Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-06-24

doing the peoples business, than had
been followed by Robson and Chand-
Ter. The Dolphin was subjected to a
practical test to see if she was built
according to contract. On one of her
trials she broke down; on another
her journals became hot. After sew
eral trials she succeeded, in smooth
water, in steaming about Is knots per
hour for six hours. The steamer
City of Alpena could sail away from
the Dolphin, and the ocean steamers
could run her out of sight in about
five hours. AS a war vessel she is a
failure, and she is a failure as a fast
vessel. The Secretary of War has
inquired of the Attorney-Genera if
the government is forced to take her,
as John Roach claims she was built
according to the plans, and under the
supervision of men appointed by
previous administrations. The New
York Sun of the 18th, has the follow
ing in regard to the Dolphin:
The Board which examined the Dolph in
for Secretary Whitney handed him its re-
port this morning Capt. Belknap, Com
mander Evans, and Mr.. Herman Winters
do not desire another trial trip to satisfy
them that the ship is bad Not one Of
them believes her to be seaworthy. Even
on her first trial trip, in the smooth waters
of Long Island Sound, she demonstrated
her structural weakness. The report will
be unpleasant reading both for Mr.. John
Roach and the members of the Advisory
Board, for the responsibility for the failure
of this pioneer vessel of our new navy" is
a divided one. The plans were few, and
they were executed in an unworkmanlike
way. The Advisory Board designed ship
for speed, and even as a yacht she only
looks fast. Now that her log is finally
reckoned, il turns out that she did not make
the required fifteen knots even in the al
legged successful third trial trip on the
Sound, while, in order to meet the fifteen
knot sea speed required by the law, she
should have run seventeen or eighteen knots
in smooth water.
The design of the ship considered as
despatch boat, is absurd. She cannot make
speed, and she cannot defend herself The
only use for gun OF such ship is for
fore and aft fire, and yet her 6-inch gun
can shoot in neither of these directions.
She cannot fire at vessel which she may
be pursuing, nor at one from which she
may be flying. In order to do either she
would be obliged to send her ball through
the small hamlet of houses that has been
built on her deck. One Of these houses is
called Social Hail." and this sufficiently
indicates the use to which it was intended
to put the Dolphin. The Board recon-
mends its demolition.
The report shows how faulty the con-
struction is by pointing out that there are
no band braces in the vessel and no sup
port whatever for her engines. On the first
trial trip of the series instituted by Mr..
Whitney, as the report points out, ballast in
her bow caused the pinching and heating of
her forward crank-pin, and on the next
trial ten tons additional in her stern caused
n like disaster to her after crank-pin. In
other words, the vessel is so badly con-
structed that slight addition to her load,
or a slight shifting of it, throws her ma
chinery out Of line. The absence of pro-
per braces, due to faulty designing, causes
her to vibrate and her machinery deck to
shake in such way as to raise grave doubts |
as to her safety as sea-going vessel.
In the recent trial trips the Dolphin has
done her very best She has been driven
at her utmost speed by the best engineers,
some of them acting as stokers, who could
be had. She has not once come up to the
terms of the contract. The report also
points out that the contract violates tho law
which requires fifteen knots sea speed, and
it is the opinion Of the Board that the gov
eminent is not bound to accept the vessel,
even if the contract is complied with, on
the ground that the government cannot be
bound by the illegal acts Of its subordinates.
The report is sad story Of an inefficient
Advisory Board, and Of cunning ship
builder who was n week too late in asking
for the acceptance of his vessel. II Mr..
Roach had been week caller, Mr.. Chand-
Ter could have tied to the wharf of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard graceful addition to
the useless hulks Of our navy.