont 10 observe the transit of Venus Reports
forwarded from Babia Brazil and Cape Town, Africa.
The rapid decay Of boilers used IN otion with
surface cOudeusers having become question OF grave
consideration many experiments have Deen mage M VIII IN
the methods heretofore tested. except in single
limited and partial extent The apparatus for arrestng
and neutralzng the acids on the water supplying the
boilers from tue surface condensers (and peventn
their iuroducIon the boleT. referred to in IN
annual report has given gratifying results on all
the vessels where II mas been thoroughly tested.
The ineicency OF the two-baded screws. owing the
insufficient areas of the blades, continues to be
reported These were substituted by the depart
meut several wears since in place OF those OF four
blades 0en used with view to decreasing the resist
ance Of the propeller While the Yessel was uI-
der sail alone As H.,r, the screw Co., parts oooi Of
four blades. they would not admit Of one of less
number of blades having the same area. Consequently,
substituted tne vessel was SO crippled for
want OF sufficient propeling area that 1t was almost i'm
ordinary headwind using fun engine power
Win "a view to determining exactly what the relative
or when allowed to reyOlve freely by pressure Of the
water, 1ul and elaborate set OF experiments were
made at the Mare Island Navy-Yard, the results of
Tue last report Of this Bureau called your attention to
Assistant Engineers and the diculty of securing com
petent persons TO I'LL them. THIS difficulty still exists
During the three years which ended Dec. 81, 1873
IS vacancies occurred by death, resignation.
dismissal, and retirement, and during tins period
although It Is believed that every applicant who seemed
at all suitable has received permission to DO exaned
vacancies occurred, only, two Of the candidates
fSF GaacSo1s and during aS
rent year only one candidate from eivh
le has thus far been recommended for appointment:
A. the humber of engineer graduates from the Naval
Academy must (whie the number OF cadets remains as
insufficient to fill The vacancies they
occur from time to time, respectiIhy ,dS III ,hy
acad my he increased 10 such number as will secure
not less than fifteen graduates per annam;; Con
creased the duration of the engineering course for
these cadets from two years 10 four The course
system the salient points OF mechanical engineering
can now be deye9peu so as 20 ome Sm @ T
main to be desired among which may be urged IL
a knowledge OF its calculations must be Goa;
sidered necessary prerequisite TO the SOUND
gwen TO the cadet midshpmen IN the department OF
seanInship most excellent, and, with the addition oil
structIon would be of infinite benefit to the cadet
enraeers. IL can hardly be out OF place
culture and TO urgo paramount Importance for cadet
engineers professional duties at sea often made
dowu permanently aud retire from active service many
promising officers TIE retired and sex lists Oh me
corps exhibit tins most prominently. For
these students whose specific practical ex.
ercses are OF an engrossne and connang nature ont
required develop their physique Indeed appears
cadet midshipmen excepting only III seamanshp, would
make the caoet engineers more useful in their
Specimens of the coal brought from the Praigot
Straits, the north side OF Disco Island Greenland by
Commander d. l.. BrdIne. L. 5. Navy, commanding the
United states steamer Juniata III 1873 has through
The kindness Of Prof. Benjamin Martin OF the
New-YU5k University, been carefully analyzed.
The coal ia from formation of very different age
from that which furnishes ordinary coal, ana
abounds impressions OF peculiar plants, anu as
matter of scientific interest specimens o THIS coal were
foI Wardcd for analysis
In connection with the report between 200 and 300
pages Of tabulaed experiments. involving the use or
The instrument In the propulsion Of vessels
etc. aud perimentsl connection with dragging the
screw as In the Gaze or vessels n'teh win screw
which cannot be trced, and which practice Is COM
mon in all the navies Of the world These tables
very comprehensive elaborate, and suggestive to the
engineering profession.