The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-06-26
The DOLPHIN.
rns Reasons for IL. Rejeeeien By the Z.

ReA4on4
ports.
WASHINGTON, June 1e.-The report Oh
Che advisory board to Secretary Whitney
upon its finding I'm connection with the
trials of the Dolphin covers much the same
rrounds as that traversed In the Secretary's
letter to the Attorney General though treat
Ing the subject pore fully. The points of
Interest in it aside from those given from
the letter are subjoined: The board states
that the ground covered to be, First-has
the Dolphin been constructed in accordance
with the terms of the contract between
John Roach and the Government?
Second-what defects. il any, wheth-
er of plan or execution are appar-
ent In the Dolphin from such
an examination as can now be made in her
present completed state? Third-what
matters can be determined and what mat
tiers are incapable of determination in a
completed ship? The Board states the diff
fculty, in fact the impossib iity, of making
full examination of a completed ship in
which large share of the work is covered
up. without the expenditure of consider
able sum of money in opening up the work,
ana proceeds: 1.-The Dolphin is intended
for a dispatch boat She has and was in
tended 10 have little offensive power: relia-
bic speed is therefore her FIRST and greatest
requisite for usefulness She
MUST POSSESS THIS QUALITY
In all weather and under all conditions at
sea The law authorizing the construction
of the Dolphin provided for sea speed OF
fifteen knots an hour A dispatch boat not
having the ability to make that speed con-
tinually in such weather as she may
reasonably be called upon to encounter
would at this day not answer the purposes
of the service That a boat of her size
should possess this requisite speed il is alb
solutely indispensable that she should
have yEeat strength and stiffness to
enable her to make the speed re-
auired under the conditions she must
be prepared to meet, admits of no doubt in
the opinion Of the board" The Dolphin
trials on the sound are then spoken Of As
at the rate of Is knots, whereas. Ia make
that speed at sea she should have gore Il
to 177s knots. The report adds: ION tho
occasion referred to the vibration of the
Dolphin, when subjected to only that duty
and test was very perceptible and of a
character to demonstrate Inadequate
strength and stiffness. Under such cir
.cumstances the floors Of the engine room
were observed to spring severely and this
let it be noted, occurred when she WAS sub
jected to much less severe duty than she
must be expected to encounter when
actually engaged in the services for which
she was Intended" The board continues
that this evidence of weakness was corroh-
GRATED on the occasion of the second trial,
hx-s of aHH tft-a
tons of pig-iron, the vessel. was so sprung as
70 throw her
MACHINERY OUT OF LINE
and cause her after crank pin to become
hot. even before the trial had actually begun.
The report continues: Wherefore the
Question arises, Is this structural weakness
due TO a fault of plan or execution, or Goes
it proceed from both? In justice TO the
contractor it is proper to state that the plans
exhibited 10 the board and those furnished
10 the contractor are meager, and by no
means provide for a vessel of adequate
strength for the useS for which the Dolphin
was intended. While it is clear that the
plans Ere at fault, and if carried out in the
best manner would not produce vessel
of sufficient strength, yet it seems to the
board that the Dolphin exhibits degree of
weakness in excess OF what cSn be properly
fore the board is of the opinion that the
execution must be faulty in this regard.
But it is impossible to state with eXactness
the degree of blame that might properly
attach TO the contractor in this precise
respect without taking out the machinery
and opening up the ship" 1t is asserted
that no attention has been paid 70 the
provision for an air pressure in the fire
room. The question of horse power ls
then taken up and il is shown that on the
first trial she showed zoos; on the second
her crank pin heated; on the third she
showed 2,253; and on the fourth with nat
ural draft under the boilers 1,64S, whereas
the contract calls for $500. These trials
also were made
WITH MOST FAVORABLE CoNDITkGSS
as to water, coal and management. The
report continues: with regard TO the
general workmanship found on board the
Dolphin the board is of the opinion that it
does not conform to the terms of the CON
tract and specifications in many particu-
lars" The report closes as follows: I'm
submitting this, their report, the board feels
that il can go no further i'm the discharge
of its duty under the instructions govern
ing its action, and has TO regret that so
much as to the vessels strength rests upon
opinion. Nothing short of a trial at sea for
seme time and in rough water can salts
factorly determine her actual strength or
weakness, and in the absence of such trial
or test-so much TO be desired-this repor.
embodies the most that the board has been
able to ascertain, but as the vessel has
been on q reef in the East River, it is
necessary that she should be locked and
her bottom examined, When this is done
the board will submit the result of such
examination"