29th Congress, 1st Session. Rep. No. 144. Ho. of Reps. JOHN ERICSSON. [To accompany bill H. R. No. 148.] January 27, 1846. Mr. T. Butler King, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, made the following REPORT: The Committee on Naval Affairs, to ichom was referred the memorial of John Ericsson, report as follows : Some time previous to the year 1841, Captain Robert F. Stockton, of the navy of the United States, was engaged in inquiries respecting the practica- bility of constructing steam vessels of war, with machinery and propeller beneath the water line, and out of reach of the enemy's shot. In pursu- ing these inquiries, Captain Stockton consulted the memorialist, whose reputation as an eminently skillful and highly ingenious mechanical engi- neer has been familiar, for the last twenty years, to all persons, on both sides of the Atlantic, conversant with the progress of mechanical inven- tion. The memorialist, who then resided in England, was employed by Captain Stockton to plan and superintend the construction of an iron boat, with submerged wheels, and an engine similar in its general arrangements to that of the Princeton. The boat and the engine were intended to serve as models for the construction of a ship of-war, and were sent to the Uni- ted States for that purpose. The memorialist came to the United States in the year 1839. It was not till some time in the year 1841, however, that the construction of a steam ship of war upon the above plan was determined upon by government, when Captain Stockton was ordered, upon his own application, to superintend the building of the ship. By arrangements between Captain Stockton and the memorialist, the latter furnished the draughts and plan for the ship and ma- chinery ; and the engine, with its heating apparatus, sliding chimney, and other appurtenances, the propeller and steering apparatus, the gun carriages and self-acting gun locks, and other mechanical contrivances about the ship, were, as it appears by the testimony of the contractors for the machinery, con- structed wholly from the draughts, and under the direction of the memorial- ist, to whom the contractors and other artisans were referred by Captain Stockton for instructions, and the memorialist was constantly occupied in these labors for about two years. * The invention of the propeller applied to the Princeton is disputed, though it is conceded that it was first successfully applied by the memo- rialist ; and it is also conceded that all the other machinery of the ship now known a s the Princeton, is the original contrivance of the memorialist, and Ritchie & Heiss, primers. i I "7 .6** 5 i 2 Rep. No. 144. according to the testimony of all competent persons who have examined that vessel, it is marked by extraordinary fertility of invention, ingenuity, and originality, and, as far as yet tested, great efficiency. The memorial- ist, therefore, is entitled to the sole credit of whatever valuable new proper- ties the ship may be found to possess, with the exception of certain novel features of her armament, to the merit of which he lays no claim. As to the work itself, if in any aspect it may be material for the memo- rialist to show that it was executed to the entire satisfaction of govern- ment, it would be only necessary to refer to Executive document No. 121, of the House of Representatives, 28th Congress, 1st Session, hereunto an- nexed, and marked schedule M, as furnishing the memorialist with a con- clusive certificate to that effect. True it is that the name of the memorial- ist is not mentioned in that document, but it is, nevertheless, admitted that he has actually accomplished the results therein so favorably set forth. This omission of his name is the more remarkable, from the fact that it would appear, from the letter of Captain Stockton to the Secretary of the Navy, with date of May 20, 1844 — annexed, and marked B B— that it was in his contemplation to remunerate the memorialist solely by the fame of his labors. One can hardly imagine a more proper occasion for acknow- ledging the "services of Captain Ericsson's mechanical skill," than that of presenting to the government a detailed report of the results they had ac- complished in carrying out the " well-intended efforts" of Captain Stockton for the "benefit of the country," If the memorialist had received the credit of these labors, he might have willingly compromised, to some ex- tent, the amount of his compensation, or, if he had received reasonable com- pensation, he might well have dispensed with a portion of the credit ; but to be denied pay on the ground, substantially, that he did the work for the reputation which he expected to derive from it, and to find his name with- held, though no doubt unintentionally, both from the Navy Department and from Congress, involves contradictions which cannot be reconciled in any wise with the just interests of the memorialist, and the undesigned tendency of which is to deprive him of both pay and reputation. The work, then, has been done, and is admitted by the government's own agent to have been well done, and is endorsed with the implied approbation of the President himself, in an official communication to Congress. His employers have substantially certified that the ship in question is the 'fast- est, cheapest, and most certain ship of war in the world ;" and that it is the result of the genius and labor of the memorialist, is not, in any quarter, dis- puted. There is, thus far, no obvious reason why the memorialist should not be paid a reasonable sum for his services. He appears, however, to have received no compensation whatever, except the sum of $1,150, ad- vanced to him, during the progress of the work, by Captain Stockton, and which, not entering into the official accounts, remains as a matter of per- sonal adjustment between the parties, of which it is not necessary for the committee to take notice. But the claim of the memorialist, for the services above mentioned, pre>ented to the Navy Department in March, 1844, was disallowed for reasons set forth in a letter from the Secretary of the Navy to the memorialist, dated May 11, 1844, (schedule F, annexed,) and in a letter to a member of the Committee on Naval Affairs of the last Congress, hereto annexed, and marked A A; although the bills of the contractors, and other artisans, who constructed the machinery from the draughts and under the di- rection of the memorialist, have been allowed and paid, upon the certificate Rep. No. 144. of Captain Stockton, approved by the commandant of the navy yard at Philadelphia, where the Princeton was built. It will be observed that the Secretary of the Navy bases his refusal to allow the claim of the memorialist, entirely upon the statement of Captain Stockton, as given at large in his letter of May 20th, to which the commit- tee have already referred (B B). In all cases where an individual devotes his time and labor to the service of another, or of the government, the legal presumption is, that a pecuniary reward is contemplated, both by the em- ployer and the person employed. Upon this principle, the memorialist is clearly entitled to compensation, unless sufficient reasons can be found, in the evidence of Captain Stockton, as detailed in that letter?, for withhold- ing it. The material allegation of the letter is, that the memorialist was permitted, at his own solicitation, and with a distinct understanding that his services were to be gratuitous, to introduce his inventions on board the Princeton, as a test of their value and as a means of recommending them to general use. Although some advantage might thus be expected to accrue to the me- morialist, it is hardly probable that he would have been disposed to devote so great a length of time to the service of government, for the sake of an ex- perimental test of the value of inventions, which, in general, are applicable only to an armed marine, and, of course, not likely to be extensively pat- ronized ; and which, therefore, have not been secured by patent. It may be added, with regard to the propeller itself, that it had ceased to be consid- ered experimental long before the building of the Princeton. But, without dwelling on these considerations, the committee find, in the accompanying letters from Captain Stockton to the memorialist, abundant proof of the original employ ment of the latter by that officer ; and of an explicit under- standing between them that the memorialist was to be compensated by the government, both for his services and the use of his inventions. The Navy Department does net appear to have been apprized, by Cap- tain Stockton, that the memorialist had been employed by him ; but there is no evidence that the memorialist was aware of this circumstance; cn the contrary, he ha,d a right to suppose, and probably did suppose, from' Captain Stockton's undated letter, (hereto annexed, and marked No. 12,) that his employment and expectation were made known to the government. For proof of the employment of the memorialist by Captain Stockton, and the understanding of both in respect to compensation, the committee refer, generally, to the letters above alluded to, and hereto annexed, marked, re- spectively, 12 to 27 ; but they consider the letter marked No. 12, which, though undated, obviously appears to have been written before the con- struction of the ship was commenced, and which expressly mentions com- pensation for the use of patents, and the letter dated February 2, 1844, (marked No. 26,) desiring a receipt for moneys paid by Captain Stockton, for '-'services rendered in constructing and superintending machinery of the United States ship Princeton," as conclusively proving that that officer en- couraged the memorialist to expert from government a remuneration, both for his personal services and the use of his inventions. It is proper here to notice that the memorialist alleges that he replied fo Captain Stockton's undated communication (marked No. 12) by a letter, in accordance with the suggestions of Captain Stockton's, dated July 28, 1841, a copy of which (marked No. 13) is hereunto annexed. There is no proof, 4 Rep. No. 144. but the allegation of the memorialist, that such reply was forwarded ; but in the absence of all complaint from Captain Stockton of a neglect to reply, and the want of evidence that a different answer was written, the commit- tee incline to believe the answer sufficiently proved. The committee therefore consider these facts as established — that Cap- tain Stockton had sufficient authority from the government to employ the memorialist in its service, and to bind the government to compensate him ; both for his time and the use of his inventions ; that, in pursuance of such authority, he did employ the memorialist, upon an understanding that he was to be reasonably paid for his labors, in superintendence, and the exer- cise of his mechanical ingenuity ; and that the memorialist, thus employed, has devoted much time to the concerns of the government, and rendered it valuable services, in the just and well founded expectation of a reasonable reward. The committee are unable to discover any distinction in principle, be- tween the case of the memorialist and that of the founders, machinists, and other artisans, employed in constructing the Princeton, by the same agent and under the same authority ; and they submit that he is entitled to remu- neration on every principle of equity and every rule of law. The extreme hardship of the case of the memorialist has been augmented by circumstances which have occurred since the presentation of his memo- rial, proof of which has been before the committee. They deem it, therefore, very material to add, that the memorialist has been subjected to great expense, and to a great sacrifice of time and labor, in defending, in the circuit court of the United States for the southern district of New York, a suit brought therein, in April term, 1844, by Mr. Francis P. Smith, of London, on behalf of the company formed in Great Britain for the introduction of the Archimedean screw in steam navigation. The plaintiff alleges that the memorialist has invaded rights, secured to him by letters patent, in the construction of the Princeton and Legare, armed vessels in the public service of the United States, and claims to recover of him the sum of $5,000 actual damages, to be trebled in the discretion of the court. In contemplation of the company to which the committee have above referred, the exclusive privilege of locating a screw propeller in the dead-wood of a ship, whether of the mer- cantile marine or the naval service, belongs to Mr. Francis P. Smith, of London ; and it is this claim which the memorialist, in consequence of his connexion with the armed ships in question, has been compelled to contest in an expensive and vexatious litigation. It is to be observed that the pecu- liar arrangement of the propelling apparatus which induces the controversy in question, has never been employed by the memorialist in commercial vessels, and that the right to employ it in our armed marine is rather a mat- ter of public concern than of any private interest to the memorialist. On the trial of the cause it was ruled, however, by Mr. Justice Nelson, who presided on the occasion, that, if the application of the propeller in the Princeton was an invasion of the plaintiff's right, the memoiialist war liable to answer for it in damages; although it fully appeared that the em- ployment of the memorialist had not been officially recognised or remune- rated. The infringement not having been proved to the satisfaction of the jury, they failed to agree upon a verdict, and the suit is still in the course of active prosecution by the plaintiff. It appears in proof that the expenses of the litigation have been exclu- sively borne by the memorialist, and that no other party employed in build- Rep. No. 144. mg or fitting out the Princeton has been prosecuted for his agency therein, and that the memorialist has received no assistance whatever in the conduct or in the expenses of the said suit, from the government of the United States, from the officer under whose superintendence the Princeton was built, or from the contractors or manufacturers of the said steam machinery, or the naval constructors; but that the whole burden of the same has been thrown on the memorialist, and has been sustained at his unaided individual ex- pense. Whether or not there is any design in the selection of the memo- rialist as the subject of attack by this foreign company, with the view of embarrassing the introduction of his inventions in our naval service, or for any other cause, it is not material to inquire ; but the committee deem it not improper to add, in this connexion, that, though Mr. F. P. Smith obtained his letters patent in England in 1836, and has employed his invention ad- vantageously in the British navy and under the patronage of the lords of the admiralty, he has never yet introduced it into the United States, whilst the memorialist appears to have come to this country in 1839 with reference to this particular object, and to have been occupied exclusively, during a large portion of the time that has since elapsed, in demonstrating the supe- riority of this mode of propulsion for the purposes of naval warfare, by his own unrecognised and, hitherto, unremunerated labors. It would seem obvious that, if the memorialist is called upon to bear the burden of his connexion with the Princeton, he is entitled to enjoy the credit of its construction, and a reasonable compensation for his labors. With regard to the amount of compensation claimed, the committee have ' been satisfied, by abundant testimony on behalf of the memorialist and of the United States, that the sum of $15,080, claimed by the memorialist, is but a moderate remuneration for his services as engineer in planning and in constructing the machinery and armament of the United States war steamer Princeton, and this even without reference to the length of time during which, he has remained unrewarded, or the great expenses to which he has been subjected by the litigation to which they have referred. It is sufficient to say that the charges comprehend the planning and superintending the construction of a double semi-cylindrical steam-engine, on an entirely new plan ; a submerged propeller ; boilers ; sliding chimney, with a mech- anism for raising and depressing the same ; centrifugal blowers, and engines for working the same ; a heating apparatus for retaining the caloric usually lost in blowing off at sea, and employing the heat of the waste steam from :he engines for heating the feed- water before entering the boilers : rudder and frame of steering apparatus ; wrought-iron carriages and friction gear for the large guns; carronade carriages; self-acting gun locks ; spirit level for the large guns; geometrical stair-case, and other arrangements connected with the engine room ; constructing the general plan of the ship, and ship's lines below water ; together with office expenses, pos- tages, stationery, carriers' charges, and travelling expenses necessary in the superintendence of the said work at Philadelphia, New York, and Sandy Hook, and other expenses incurred during the period that the me- morialist was exclusively devoter} to the service of the United States. To ]x\y the amount which thus appears to be justly due to the memorialist, the committee report the accompanying bill. 6 Rep. No. 144. Memorial of John Ericsson, of the city of New Y~ork. civil engineer, ad- dressed to the Congress of the United States, 'praying for compensa- tion of his services, as engineer, in planning and super intending the construction of the steam machinery and propeller of the United States steamer Princeton, and for other se?*vices specified in the accounts an- nexed. To the honorable the Co?igress of the United States : The memorial of John Ericsson, of the city of New York, civil engi- neer, respectfully showeth : that on the fourteenth day of March ultimo he addressed to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy a communication transmitting an account, in duplicate, for services rendered as engineer in planning and superintending the construction of the steam machinery of the United States steamer Princeton, and for certain inventions therein specified. A copy of. the said communication and account is hereunto annexed, and marked schedule A. To this communication your memorialist had the honor to receive from the honorable the Secretary of the INavy ad interim a letter informing him that the said communication had been referred to Captain Robert F. Stock- ton for his report, a copy of which letter is annexed, marked schedule B. Receiving no further reply from the department, your memorialist, un- der date of April 8th, had the honor to address a letter to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy, referring to the communication of the 34th March, and soliciting his early attention to the same. A copy of this letter is an- nexed, maiked schedule C. This letter having remained unnoticed for a month, your memorialist had the honor to address another letter, under date of the 8th instant, to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy, a copy of which is hereunto an- nexed, and marked schedule D. To this letter your memorialist, on the 13th instant, had the honor to receive replies, under the dates respectively of May 10th and May 11th, copies of which are hereunto annexed, marked R and F. By the last letter your memorialist is informed, in effect, that he is to receive no compensation from the department for the services he has ren- dered, and which are enumerated in the accounts which your memorialist had the honor to submit to the department under date of the 14th March. Under these circumstances, your memorialist is compelled to appeal to Con- gress for the compensation thus denied by the department. It will be perceived, from the letter to which your memorialist has last alluded, that it is suggested by Captain Stockton that your memorialist has no "legal claim" upon the department. By this expression, Captain Stockton does not intend to deny that the services alleged have been ren- dered ; that the work for which your memorialist claims compensation has been done by him, arid well done ; nor that the United States are in the . present enjoyment of the unpaid results of your memorialist's labor and invention. The annexed affidavits of Merrick and Towne, of Philadelphia, and of Hog^ and Delamater, of New York, marked respectively G and 11, are submitted in verification of the account originally rendered to the depart- ment. Rep. No. 144. 7 A claim founded on such considerations, and so verified, your memorial- ist cannot well distinguish from a " legal claim." From the confidence which your memorialist entertained in the success of his inventions, he had no hesitation in entering into an arrangement with Captain Stockton, that the patent fees for the propeller and steam en- gine of the Princeton should be left entirely to himself or the department. As early as July, 1841, your memorialist received a letter from Captain Stockton requesting from him a letter giving his views on the subject of the use of his patent rights. " As a great effort has been made," wrote Captain Stockton at that time, " to get a ship built for the experiment, I think you had better say to me in your letter that your charge will hereafter be (if the experiment should prove successful) ; but as this is the first trial on so large a scale, I am at liberty to use the patents, and, after the ship is tried, the government may pay for their use in that ship whatever sum they may deem proper." To that letter, your memorialist replied in the manner that Captain Stock- ton requested, using, with regard to the u patent right" for the ship propel- ler and semi cylindrical steam engine, the following language : "I beg to state that whenever the efficiency of the intended machinery of your steam frigate shall have been duly tested, I shall be satisfied with whatev- er sum yon may -please to recommend, or the government see fit to pay, for the patent right." This your memorialist presumes to be the agree- ment which Captain Stockton alleges to be t; directly violated" by the ac- count which your memorialist has submitted to the department. It is true that your memorialist consented thus to leave the amount of his patent fees to what Captain Stockton should " recommend," or the government see fit to pay. Six months have elapsed since the ship was tried. Four months have elapsed since Captain Stockton- reported to your honorable body that the Princeton "can make greater speed than any sea-going steamer or other vessel heretofore built," and expressed his belief that she would prove "invincible" against any foe. Meanwhile, the government has not seen fit to pay your memorialist any thing for his patent rights. Meanwhile, Captain Stockton has not been pleased to recommend that any thing should be paid to your memorialist for his patent rights. And when your memorialist calls upon the department, not for the patent fees in question, but for the bare repayment of his expenditures, and com- pensation for his time and labor in the service of the United States — still leaving his patent charges to their own voluntary action — he is told that the "government cannot allow his claim." and the presentation of his bill, " if it is to be considered a legal claim upon the department," " violates an agreement." This agreement, it is obvious, had reference only to the patent rights in question, and not to the services of your memorialist as engineer, his ex- penses in that capacity, nor to his compensation for the numerous inven- tions and improvements unconnected with ihe engine and propeller which were subsequently introduced in the Princeton. Your memorialist never contemplated that th^se services should be gratuitously rendered, and it would require, certainly, a very^lear and unequivocal expression of such an intent on his part to lead any one to a conclusion so extraordinary. Under these circumstances, your memorialist is compelled to apply to your honorable body for relief, and would respectfully solicit the attention of your honorable body to the verified accounts he has the honor to trans- mit to them. The advances which your memorialist has made on account 8 Rep. No. 144. of the United States, and the great length of time during which he was de- voted to this work without compensation, have exhausted his resources ; and the refusal of the department to entertain his claim leaves him no re- course but that of making a direct appeal to the representatives of the American people. All which is most respectfully submitted by your obedient servant. JOHN ERICSSON. Schedule A. City of New York, March 14, 1£44. Sir : I have the honor to transmit to you, annexed, the bill for my ser- vices as engineer in planning and superintending the construction of the steam machinery, armament, &c, of the U. S. steamer Princeton, and for certain inventions therein specified. I beg leave to state that the per diem charge, of five pounds sterling, in- cludes all my office, travelling, and other professional disbursements, and barely covers my expenses for the time during which I have been occupied on this important national work. Of the value of the inventions which I have introduced in the Princeton, the results of much previous labor and outlay, it does not become me to speak. On this subject I can only refer to the recent official report of Cap- tain Stockton, and to the report made by the American Institute of New York, at Captain Stockton's request, a copy of which is herewith enclosed. In any point of view, I trust that my professional charges will be deemed reasonable by the department, for it has been my intention to make them so. When the sum total of charges is compared with the magnitude of the work that has been performed, it "will exhibit a moderate compensation for services of such variety and extent. I have the honor to be your most obedient servant, JOHN ERICSSON. The Hon. the Secretary of the Navy. New York, March 13, 1S44. U. S. Navy Department, To John Ericsson, Civil Engineer, Dr. For planning and superintending the construction of the machinery, ar- mament, (fee, &c, of the United States war steamer Princeton, viz: plan- ning and superintending the construction of a double semi-cylindrical steam- engine on an entirely new plan ; a submerged propeller ; boilers ; sliding chimney, with a mechanism for raising and depressing the same ; centrifu- gal blowers and engines for working the same; a heating apparatus for returning the caloric usually lost in blowing off at sea, and employing the heat of the waste steam from the engines for heating the feed water before entering the boilers ; rudder and frame of steering apparatus ; wrought iron carriages and friction gear for the large guns; carronade carriages ; self- acting gun locks ; spirit level for the large gun ; ^fometrical staircase, and other arrangements connected with the engine room ; constructing the gen- Rep. No. 144. 9 eral plan of ship and ship's lines below water ; also for time occupied in travelling, and travelling expenses in superintending said work at Philadel- phia, New York, and Sandy Hook ; office expenses ; postage : carrier's charges ; cab hire ; letters of instruction to the manufacturers, &c, &c, viz : Planning the semi- cylindrical steam engine and submerged propeller. SPECIFICATION OF DRAWINGS. Piston shafts, crank levers, and pins, scale 11 inch to the foot : Crank shaft, main crank and pin, propeller shaft and clutch boxes, scale ditto : Larboard semi cylinder, end plates, covers, centre pieces and guide rings, scale ditto : Larboard connecting rod complete, scale 3 inches to the foot : Quadrant, double and single crank levers, and axes of reversing motion, scale ditto : Axes and cranks of slide movement, scale ditto : Pillow blocks for supporting said axes, full size : Vibrating piston, with metallic packings and springs, scale 3 inches to the foot : Side view and transverse section of pillow blocks for piston shaft, half size : Top view of ditto, same scale : Side view and half sectional plan of main pillow block, half size : Half front and halfback view, two end views, and plan of main engine frame, scale 1J inch to the foot : Pillow blocks for supporting axes of reversing gear, full size : Forked connecting rod for reversing motion, full size : Eccentrics, eccentric rods and strops, scale 3 inches to the foot: Links for slide gear, with slide and brasses, full size : Regular slide, cut off slide, double slide cases, starting valve, and guide for slide movement, scale 3 inches to the foot: Air pump bucket, valves, piston-rod, pump head, &c, full size : Side elevation and plan of air pump, scale 3 inches to the foot: Coupling link for air-pump rod, containing three joints, full size: Connecting rod for giving parallel motion to ditto, full size : Half front view, half back view, two end views, and plan of back frame of engine, scale inch to the foot : Bracket for supporting centres of parallel motion, with double pil- low blocks, of universal adjustment, full size: Condenser, valve box, foot-valve and door, scale 1 J inch to the foot : Delivery valve of air-pump, full size : Stuffing boxes for piston shaft, full size : Coupling links of reversing gear, full size : Reversing screw, with handle, guides, and index, full size : Bracket for supporting reversing Spindle, full size : Bracket with double pillow-blocks for supporting the axes of slide motions, full size : Plunger of force pump, with connecting rod, full size : 10 Rep. No. 144. Double crank lever, with pins for moving air-pumps and force- pumps, full size : Improved Kingston valve for injection and blowing off, full size: Force-pump, hot well and air vessel, 3 inch scale : Injection valve for condenser, full size: Hand-gear for moving, starting, and injection valves, with pillow- blocks and indexes, full size : Forward stern pillow block for supporting propeller-shaft, 3 inch scale : Aft stern pillow block, same scale : Plan and side elevation of engine kelsons, scale one half inch to the foot : General plan of engine room, showing steam connexions, boilers, blowers, heater, water pipes, &c, &c, scale one-half inch to the foot: End view, foreshortened view, and front view of spiral plates of propeller, L£ inch scale : Yertical section and front view of spiral spokes, hub, and hoop of propeller, l\ inch scale: Transverse section through the centre line of spiral plates, full size : General plan representing the longitudinal section and end view of semi cylinders, piston shafts, crank levers, main crank and shaft, slide-spindles, centre lines and slide movements, (fee, (fee., scale \\ inch to the foot: The above forty-four drawings, with the various sketches, skele- ton plans, and diagrams necessary in their construction, occupied 135 days, which, at the rate of £5 a day, amounts to JW5; being, at $4 SO exchange ...... $3,240 For planning the boilers, sliding chimney and mechanism, centrif- ugal blowers, and engines and heating apparatus. SPECIFICATION OF DRAWINGS. End views of the three boilers, and transverse and longitudinal section of boiler?, 1 inch scale: Sectional plan of centre and wing boiler, 1 inch scale: Section of sliding chimney, I inch scale: Two plans of mechanism for raising and depressing chimney, full size : Blow-off and stop-valves for boilers, full size: Five doors, full size : Ash pit doors, full size : Air chamber placed under boilers for receiving and distributing blast from the blowers : Dampers, with gear for regulating the blast, full size : General plan of steam pipes, safety valves, steam stop valves, &c. &c, 1 \ inch scale : Valve boxes, safety valves, and steam stop valves, full size : Two plans of braces with straps and keys for securing boilers, full size : Rep. No. 144. 11 Float, wUh levers, spindle, stuffing box, and index, to show the height of water in boilers, full size : Heating apparatus for supplying boilers with hot water, 1^ inch scale : Slide valve and mechanism connected with heating apparatus, 3 inch scale: Side elevation, plan, &c, of small steam engine for working blow- ers, 3 inch scale : Detailed plan of connecting rod and other working parts of said engine, full size : Conical steam valve for ditto, full size : Fan wheel, axes, and pulley, for blower, 3 inch scale : Eccentric cases and bearings for ditto, 3 inch scale: Tightening pulley with gear for regulating the tension of the bolt of blower, full size: The above twenty four drawings occupied forty six days in planning and constructing, which, at £5 per diem, amounts to £230; being, at $4 80 to the pound ... - $1,104 For planning ship, general arrangement of engine^ rudder, SPECIFICATION OF DRAWINGS. Longitudinal and transverse sections of ship, side elevation of pro- peller and steam-machinery, and section of semi cylindrical engine, i inch scale : Plan of construction showing the ship's horizontal water lines and vertical sections below water line, ^ inch scale: Rudder constructed on a new plan, frame composed of wrought iron and brass filled in with wood, sides of copper plate, 1 inch scale : Rudder post of wrought iron and copper secured by composition shoes top and bottom, 1 inch scale : Frame of steering apparatus, 3 inch scale: Longitudinal section of the after part of the ship, with the side elevation of boilers, engines, propeller, shaft, main crank, &c, ^ inch scale : Stern bearing for supporting outer end of the propeller shaft, stuff- ing box ; and copper pipe inserted in the dead-wood of the ship, 1^ inch scale : Circular railway for supporting small wrought iron gun, and top view of bed for supporting gun carriage, i inch scale : Railway and centre piece of bow gun, 1^ inch scale : Cast iron geometrical staircase for engine room and cabin, plan of detail 3 inch scale, general plan 1 inch scale : Side elevation of ship's stern, showing rudder post, and stern post and frame, bolted to the ship's keel, 1 inch scale: The above eleven drawings, with the various sketches, skeleton plans, and diagrams necessary in their construction, occupied 54 days, which, at £o a day, o£270, amounts, at §4 SO exchange, to $1,296 12 Rep. No. 144. Planning wrought iron gun carriages, friction gear^ revolving beds, gunlocks, <§~c, fyc. SPECIFICATION OF DRAWINGS. Side elevation, top view, and two end views, with centre ring and bolt, of revolving bed for 12-inch guns, 1J inch scale: Side elevation, end views, and plan of wrought iron carriage for 12 inch English wrought gun, 1^ inch scale : Side elevation and end view of wrought iron carriage for 12 inch cast iron gun, 1 \ inch scale : Amended plan of wrought iron carriage for 12 inch American wrought iron gun : Truck wheels, bearing brasses, and mechanism, for rolling gun in and out port hole, full size : Adjusting screw and mechanism for elevating and depressing 12 inch guns, full size : Friction gear of carriage for cast iron 12 inch guns, full size \ Friction gear for 12 inch English wrought iron gun, part full size, part 1^ inch scire : Transverse section and top view of friction beams and centre bolt of bed for American wrought 12 inch gun, and top view of friction gear for ditto, 1| inch scale, and also full size drawing of friction gear for the same : Friction loop and friction beams of cast iron 12 inch gun, full size : Forceps and lifter for handling 12 inch balls, full size : Plan of a new spirit level for ascertaining the elevation of guns with great accuracy, full size : Side elevation, vertical section, with a detached view, of trunnion band and trunnions of American 12 inch wrought iron gun, 1^ inch scale : Vertical section of after part of breech of said gun, with breech pin and pummelion, fuJ- size : EiLsht full size working drawings of easing and mechanism of i self-acting gun lock: Side elevation, top view, and end view, of carronade carriage, with its mechanism in detail, 3 inch scale : Detail plan of wood work of ditto, 3 inch scale : Full size drawing of friction gear of ditto : The above twenty-five drawings occupied seventy-two days, being, at £b a day, £360, and exchange at $4 80 - - $1,728 For superintending the building and construction of the vihole of the machinery, the plan and drawings of which are herein above enumerated, viz : AT NEW YORK. The propeller, boiler, &c, blowing engines, bed and friction gear of American 12 inch gun, and boring and finishing the same ; hooping of English wrought gun, and manufacturing self act- ing gun locks and spirit level. Rep. No. 144. 13 AT PHILADELPHIA. The semi cylindrical steam engine; heating apparatus, rudder, &c. ; steering apparatus ; beds, friction gear, and wrought iron carriages of English wrought guns and cast iron 12 inch gun ; and various other parts appertaining to the steam machinery. AT SANDY HOOK. Fixing and adjusting beds, friction gear and carriages, gun locks, spirit level, &c, hooping English wrought gun, and attending gun practice. For superintending the fixing and application of the whole of the above enumerated steam machinery and other contrivances to the U. S. steamer Princeton : and attending trials of steam machinery ; also, correspondence and letters of instruction to manufacturers, fyc, connected with the above named work : These services occupied 81 days, which, at a day, amount to £405, and at $4 80 exchange, to - $1,944 Time occupied in travelling between New York and Philadel- phia, and New York and Sandy Hook, in superintendence and application of the above work, &c, &c, thirty-two days, at £5 a day, £L6U, amounting, at $4 80 exchange, to - - 768 (The above charge of J>o sterling per day includes office ex- penses, stationery, instruments, postages, carrier's charges, cab- hire, and travelling expenses of every description.) For services rendered in inventing, designing, and perfecting the following improvements connected with the arts of naval icar- fare and with steam-ships of war, and applied to the U. S. steamer Princeton, viz : The heating apparatus, by which a great saving of fuel is ef- fected which has never before been attained.: The new gun carriage, by which not only the heaviest piece of ordnance can be handled by a few men, but which so gradually checks the recoil that the ship receives no injurious shock : The sliding chimney and mechanism by which that great desid- eratum, the absence of a projecting chimney in a ship of war, has been attained: and The spirit level, by which the elevation of a piece of ordnance may be readily ascertained with the utmost precision - - 5,000 $15,080 Schedule B. Navy Department, March 16, 1844. Sir: I have received your letter of the 14th instant, with an account, in duplicate, for compensation for inventing and superintending the machinery, &c, of the U. 3. ship Princeton. / 14 Rep. No. 144. The account has been referred to Captain Stockton for a report, and when that is furnished an answer will be given to your application. I am, very respectfully, yours, L. WARRINGTON, Secretary of the Navy ad interim. Capt. J. Ericsson, Neio York. Schedule C, New York, 4/?r?7 8, 1844. Sir : I had the honor to receive from the honorable the Secretary of the Navy ad interim, under date of the 16th ultimo, a letter acknowledging the receipt of my account, transmitted in duplicate, for services rendered as engineer in planning and superintending the construction of. the steam ma- chinery of the United States steamer Princeton, and tor certain inventions therein specified. You will pardon me for renewing my application on this subject. The great length of time which I devoted to this work compelled me to incur pecuniary liabilities which render it necessary for me to solicit as early an attention to my account as may be consistent with the multiplicity of busi- ness which, I am well aware, must at this moment press upon the depart- ment. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, J. ERICSSON. The Hon. J. Y. Mason, Secretary of the Navy. Schedule D. New York, May 8, 1844. Sir : On the 8th ultimo 1 had the honor to address a communication to the department, calling attention to my account, transmitted on the 10th March to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy ad interim, for my ser- vices as engineer in planning and superintending the steam machinery, &c. of the United States steamer Princeton, and for certain inventions therein specified. As a month has now elapsed, and I have received no acknowledgment of the receipt of the latter communication, I am apprehensive that the ab- sence of an express appropriation may make it necessary for me to apply by petition to Congress. 1 respectfully solicit, therefore, from the depart- ment, such information as may enable me to judge of the propriety or neces- sity of making such an application. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, J. ERICSSON. The Hon. John Y. Mason, Secretary of the Navy. Rep. No. 144. 15 Schedule E. Navy Department, May 10, 1844. Sir : Your letter of the 8th instant is received. The subject of your claim for compensation has been referred to Captain Stockton, and the de- partment it awaiting his report. When received, you shall be informed of its decision. 1 am respectfully yours, J. Y. MASON. Capt. J. Ericsson, New York. Schedule F. Navy Department, May 11, 1844. Sir : A letter has this day been received from Captain Stockton, which contains the following paragraph in relation to your claim: " In regard to Captain Ericsson's bill, which was sent to me at the same time, I must say that, with all my desire to serve him, I cannot approve his bill : it is in direct violation of our agreement, as far as it is to be considered a legal claim upon the department." With such an unfavorable expression of opinion, the department cannot allow your claim. I am respectfully yours, J. Y. MASON. Capt. J. Ericsson, New York. Schedule G. United States op America, Eastern district of Pennsylvania, Samuel V. Merrick and John Henry Towne, of the city of Philadelphia, in the district aforesaid, civil engineers and engine manufacturers, being duly sworn, each for himself doth depose and say as follows, to wit: that they were employed by the Navy Department of the United States to con- struct the steam machinery and gun carriages, geometrical staircases, frame of steering apparatus, rudder, rudder post, &c, for the United States steamer Princeton, under the direction of Captain Robert F. Stockton. And these deponents further say, that the said steam machinery and gun carriages were built from the drawings hereinafter enumerated, designed and furnished to them by Captain Ericsson of the city of New York, civil engineer, and that the whole of said work was commenced and completed ac- cording to said plans, and in obedience to the instructions, oral and in writing, furnished to them by the said Captain Ericsson, to whom they were referred by Captain Stockton for the drawings and instructions for the said steam machinery and gun carriages. And these deponents further say, that the said work was commenced in the month of January, in the year 1842, when they received the first of the said drawings made by the 16 Rep. No. 144. said Captain Ericsson, and was completed in the month of November, or thereabouts, in the year 1843 ; and that during the whole period intermedi- ate the said dates the said Captain Ericsson gave instructions orally and by letter, and furnished the drawings of each and every part of the said steam machinery, and gun carriages, &c, and was occupied when in Philadelphia in the superintendence of the said work. And these deponents further say, that the said Captain Ericsson furnished the plans showing how the said machinery was to be applied to the said ship, and directed the manner of fixing the same on board. And these deponents further say, that the fol- lowing is a correct list of the drawings for the said work executed and fur- nished by the said Ericsson, and now in the possession of these deponents, at their works in Philadelphia, in the district aforesaid : Piston shafts, crank levers and pins, scale 1 J inch to the foot : Crank shaft, main crank and pin, propeller shaft and clutch boxes, scale ditto : Larboard semi cylinder, end plates, covers, centre piece and guide rings, scale ditto : Larboard connecting rod complete, scale 3 inches to the foot: Quadrant double and single crank levers and axes of reversing motion, scale ditto : Axes and cranks of slide movement, scale ditto : Pillow blocks for supporting said axes, full size : Vibrating piston with metallic packings and springs, scale 3 inches to the foot : Side view and transverse section of pillow blocks for piston shaft, half size : Top view of ditto, same scale : Side view and half sectional plan of main pillow block, half size : Half front and half back view, two end views and plan of main engine frame, scale 1^ inch to the foot : Pillow blocks for supporting axes of reversing gear, full size : Forked connecting rod for reversing motion, full size : Eccentrics, eccentric rods and strops, scale 3 inches to the foot: Links for slide gear with slide and brasses, full size: Regular slide, cut off slide, double slide cases, starting valve, and guide for slide movement, scale 3 inches to the foot: Air pump bucket, valves, piston rod, pump head, &c, full size : Side elevation and plan of air pump, scale 3 inches to the foot : Coupling link for air pump rod, containing three joints, full size : Connecting rod for giving parallel motion to ditto, full size : Half front view, halfback view, two end views, and plan of back frame of engine, scale li inch to the foot: Bracket for* supporting centres of parallel motion, with double pillow blocks of universal adjustment, full size: Condenser, valve box, foot valve and door, scale 1 J inch to the foot: Delivery valve of air pump, full size : Stuffing boxes for piston shaft, full size : Coupling links of reversing gear, full size: Reversing screw with handle, guides and index, full size : Bracket for supporting reversing spindle, full size: Bracket with double pillow blocks for supporting the axes of slide motions, full size : Plunger of force pump with connecting rod, full size : Rep. No. 144. 17 Efouble crank lever with pins for moving air pumps, and force pumps, full size : Improved Kingston valve for injection and blowing off, full size : Force pump, hot well and air vessel, three inch scale : Injection valve for condenser, full size : Hand gear for moving, starting and injection valves with pillow blocks and indexes, full size : Forward stern pillow block for supporting propeller shaft, three inch scale : Aft stern pillow block, same scale : Plan and side elevation of engine kelsons, scale ^ inch to the foot : General plan of engine room, showing steam connexions, boilers, blowers, heater, water pipes, (fee, *?s Southern district of New York, ) William A. Cox, of the city of New York, in the district aforesaid, being duly sworn, doth depose and say that he is a consulting civil and mechanical 20 Rep. No. 144. engineer, and is conversant with the construction of mechanical drawings and the getting up plans of machinery of every description, and with the fees and charges commonly made in the engineering profession, and is well acquainted with the professional standing of Captain Ericsson in this coun- try, and, through the foreign scientific journals, with his standing in Eu- rope. And this deponent saith that a per diem charge of five pounds made by Captain Ericsson is a very fair and reasonable charge for such ser- vices as are enumerated in said bill, according to the usages of the engi- neering profession. And this deponent saith that he is acquainted with the construction and arrangement of the four inventions and improvements specified by Captain Ericsson in his said bill, that is to say : firstly, the new gun carraige. which enables a few men to manipulate the heaviest piece of ordnance, and which gradually checks the recoil so as to save the ship from any injurious shock ; secondly, the sliding chimney, a contrivance by which the most vulnerable part of a steam ship is rendered comparatively safe from shot ; thirdly, the spirit level, by which a piece of ordnance can be aimed with much greater precision than has hitherto been attained, and which, if viewed with reference to its accuracy, and the facility, quickness, and safety with which it can be used, may be said to change entirely the character of gun practice; and, fourthly, the apparatus for heating the water fed to the boilers, which saves a large proportion of fuel, and enables the engineer, when at sea, to "blow off" very freely, and prevent the water from acquiring such a degree of saltness as wculd injure the material of the boilers and obstruct the passage of the heat. This last invention is of such impor- tance that this deponent has entered into a calculation of its advantages as used in the Princeton, the result of which is, that when one-half of the quantity of water fed to the boilers is blown off. as it should be, for the reasons before stated, the saving in fuel is about twenty-five per cent., and this saving is effected by a diminution of only about two per cent, of the power of the engines — all of which is shown more fully by a diagram ap- pended hereto. And this deponent saith that he considers the said inven- tions, which he believes to be altogether novel, so valuable and important in their application to the purposes for which they are designed, that the amount charged by the petitioner is much smaller than he would be fairly and justly entitled to receive for the same from the government, and much less than an adequate remuneration for the time, labor, and science expend- ed upon the same by the petitioner. WILLIAM A. COX. Subscribed and sworn to ihis 16th day of December, 1844, before me. GEO. W. MORTON, Dep. Clerk Circuit Court U. S. and U. S. Conimisioner, fyc. Rep. No. 144. *l Diagram to illustrate a calculation of the saving in fuel effected by the heating apparatus in the U. S. steam ship Princeton, and referred to in the foregoing affidavit. Steam cut off at J of the stroke. Valve communicating with the heating apparatus b; gins to open at £ of tke stroke. One-half of the volume of steam is admitted to the heating apparatus. The power exerted by the engine is shown comparatively by that part of the diagram shaded with black : it is equal to JJths, or 98 per cent, of the whole power of the steam. Loss of power consequent upon the use of the heating apparatus shown by the part shaded with blue, and equal to or 2 per cent. Of the water pumped into the boilers, one-half is converted into steam and one-half " blown off." If the heating apparatus raised the water which enters the boilers to the same temperature as that which is "blown off," the saving in fuel would be T *j; but inasmuch as there is a difference of temperature of about 2U° Fall., the saving is reduced to very nearly, or about 25 per cent. Loss, as before shown - - - 2 " " Net gain - - - - - 23 " " WILLIAM A, COX. New York, Dec. 1G, 1844. 22 . Rep. No. 144. - es of Ami Schedule J. United States of America, Southern district of New York, James J. Mapes, of the city of New York, in the district aforesaid, being duly sworn, doth depose and say, that he has carefully examined the bill rendered to the Navy Department by Captain Ericsson for his services in connexion with the war steamer Princeton, and for the inventions in said bill mentioned. And this deponent further saith, that he is by profession a consulting engineer, and has been long familiar with machinery and me- chanical drawings, and is well acquainted with the customary fees and charges of the engineering profession, and with the professional reputation of the petitioner. And this deponent further sniih, that soon after the com- pletion of the Princeton this deponent visited said ship as a member of the committee of the American institute, for the purpose of making an examina- tion and report upon the steam machinery, armament, (fee, of said ship, and for this purpose did make a thorough and critical examination of the same, and embodied the results of his observation in the report hereunto annexed, and which this deponent desires to make a part of his affidavit. And this deponent further saith, that the said report presents, in his judg- ment, a candid and fair statement of the merits of Captain Ericsson as con- structor of the engine, steam machinery, and armament of the said Prince- ton. And this deponent further saith, that a per diem charge of five pounds, exclusive of travelling expenses, would not be a compensating charge for the services enumerated in said bill, as a lifetime is required to prepare for such services, and the employ is not constant. And this deponent nuther saith. that, in his judgment, there is no other engineer in this country so capable as Captain Ericsson for iuch service, and that his charges are much less than would have been made by many engineers of less ability. And this deponent further saith, that, in his judgment, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars is a very moderate, if not an altogether inadequate, remu- neration for services of such variety and extent as have been rendered by Captain Ericsson in the construction of the said steam-ship Princeton. And this deponent further saith, that the four inventions specified in said bill, and which this deponent believes to be entirely novel inventions, and cal- culated to insure complete success when opposed to any other known ar- rangement in naval warfare, are, in deponent's judgment, of such great value and importance in their application to the purposes of the national de/ence 3 that their author would be fairly entitled for the said inventions alone to make a charge eqwA to the total amount of his bill, and that they would be cheaply purchased by the government for that sum. JAMES J. MAPES. Subscribed and sworn to by James J. Mapes, before me, this 16th day of December, 1844. GEO. W. MORTON, Dep. Clerk Circuit, Court U. S. and U. S. Commissioner. Rep. No. 144. 23 [Report referred tu in the foregoing affidavit of James J. Mapes.] REPORT Oi\ THE STEAM FRIGATE PRINCETON. The Committee of the American Institute, to whom was referred the exam- ination of the .steam frig-ate Princeton, respectfully report : That, having met and added to their number several scientific and nau- tical gentlemen, they proceeded to the Brooklyn navy yard, where the ship had gone to avoid the floating ice of the North river. . The commander of the Princeton was absent, but had left instructions with his first lieutenant, (Mr. Hunt,) his other officers, and the engineers belonging to the ship; through the politeness and attention of whom your committee were enabled to examine all the details of the ship, engine, and armament. The ship is 164 feet in length, 30 feet beam, 22 feet hold, making her about 700 tons measurement. She draws 17 feet of water aft. and 14-^ feet forward. The peculiarity of her construction is great sharpness of entrance and run, with nearly fiat floors midships, which effectually prevent her be- ing crank, notwithstanding the great weight of her battery. The rao*t obvious peculiarity of the Princeton's model is the great extent of her dead-wood, terminating with a stern-post of unusual thickness, being twenty six inches through at the centre of the propeller shaft, but tapering both above and below. "The object of this uncommon form is to give suffi- cient strength to the stern-post, as a hole of thirteen inches diameter passes through it, in which the propeller shaft revolves. The stern-post also requires unusual strength, because the bearing which supports the whole weight of the propeller is attached to it, the shaft having no bearing abaft the propeller. The rudder is of an entirely novel construction, con- sisting of a frame of wrought iron, filled in with five inch pine plank, the whole of which is cased with copper plates, three-sixteenths of an inch thick, thus making the entire thickness of the rudder five inches and three- eighths. The mode of supporting the rudder is equally novel. It is hung to an outrigger of wrought iron, covered with half inch copper plate, the upper part being attached to a strong oak knee under the counter, and the lower part being attached to a solid frame of oak timber, three feet six inches wide, and fourteen inches deep, firmly bolted to the after part of the keel and dead-wood of the ship. The thickness of the outrigger is five and three-eighths inches, the same with that of the rudder, measuring two feet fore and aft ; the forward part being made as sharp as a ploughshare. This sharpness, and the thinness of the rudder, prevent the current pro- duced by the propeiler from retarding the progress of the ship. Your committee examined, with particular interest and attention, the steam engine of the Princeton, which excited their admiration, no less by the novelty of its construction than by the perfect symmetry and beauty of its proportions. It is styled, by the inventor and patentee, (Captain Erics- son,) the Semi-Cylindrical Steam Engine." It has been constructed, ap- parently, with two main objects — that of being placed entirely below the water line, and of giving a direct motion to the propeller shaft, which re- quires a greater velocity than can be obtained by the ordinary engine. These objects have been fully accomplished ; indeed, so compact is the en. gine, that its highest point is placed more than four feet below the water 24 Rep. No. 144. line, and so far below the berth deck that it affords space for lodging from two to three feet of coal above it, as well as on the sides. The peculiarity of this engine consists in the use of semi-cylinders, in- stead of entire cylinders. These semi cylinders are 72 inches in diameter, and eight feet long. The pistons are parallelograms, attached to wrought iron shafts, forming the axis of the semi-cylinders, and are made to vibrate through an arc of 90 degrees, by the admission of steam alternately on op- posite sides, ordinary slide valves being employed for that purpose. The piston shafts pass through stuffing boxes at each end of the semi cylinders; and at the forward ends, crank levers of 34 inches throw are attached, which, by means of connecting rods only 74 inches in length, give motion to the main crank of the propeller shaft. The active surface in each piston measures ninety-six inches by twenty six, presenting an area of two thou- sand four hundred and ninety-six inches. The centre of pressurejof each piston moves through an arc of precisely thirty-six inches, and thus the Princeton's engines have equal power with two ordinary marine engines having cylinders of 56f inches diameter and three feet stroke. At the opposite ends of the piston shafts, crank levers of 16 inches throw are attached, for the purpose of giving motion to the air pumps and force pumps. Your committee cannot refrain from noticing particularly the in- genious disposition of the working parts connected with these pumps, and the remarkably simple mode by which the requisite parallel movements are obtained. The maximum speed of the engines is thirty-seven revolutions per minute. The maximum pressure of steam in the boilers is twenty-five pounds to the square inch ; and the steam in the semi-cylinders is invaria- bly cutoff at one-third of the stroke. The greatest speed of the vessel, as ascertained by Captain Stockton, in the Delaware, has been nearly fourteen statute miles per hour. At the ordinary speed of twelve miles, the con- sumption of fuel has been found to be eighteen hundred pounds per hour. It is necessary only to allude to the propeller of the Princeton, con- structed by Capt. Ericsson, and identical with that now so successfully employed in various parts of the country. This propeller is manufactured of composition metal. Its extreme diameter is 14 feet, and the upper part is lull 3 feet below the water line. The boilers of the Princeton are also placed below the water line, and resemble those of the ordinary marine engines ; but their furnaces and flues are so constructed as to burn anthracite as well as bituminous coal. Attached to the boiler is a hearing apparatus possessing very remarkable properties, by which the water feeding the boilers is constantly heated be- fore entering the same. Ycoir committee view this apparatus as perhaps the greatest improvement of which the low pressure engine for ship use is susceptible. It not only continually supplies the boiler with hot water, but enables the engineer, when at sea, to "blow off" very freel/. without any material loss of pressure or expenditure of fuel. The smoke pipe of the Princeton is constructed upon the princip ,o of the telescope, and may be elevated in lighting the fires, or when it is desirai.> to work the engines with natural draught. The contrivance made for this purpose is efficient, being a simple application of the endless screw, turned by a crank ; and it enables two men to raise and lower the chimney with great facility, precluding the possibility of an accident from negligence, as the smoke r ipe will remain stationary whenever the men at the hoisting Rep. No. 144. 25 apparatus discontinue working it. The successful introduction of this sliding smoke pipe, and the means for elevating and depressing it, must be considered a complete solution of one of the many problems connected with naval warfare hitherto unsolved. The fire draught is independent of the height of the smoke pipe, being promoted by centrifugal blowers placed in the bottom of the vessel, and worked by separate small engines. Thus the steam machinery of the Princeton realizes all that can be desired for a war steamer, as the whole of it is placed out of the reach of the enemy's fire. Your committee would do great injustice to the manufacturers and the vast progress in the mechanic arts, recently made in the United States, if they omitted to refer, in language of the highest pride and gratification, to the beautiful workmanship and execution of the steam machinery of the Princeton. It more than rivals — it surpasses — the machinery of the trans- Atlantic steam ships. It was built by Messrs. Merrick & Towne, of Phil- adelphia. The armament of the Princeton consists of twelve forty-two pound carronades, and two two-hundred-and-twelve-pound Stockton guns. These last are made of wrought iron, said to have been thoroughly proved, and all are placed on the upper or spar deck. One of the Stockton guns, weighing fourteen thousand pounds, is placed eight feet forward of the mizen mast, and in a line with it; the other, weighing twenty-three thousand pounds, is placed at the bow. Both are mounted on carriages traversing on beds of timber, which are secured in the centre by strong pivots, around which they turn. These beds are supported by four fric- tion rollers, inserted in the four corners, and travelling on a flat ring of composition metal let into the deck. The bulwarks, hems' movable and very light, are readily unshipped, to give full play to the large guns in the direction required. The carriages are made entirely of wrought iron, each side being com- posed of two plates, five sixteenths of an inch thick, four and a half inches apart, and connected by a series of stay bolts. In the space between the two plates, a simple mechanism is ingeniously concealed, which enables four men with the utmost facility to roll the guns back and forward on the beds, and removes altogether the anticipated difficulties in managing ord- nance of such immense calibre. It need hardly be stated that the diffi- culty of checking the recoil attending the heavy charge necessary for such a piece is even greater than that of moving the gun, and here again me- chanical skill has triumphed to all appearance over the supposed insupera- ble obstacle. The ordinary breeching is entirely dispensed with, and the recoil is checked by opposing a gradually increasing friction to the carriage on which the sun is mounted. The means employed for this purpose ex- hibit a happy application of one of the fundamental principles of me- chanics— that of the inclined plane, in connexion with the laws of friction; and so successiully has this principle been applied, that although the fric- tion apparatus, at the termination of the recoil of the gun, becomes what is technically called jam ?ned, with a force perhaps of many millions of pounds, yet by slightly touching .a lever, it becomes instantly disengaged, leaving the gun and carriage perfectly free. A contrivance having the same object in view is applied to the carronades, which in them also dis- penses with the ordinary breeching. In connexion with the Stockton guns, besides the carriage, &c, of which 26 Rep. No. 144. they have spoken, your committee have to notice two oilier contrivances, which render them unquestionably the most formidable ordnance ever mounted. Of these, the first is a lock so constructed that it is discharged at any desired elevation, without human interference, by a peculiar mechanism, in which the law of gravitation, in connexion with the rolling of the vessel, is rendered subservient to this purpose. The second con- trivance referred to is an instrument to measure distances, by which the requisite elevation to be given to the gun may be instantly determined. Your committee would mention that the heaviest of the Stockton gun=5 Was forgedin the city of New York, by Messrs. Ward