150 [Senate 



numerous and destructive in tropical waters than elsewhere. The 

 Teredo JYavalis — ship worm — was introduced from India into Eu- 

 rope in timber. It soon became numerous and destructive to ships. 

 This race strangely disappeared six or seven years ago, but has lately 

 re-appeared, and is increasing again. This teredo makes a honey- 

 comb of timber. At the Navy Yard it was found that logs which 

 had lain in mud were bored as far down as the mud, but the timber 

 was sound below. 



There are some tropical woods the worm will not touch. The 

 Jocuma contains a bitter — is hard ; so is the Jiqui ; the worm will 

 not touch them, probably on account of the hardness. Jiqui breaks 

 leaving sharp splinters at the fracture like points of steel. Its use 

 for walking canes is prohibited in Cuba, because it is a dangerous 

 weapon to stab with when broken. 



Wood impregnated with coal tar has stood two or three years un- 

 touched by the worm. 



The experiment has been tried on piles of driving them full of small 

 nails with large heads, so that the rust would form a complete coat for 

 the timber under water. This is too expensive ; it might, perhaps, 

 be done on ships' bottoms with benefit. We commit great errors in 

 using improper timber. 



Chairman, — I ask information relative to the Alder. I refer you 

 to HoizapfTel's account of the piles of the Rialto of Venice. 



Mr. Brown. — Alder suffers in alternate wet and dry. Dry, it is 

 very durable — is used sometimes for rafters. 



Chairman. — What are the uses of Ash 1 Tredgold objects to itin 

 frames on account of its elasticity. It stands ajar well, and main- 

 tains its figure. 



Mr. Brown — Ash is a very sonorous wood. Watchmen, therefore, 

 use it for clubs. A pin lightly touching one end of an ash log fifty 

 feet long, is distinctly heard at the other end of the log. White 

 pine also has the same quality. 



Chairman — What are the uses of bar wood ? 



Ramrods and fiddle-bows are made of it. 



Beech is good for piles in wet foundations. 



Mr. Brown — For ships — Keels are made of sugar maple, white 

 elm, white oak, shell-bark hickory, pignut hickory, long-leafed pine. 



Lower frames of ships — Grey oak, red oak, yellow birch, red 

 beech, sugar maple, white ash, scarlet oak, swamp white oak, white 

 oak, rock chesnut oak, black walnut, locust, red mulberry, live oak, 

 lone-leaved pine, post oak, Spanish oak, wnld cherry tree, red elm. 



Upper frames. — Of white oak, live oak, red cedar, red bay, red 

 mulberry, black walnut, locust. 



Knees — Of white oak, black spruce, rock chesnut oak, black wal- 

 nut, locust, red mulberry, red cedar, cypress. 



Sides — Of white oak, rock chesnut oak, long-leaved pine: 



Decks — Of white pine, Norway pine, New-Jersey yellow pine, do. 

 of eastern shore of Maryland, long-leaved cypress. 



Carlines and Floor Timbers — Of red cedar, red mulberry, while 

 ash, white oak, yellow pine, long-leaved pine, black spruce, larch. 



