The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-25
A FINE FRIGATE RUINED.
now CoNTR fCTS ARE CARRIED OUT
UNDER SECOR ROBESON.
An Fud TO the IIopr- OF Expert Naval Con-
trnctor--Oid MACHINERY Fiitcd W New
-Iip-T Fatal Inrcte OF the Eypcrisucnt.

n
trnctor--Oid MACHINERY Fi;tcd W II New
Ship-Tniul ELECTS OF the Expcrincnt.
Information reached rnE SrN u short
time ago tia, the new steam frleatc Trenton,
which was ,unchcd st New Years Dlv. had
been ruined by john R)acn, who had the con
tract from Scccr Robson to put in her mt
chinerv. car fui investigation seems 70
snow that the inform vi VI Il correct. THE
frig'tc Trenton ia ruined ship. aud cannot be
semitic sea win safety TO her oil err and crew.
rni- nnc hip. one " the eight new vessels or
dcred by CouIress, was on the stocks in the
brooklyn Navy Yard two years aud two
months. The timber u4ed in der IL the
best live oak and white oak. Some
of 1t had lain In the Navy Yard for forty years.
Tue naval constructors had formed very hish
opinions ~ her capacltv for speed and stiunch-
ness. They estimated that she would be the
fastest ship IN the navy, that she would make
fourteen knots an hour a, the least, and that
under -ail without steam she would rival a clip
ner ship OF the first class. She registers 300
tons burden. She Is 2i5 feet long from knight
heads to taGrail and Is 30 feet In length at her
load line. Her breadth Of beam is IS feet and her
depth ~ hold ~ feet The idea illowed In h or
construction was to produce "A wooden shtp That
would carry guns Of calibre enough to cope with
the heaviest uonciad. and the battery prepared
for her is composed Of twelve II inch rincd guns.
battery W. put IN the North Carolina some
years ago. but shc was found to be unable to
carry the weight. formidable ram was 20 be
added to her stem below the waier line. She
cost without machinery, a. she lies In dry dock
to-day. $4,000.
THE MACHINERY.
John Roach contr cted 10 put new propeller
machinery IN her Of $500 Indicated horse power.
for, u is said, $l'00O. mat machinery T. nearly
hnishod and lei In the Morgan Iron Works.
Coupctcnt mechanics. who have in.pect,l II
TINS week say That II is' partly AZ least. old ma
chineN reyamrod am furnished upso as to look
Us good a. new. Every imuort1nt part % the
machinery hut the cylinders ant condenser
seems TO tie old. Tine mail connections are old,
the main conn ing rod being an Oh one cut
down seven-siXteenths Of an inch. The links,
whicl ", rk the ' I've motion. the s'Ops on them
and the kevs are old; 50 are tho steam pipes,
THIS sccofds with information coming from
aevernl source To- the effect that this Is the same
machinery that Mr.. Roach bought some time
n-o from the Navy Department for old iron. IL
j. salt to he machinery that was built during the
Wal Tor the fiisatc Java, whose unlnisbei hun
now yes ruttlnS on Tue stpchs IN the navy yiri'
tho close OF the war hav' NJ render II inndyis-
IL, ~ the orin On Of the depart meut, To cOm-
i1cit q YES lat WAS teins so nrricdl, thrown
together for Immediate use. Hut she was to
have been vessel 81 over 1900 tons. much
lager than the Trenton. Certain uaris Of ner
nltchinery would therefore be- uusuitabic. How
oid Mr. 10 ich 1T over this dimcutyt
DEFECTIVE SHAFT
On the gun deck OF the Trenton lies a section
OF ne main shAft nat Is intended for her ma
chinerv Another section Is imbc dded IN herstern
post. ana the screw is attached to II. II is the
Deliberate conviction Of competent shinwr ichts,
after careful cxaminatiun, that the rrentun's
stern post h.s been fatally weakened hv ,ultrg-
ing the SHAFT hole tn adapt II to the old shat Of
the Java. The shaft hole rad been laid down IN
the plans Of Naval Constructor Hauscom about
twelve inches In di,mster. and the places for
tue bolts market, 50 that they sIoulu not be
disturbed In uoring Tor the shaft. The stern
p - nj that point was made about twenty two
Inches wide. thus leaving five inches Of wood on
each side Of tue shaft mole. which, with proper
check pilates. ~ the opinion or shtuOuilders,
would give ample strength to bear the str.in.
Ihen air. Roach SET 10 Work TO Ut the shaft. and
now " apT ears by actual measurement OF the
END OF H. as II projects from the screw. IN I he
mas put ~ q snail IN inches 10 ditmcter. leav-
ing AT the most three inches Of the stern post IN
e.ch -idc OF the shaft hole, and tn1t he has cut
away the Inner post almost entirely. 10 further
idenuty tue shaft as that mads for the java. the
staff hole Of that yes. el was measured also. 1t
was cx city 10 incnes In diameter, whicn, allow
Ing as -ual FOR the inch sleeve. would exactly
accommodate the old shaft that Johnny Roach
has spoiled new irghe TO hl. hut on each
sire Of the shaft mole In the Java's stcrnpost
there are nine inches Of wood left, the stern
post being about 81 inches vide al that point.
old ship carpenter who ms worked for years in
the navy yard aud VINO worked on the Trenton.
III he, after pointing out the shell to which
Roach had reduced the sternp1st, Yes. SIR;
that sterupOst l. Skinned" meaning, IN ship
wrights' parlancc. spoiled.
FATAL wEAKNEss.
II IL said, moreover, that I'm m king room for
the JaVa's shaft In the Trenton's sternpost
Rua lis men cut number Of the copper bolts
thus contributed 90 the weakue.s uf "A part so
important ~ sust dining the enOTnIOus weight Of
wood aud iron ait.
Leading snipbuilders confirm the opinion that
to bore the stcrnpOst of 2 heavy vessel like the
Trenton 80 ns to leave only three inches Of wood
on each side II her SHAFT Is To render her worth
less us seugoina ship. The immense power ~
her Prupelnr mach nery e. 81 course. arulied
at that point, in revolving the large blades
Of her screw, wni'h have eighteen feet
srread There IS good regsOn to believe that
she would shake everything loose there the first
~ q ha got m "a - git
The shiphuilders say that enough iron might
have been Dol ted Ground her stern post to
remery its We kue's IN n measure, cur investi-
k-tion shows that the cheek plates us ed are only
OF o'dlnsry size. So carefully Is this part Of
propeller usually built that even IN an ordinary
tug boat IL Is common to leeve i've OF six inches
OF wood IN her stern post on each side Of the
shaft hole, and strengthen It with cheek plates
besides when this structure Is Contrasted with
n vessel Of 300 tons propelled by engines Of
3.jOO-hOrs- power. whose forces culmiuate at
b am Of which only three inches Of wood are
lei on each side of the paint Of application.
" ~ + the value u the vessel that costs tho
Cnitei States about million of dollars a. he
COlUes from the hands Of fuDgsDn. Roach AZ Co.