Gibbs on Dry Rot. 117 
contiguous timbers? Ed.] But it is the surface, and not 
the heart of the wood which first decays. This alkali, like 
hime, could not fail of being useful when properly applied. 
Air slacked lime, filled in between the timbers, would keep 
a continual action on the neighboring wood, until the sap 
was extracted, and the wood in all its parts completely pen- 
etrated by lime. ‘This, with the occasional use of a solu- 
tion of lime, would render the wood incorruptible, as well 
as incombustible, and the woody fibre, like the animal fibre 
m leather, being saturated, would increase in strength and 
durability. 
G. GIBBS. 
Sunswick, August, 1819. 
P. S.—Since the above was written, I have received 
from Col. Perkins, of Boston, some valuable information on 
the subject, which I will briefly state:—Several ships built 
at that port have been salted, or filled in between the tim- 
bers with salt whilst on the stocks, and after a lapse of ten or 
fifteen years the timbers have in every case, been found to be 
perfectly sound. A large ship belonging to him, which had 
been salted, (fourteen years old) required repairs, new decks, 
and new iron work. Considering the age of the ship, it was 
important to examine the frame in every part. The ceiling 
was therefore ripped up, and a complete examination took 
place. The result was, that the timber and plank were 
found completely sound in every part. 
I accompanied this gentleman on board ofa salted ship 
belonging to him, and now in this port. The timbers were 
not so close as usual in frames of vessels, and the salt was 
retained at different heights by wedges between the tim- 
bers, so that the salt in settling should not leave any con- 
siderable height vacant. It took five hundred bushels of 
salt for this ship, of five hundred tons ; and two years after 
beimg built, one hundred bushels were added to fill up 
the space of the salt dissolved. 
Another instance has been communicated to me by an 
intelligent officer of the Navy. The Argus U. S. brig was 
built at Boston in 1802, of green timber, was salted as 
above, repaired at the Navy-yard in New-York in 1814, 
and the timbers found to be perfectly sound. 
