Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-12
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE

Roach the American Ship Builder,
To the Editor of the Eagle.
Mr. john Roach, of New York. i
one of the largest ship builders in III,
United States. He has done more 10
demonstrate the fact that American,
can make their own ships, and make
them Is strong, durable aud cflicicn
a. the ships of any ship builder in the
world. Mr.. Roach i an avowed adj.
yocatc ola protective tariff. lie is
opposed TO free ships and free raw
material. ard thinks if Am Tican ship
binding received as much aid from
the United States government. a:
English ship building does from tho
English government, IT would not b,
bat a few years before the United
States would assume the position in
the ocean CARRYING trade of the world
that -he occupied before the war. OF
country are down on Mr.. Roach and
the Evening Post. Herald, Times and
Graphic, especially, cannot say enough
against him. Mr.. Roach has received
u contract from the government 10
build several ships. One of the last
of these finished, the Dolphin.
has recently been launched
and put on trial. Secre-
tary Whitney, of the navy depart
ment, declined to accept the dolphin,
except he would accept severe trial.
He demanded that she should sail for
six consecutive hours. go At Il rate OF
speed of not less than, fourteen knots
an hour. and her engine show at least
1000 horse power. The Dolphin was
built by Mr.. Roach under contract.
and the plans and specifications were
provided by the government. She
was built according to rules and regu-
lations furnished by the government
architect. At the first trial of the
Dolphin, one of her Journals became
over-heated. The same thing happen
ed TO another journal on her second
trip. Mr.. Rooch claimed it was due
TO the faculty manner OF construction,
for which the architect and specitica-
tons were responsible, not the build
er. Changes were made in accordance
with Roach's suggestions, and the
third trial proved tn be entirely salts
factory. The Dolphin made fifteen
and onc-halt knots an hour, and show
ed that she possessed $500 horse pow
err. OF course the press was elated at
the apparent failure of the Dolphin on
the first trial, but Mr. Roach had a
signal triumph over his vilifiers in this
last trial. The committee that had the
matter in charge, made the report
that the Dolphin fully met the de
mands of the government in every re-
specl.
MIR. Roach has built over one hun
dred steamships. and he has yet to
make his first failure in this line. The
steamships that run between San
Francisco. Japan and China, those
running from New York 20 Havana
and Galveston. the Pacific mail lines
To ASpinwall. the lines 10 Brazil. and
the steamships that run 10 Savannah
and Norfolk. are of RoaCh's construc-
ton. He has more than one hundred
iron and steel ships now aifoat, and
when Hs own architect has furnished
the plans of the ships constructed by
Roach. they are success from hhe
first. Whv the New York papers
should denounce Mr. Roach in the way
they do. can only be explained on the
supposition that they are working in
the Interests Of English capitalists and
manufacturers, who want to transfer
the manufacturing and shipping inter-
ests in this country 10 the other side
of the Atlantic. f. L. MILLER,
50 West Sixteenth street. y. y.