The Red Cloud chief., 1885-06-26

ssss for Iss k<Jectses ~ shs ~

3bo Reoo~oe Hor Ies Rejoctsoo ~ t6o -
parts.
AwAeHIscrox. June la.-The rersrt o,
she advisory board 10 Secretary Whitney
upon its finding I'm connection with the
trials OF the Dolphin Govern much the same
grounds n tina: traversed in ;;e Secretary
l>s.er t. the Attorney General though treat
ing the subjec, more fully. The points o.
Interest in it aside from those given from
slie letter are subIoiDed: The board states
that the ground covered TO he, FirSt-ha.
the Dolphin been constructed in accor.sns.
with the terms Of the contract b~twcca
John Roach and the Government:
Second-what defects, il any, si,eth-
or Of plan or executipa are appar-
ent IN the Dolphin from such
examination as can now be made in her
present completed state? Ihird-wtst
matters can be determined and what mat
ters are incapable Of determination III a
completed ship? The Board states the diff
fculty, in fact the impossib lily, Of making
q full examination OF completed ship In
which a large share 81 The work is covered
M, without the expenditure Of q consider
able sim of money in opening up the work,
and proceeds: "fhe Dolphin is intended
Nor a dispatch boat. She has and was in
Rnded ia have little offensive power; relia-
be speed is therefore her first and greatest
requisit- for usefulness. She
NrsT POSSESS TIL QUALITY
in all weather &ad under all conditions n.
SEA. The law authorizing the construction
of the DolshiA provided for a SEA speed Of
fifteen knots an hour. A dispatch boat not
having the ability 10 make that speed cnn-
tinuaiiv III such weather "a she EBAY
reasonably he called upon 70 encounter
would al this day not answer the PURPOSES
of the service That a boat of heT size
0nouid possess this requisite speed IL " alb
s~olutely Indispensable that She should
have great strength and Stiffness TO
enable her to make the speed re-
quired under the conditions she must
be prepared 10 meet, admits Of no doubt la
the opinion of t.,a board" The Dolphin
trials on the sound are then spoken eff ~
at the rate Of Is knots, whereas. IL make
that speed al sea she should have gore IL
70 IT5s knots. The repor: adds: ION the
occasion referred To the vibration OF the
Dolphin, when subjected to only that duty
and test waA very perceptibls and 'of \
character 10 demonstrate iDatequate
strength and stiffness. Under such cir
lRuInstances the floors Of the engine room
were observed to spring severely and this,
lei it be noted, occurred when she was sub
iected to much less severe duty than she
must he expected TO encounter when
actually engaged u. the service for which
she was Intended" The board continues
that thi. s-,idenc 1T weakness was corr"t-
GRATED on the occasion OF the SECOND trial,
when. by tine weight of an additional i've
tons Of ~pig-iron, the vessel wac 90 sprung as
u throw her
L OF LINZ
and cause her after crank pin To become
hot, even before the trial had actually begun.
The report continues: Wherefore the
,estion arises. Is this structural weakness
du. Ia a fault of plan or execution. or does
il proceed from both? In justice To til.
contractor h il proper To STATE that the plans
exhibited To the board and taose furnished
Ia the contractor are meagft, and by no
Anneans provide for a vessel Of adequate
Ntrengih for the uses for which the Dolphin
was intended. While ii IL clear that Ill"
plans .re at fault, and If carried cat in the
best manner would not produce a vessel
of sufficient strength, yet il seems tO the
board that the Dolphin exhibits a degree of
weakness in excess OF what can he proieri!
attributed 10 the defective plans Where
fore the board il of the opinion that the
Aecution must be faulty in this regard
Bnt it is impossible TO state with exactn"ss
the degree of blame that might property
attach Ia the contractor IN this precise
respect without taking out the machinery
and opening mp the ship" 1T is asserted
that no attention has been paid To the
PROVISION for an air pressure IN the lire
room. The question of horse power IS
then taken up and il is shown that on the
first trial sh. showed :. DOS: on the second
her crank pin heated; on the third she
showed 2.o53: and on the fourth with nat
tral draft under the boiIers l,6is, whereas
the contract calls for $500. These trials
also We're made
WITH MOST CONDITIONS
as e. water, ceal and management. Tue
l report continues: with regard TO tho
' 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 particf-
lars The report closes rs follows: In
submitting this, their report, the board feels
that it can 90 no further in the discharge
of its duty under the instructions govern
ing its action. and has to regret that 50
\ much as r. the vessels strength rests upon
, .~opinien. Nothing short Of q trial \. sea for
some time and in rough water can salts
factOrily determine her actual strength or
weakness, and in the absence OF such trial
or test-so much To he desired-this repori
enbodies the most that the board has been
able 70 ascertaiR, but as the vessel h7s
heou on O reef in the East River. II Is
accessory thai she should be docked aud
her bottom examined. When this is done
the board will submit the result Of such
examination"