The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-28

Cadet Engineer warburton had u con versation with
Engineering Shack at the Navy Department this
morning, aud made statement to him relative 20 the
engines ofthc Huron. Mr.. warburton says that for
at least one hour alter the ship struck the engines
and all their dependencies were In good working
order After she bulgcd and got further over the
fires were hauled from set OF boilers
and continued 10 work with the remaining
sot, pumping out the ship and working
tho engine. The working OF tho engines
for SO long after the ship struck regarded excel
lent evidence OF the efficiency OF the machinery aud
the strength OF the ship Mr.. LOOMS had charge OF
the engineers watch at midnight, but the Chief En-
gncer and all the engineer officers auty in
tho engine room from the time the Huron struck and
remained there until the order passed ali hands to
leave the engine and 1rc ROOM which was ut fifteen
minutes past two A. II.
A BALL POSTPONED
The ball which was to have been given al the Naval
Academy at Annapolis on Friday night has been post
poned in consequences OF the disaster TO the Huron.
THE LESSON OF THE DIsAsTER-Is SEAMAN
SHIP ON THE DECLINE IN rnE AMERICAN
NAVY?
NEW YoaK, Nov 81. 1877.
To THE EDITOR OF tax HERALD
The advocates In high places Tor regarding seaman
ship as ono Of the lost arts Will doubtless have their
preteusions somewhat aoatcd by tho terrible and. ut
this present speaking apparently unaccounabic loss
OF the Huron.
Not that practical seamanship Is TO be held as
consisting alone In n certain number OF max.
inns formulated in the days OF Benbow-
such view Of Il is absurd; but strange
idea is prevalent with certain class OF naval officers
Ione OF them very ghly regarded themselves as
scamen that to "bo'suu should be RELOCATED tho
sanm ms nah n nj ha rhI ia fho nj
proper need be but indneren. kind OF sailor, so
long rs he is n good mathematician, chemist or
drili master, appears well, dresses tascrully
in well-ntting uniform according to tho latest
cdcts OF tue naval Turvcydrops ana uas possessed
himself OF diploma issued by the Uuitrd States Ma
val Academy. Now, u Is against this growing hercsy,
born oil the barrack systcm of naval training ut pres
cut IN vogue Tor young officers, that II becomes duly
to protest, Tor IS most iaacious-yes, pestileht
notion. as, sooner or later tins country Will learn to
its cost
Hut some one may ask, '.what has this to do with
tho loss OF tho Huronv In our much, though
IN the light OF the mcaRre details OF the actual causes
OF the disaster which have thus fur been received
from tue scene OF tins hap.ess wreck, 1t would
be perhaps unjust to ana cruel 10 ailcge posi-.
lively want oil scamanlike foresight on tho
part OF the unfortunate captain Oi the Huron.
Yet II Is nevertheless public duty TO say that ncren
and found stnnch and powerful IN every respect,
sans 10 tho morning from Hampton Road Tor tue
West Indies and IN fourteen hours or 50 IL total
shallow coast Of North Carolina, where
some OF them crazy old craft; nay, even -clsds
safety gales Of WIND quite that
less than eight stesmers-thrss Of them IRON the
South entered this port ON Saturday last without
having encountered misLap OF any KIND.
THE uURoN's D0ILERs
II Ia alleged that the boilers oil tho il.atcd Huron
designed by the Bureau OF Steam Engineering during
the regime Of Mr.. Robson, wore or such type
be inherently dangerous We not that this
statement has ever been cOntradclod by any engineer
In ! ncavy sea with tho vessel rolling deeply these
boilers stated 10 have proved extremely gerous
The walcr space being limited and the crown sheets
alternately bare and covered ~ tho ship rolled IL s
further stated that on certain OCCASION, while
The voyage with the transit OF Venus observers,
tho Uuitsd States steamer Swatara, PROVIDED
as all the new ships are with similar
boilers, was obliged 10 gale Of wind from this
alone 10 haul nres and ride out The storm under can
va. II this be true, may not tho Huron's boilers her
lubDcrly rug and the lack OF sea room have had
thing TO do with the dsaster IL Is alleged that
withstandIug cautiOnary signal indicating tue APP.
proach OF y cyclone. this vessel put 10 Sea- 10 that
oil two CONCLUSIONS seems rrcsisi bile. Either tns
vessel was. US some officers have asserted, nln,sy
concern o. power and spoed sorl 81 naval
abortion totally unworthy tbs name ship ol war,
there was somo amazing neglect. rsckIcssness
or lack practical scamanshp ut tho critical
underlying the disaster. In my event 10 tho duty
OF tho naval authorities to probe this matter tho
very bottom regardless Of any sentimental considers
tons Whatever. Friends may say, "Do morIius NIL
nsl bonum;" but duty should add, "FHt jus.i,ia ruat
cGum." MARINER
THE HURoNs OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF AN
EXPERIENCED sHIPBuILDER-InoN VS.. WOOD
FOR WAR VESSELS.
In an interview with Mr.. Nathanici Mckay, tho OK
per,epccd shpb uilder who has just returned from
extensive visit to the shp and navy yards and docks
OF Europe the following Views expressed respect.
ing the latc disaster 10 the Huron. Mr. Mckay says
the loss that vessel be attributed
except bad reckoning. AS TO tho efficiency Of tho
vessel and construction he remarked .rbero
be no question. l saw the vessel who building. and
saw her whom she nrst came to the Philadelphia
Navy Yard; have also seen the specifications and
have a copy Of them. They are ali In accordance with
the rulcs OF naval architecture. The class OF vessels
OF which tho Huron were built very strong
and substantial. the frames were made very heavy
and also the plating Although never In favor OF
building vessels for the navy for cruisers, yet
consider tho Huron good any that eau DO built
OF her class She was intended to carry light batteries
and would have been q good vessel Tor the purpose
Tor which shc was built II they could have Kept
her anoat But the moment she grounded on any
bank or shoal she would be worthless 10 Europe
they all their Iron huils with wood to the water
line. They build Iron ships Tor navy purposes
Der. such us We have. II the Huron had been y live
oak ship sho would have thumpcd In the sand Tor
weeks, perhaps Tor months but tins would not have
saw ho lives OF those board, tor the sea would
e: have washed over her. These were experimental
SHIPS ordered by Congress to ascertain whether the
iron ship would last MS long wooden one and W.
now have the result OF the first, winch have
doubt viii DO the with ,he others they should
touch bottom under almost any circums tauccs they
butt to stand the sea, and that Is a they can
possibly bear Under any other circumstances they
would BIO Immediately disabled. Tho British govern
mcnt now building steel corvcttcs IN Glasgow
and covering them with wood (iour-nch teak)
on the outside Of the iron plating The
United States government cannot afford TO build
their cruisers OF IRON. Farragut sad he would
rather Dgnt 10 q wooden ship than an iron one. In
regard TO the Amdiique-tnc French iron steamer
as compa cd with the Huron 1t must DO remember
that the about tour hundred aud iiy feet
long aud ify cet WIDE, giving her very largo sur
face. and laid IN bed Of sand on Long Branch, which
was soft possibly could DO macc Tor her In tho
case Of the Huron she little short vessel, 175
feet long, 81 wide aud IL deep. She wac going at the
ratio OF ten knots per hour when she struck, and
the momentum OF the vessel, with the force
OF the propeller and the sails and the sea, dashed
hcr the SHORE with velocity probably ten
tunes tho weight oil the ship, which tho hull could
withstand, and she must necessarily have become
a total wrocK In regard to Mr. John Rcach's stale
ment, which | read In the HERALD this morning, 1
know that when The specifications were mado for tho
ships they wero made very heavy, In order to
whether they would last US long live oak ship,
i've Of which under course Of construction Many
people ind FAULT aud cri,clsc the construction Of
ship when they have not the least knowledge OF tho
null tho engine. the sails or tho rigRIug.v