National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-07

will utilize the energy required to light
the entire city by electricity.
1t is now easy to read intelligently an
open letter addressed to Senator Blaine
last September on the revival of Ameri-
can shipping. Referring to the wasteful-
ness of the steam engine, which amounts
to ninety or ninety-fve per cent. of the
heat units generated by the combustion
of coal in the boiler furnace, Professor
Gamgee shows that his zero-motor per
mits us to dispense with water as heat
carrier, and, under an entirely new system
of work, the wasted heat units will be re-
duced to fifty and probably to twenty-five
per cent. of the amount engendered.
This engine leaves the ship free to
be filed with merchandise, in
stead of coal, and the wooden ship, of
modern dimensions, may then compete
with metal ones of larger size. That en-
gine is independent of high temperature
heat, and, with high pressures at low
temperatures, approaches much more
closely than the steam engine to the ami
NAL mechanism which develops motion
and unlimited horsepower below blood
heat. 1t will not kill the stokers, and in
warm latitudes, as also in arctic or ant
arctic seas, the wooden sides will facilitate
the maintenance of moderate tempera-
ture within the ship. In short, wooden
vessels can be built to cross the ocean at
an expense for navigation little if at all
exceeding sailing ships, driven as effectu-
ally as by steam, enduring longer than
metal ships, and affording at least equal
chances forcomfort and safety" Professor
Gamgee believes that steam banished the
wooden ships of America from the ocean,
but there is prospect of their revival if
protected by the zero-motor from the
rotting influences of heat and moisture.
A STALwART REPUBLICAN," writing
from Savannah, Ga, complains of a slight
ing remark which appeared in commu-
nication in THE REPUBLICAN of March %,
headed Georgia Glances," concerning
Collector Johnson, of that city. At con-
siderable length, and with much asperity,
he criticises the source from which, with
out authority, he assumes that the COM
munication came. We decline to pub
lish the communication, which is much
too long for merely personal matter
but in lieu thereof we will say that We
doubt not that Mr.. Johnson, the present
collector, is worthy gentleman, good
officer. and a faithful Republican. He is
the son of the late Herschel V. Johnson,
who was the candidate for Vice President
on the ticket with Stephen A. Douglas in
1850. THE REPUBLICAN does not indorse
all the communications it prints. This
paragraph is much longer than the some
what unfriendly one to which it refers.
In 1872 Mr.. Whitelaw Reid and his
New York Tribune joined the Democratic
party in a presidential campaign, and
during that and subsequent years zeal
ously defended Southern political massa-
cres and tried to shield the perpetrators
of them from the public opprobrium their
atrocities merited In 1878 Mr. Reid
coarsely and repeatedly charged double
felony upon General Garfield, and has
never apologized for so doing or with
drawn a word of his infamous charge. If
Mr. Reid had not countenance of brass
and the cheek of a sperm-whale he would
not be SO fast in appointing himself the
champion either of the Republican party
or of the administration.