Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-08-02
WASHINGTON.
Secretary Whitney Makes Public
the Criticism
Of The Naval Advisory Board Upon
the Dolphin Boards Report.
His Letter to Rear Admiral E. D.
Simpson.
Latest CfficiaI Movements at the
Capital.

WASHINGTON, August l.-SecretarY Whit
ney this afternoon made public the crit
cism of the Naval Advisory Board upon the
report of the Dolphin board of examiners,
together with the result in regard to delay
in giving out the criticism. The Secretary
remarked to-day that the Naval Advisory
Board declined to unite with him in asking
for the trials; that he appointed the exam
lining board and invited the examina-
ton; that naval customs and propri-
ETY. required him to send the criticisms
to them for their reply before making
them public. That reply was received only
yesterday and that he thereupon yesterday
ordered both documents to be given to the
pubic to-day. He also yesterday addressed
to Admiral Simpson the following letter:
NAVY DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, July 81, 1885.
"SlR: l acdowltdge the receipt Of COM
munication of Naval Advisory Board of
July 81, covering criticisms of the Exam
ming Board upon the Dolphin with
The request that the same should
De given equal publicity with their
report. l have caused the same to beprint-
ed and send you herewith twenty copies for
such use as you may choose to make of
them, and shall give the matter to the
newspapers to morrow. can but express
nv surprise that your board should have GER
tifed the vessel to me for acceptance with
so many admitted defects as are shown BY
your report to have existed.
Very respectfully,
"A. c. WHITNEY,
Secretary Of the Navy.
TO Rear Admiral E. E. Simpson, Presi-
dent of the Naval Advisory Board.
The Statement
submitted by the Naval Advisory Board
makes forty printed pages, equal 10 about
ten ordinary newspaper columnssu the re-
joinder Of the Board of Examiners Is about
onefourth as long. The Advisory Board
begin their statement by quoting the criti-
cism of the Examiners on the structural
strength of the Dolphin. They say; The
above statements already bring sgsint
the Dolphin the most serious charge
Of structural weakness, due TO faulty
design and detective workmansh p.
TIE alleged evidence in szpport OF this
charge consists of: First, vibrations of the
structure when under full speed; second.
heating Of two crank pins on two successive
occasions. This evidence is presented and
distinctly attributed TO lack Of structural
strength, vet in closing their report they
state that they regret that the matter rests
upon opinion, and nothing short Of trial
at sea for some time in rough water can
satisfactorily determine her strength or
weakness We now propose to show that
the Dolphin is a srong. stsunch vessel, and
the above opinion was formed in utter ab-
sence Of positive evidence and could not De
derived from an examination Of facts. As
fhe absolute size Of the vessel enters into
question of this kind, i. is allowable 70
recall the dimensions OF the Dolphin: 2t0
iett long between perpendicular, 81 feet
beam, lS feet depth and 100 tons dis
placement. In examining the Strength
of the complete structure, the
structure of the Dolphin il
composed of the best quality Of mild steel
and the most careful series of tests on the
Ehole OF the frames, angles and plates,
show sn average ultimate tensile strength
Of 2S. 5 tons per square inch and an average
ductihiy in 5 inches OF y per cent L.
conclusion, the Board Of Examiners say:
Wenow consider that We have shown, so far
IS possible to show, that compared with
her vessels, the Dolphin IS
An Exceptionally Strong Structure;
that it is not reasonable 10 &C ,ept the fact
OF the heating Of the crank-pin, to which
the engineers, and particularly the new
one, are at times liable, as evidence Of weak
ness Of any character; that vibrations are
vely moderate unavoidable, easily explained
aid cannot be regarded IS evidence for or
against the strength Of the ship. The ques-
uou Of speed is t1en treated at
length. The board say that q YES
sells speed depends on its design,
and that when fifteen knots sea speed was
mentioned by the board as what toe Dol
phin should show, il meant fifteen knots on
= calm sea sri for an ordinary days run
sud the board asserts that this is the only
proper wsy to measure the ses speed. Il
rejects Secretary Whitneys suggestion OF
seventeen or seventeen sni halt knots on
a calm sea as equivalent to fifteen knots
sea speed. In reply to the criticism thai
the water was run upon the crsnks, the
heard asserts that it is common practice
They consider the result attained one for
copsrArulslion and not condemnation
MaES ninor points were also touched on IN