2d Session. JOHN C. F. SALOMON-MEMORIAL OF. MEMORIAL OF JOHN C. F. SALOMON, Praying Congress to encourage his patent safety steam-boiler. DECEMBER 31, 1836. Referred to the Committee on Commerce. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled: The petition of John Charles Frederick Salomon, lately of Pennsylvania, and now of Cincinnati, RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS: That, in December, 1835, he forwarded to your honorable body a memorial on the subject of a patent safety steam boiler, invented by your petitioner, and which, not only in his opinion, but in that of many scientific practical men, possesses such simplicity of construction, and such an arrangement of the metal for strength, as to place it above all other boilers now in use, and really to make it a perfect safeguard against liability to explosions. The said petitioner asked your honorable body that a committee might be raised to examine and report upon the merits of his invention, and, in the event of their approbation, that a small appropriation in money might be made to meet the expenses of such experiments as might be necessary to test satisfactorily the value of his invention. This petition, your memorialist further represents, was referred, in the House of Representatives, to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Your petitioner further respectfully states, that, under the act of your honorable body, dated 30th June, 1834, the Secretary of the Navy directed the sum of four hundred dollars to be expended in making and preparing two boilers, one of which was on the plan invented by your petitioner; and that, in February, 1936, some experiments were made upon them at Washington, but, as the Secretary, in his late report to the President of the United States, is pleased to say, without any satisfactory results." Your petitioner further states, that he was both grieved and surprised at the language of the Secretary, in regard to these experiments. He cannot say whether the one at which the Secretary was present was "satisfactory" or not; but he can say, that there was no failure in the experiment. That it Blair & Rives, printers. was satisfactory to many gentlemen present at this as well as subsequent experiments, to which the honorable Secretary was invited, but declined attending, he feels authorized to assert; and, in confirmation of the same, begs leave to refer to a communication from your petitioner, and the documents thereto attached, on file in the Secretary's office, under date of May 27, 1836, to which the Secretary's attention has been particularly called, but which, he is bound to believe, have been inadvertently overlooked by the honorable Secretary. Your petitioner further represents, that in all the experiments which he has made with his boiler, constructed of inverted arches, his faith in its great efficacy in saving human life, when once introduced into general use, has been strengthened. But it is not alone upon his own opinion or his experiments that he relies; the principle on which his boiler is constructed has been submitted to and approved by numerous ingenious and scientific mechanics, in different parts of the United States. Its simplicity is so great, and its safety so obvious, that he entertains no doubt that it will ultimately be brought into general use. To hasten this end, and to put a stop, if possible, to the dreadful waste of life occasioned by the explosion of boilers constructed on the old plan, your petitioner again respectfully asks your honorable body to appoint a committee to examine the documents in regard to his improvement, now on file in the office of the Secretary of the Navy, and to make a report upon the same, which may be spread before the public, and attention be thus called to it. This your petitioner looks upon as one means of the early introduction of his improvement into general use; and, considering its great importance, he respectfully urges that your honorable body will take some measures to bring this invention into general use in the United States. All of which your petitioner respectfully submits. CINCINNATI, December 24, 1836. J. C. F. SALOMON. The documents on file in the office of the Secretary of the Navy, are: A. Alexandria, May 10, 1836. Signed, N. Sawyer. Alexandria, 26th day of May, 1836. Signed, Jonathan Shillaber, justice of the peace. B.--Alexandria, 26th May, 1836. the peace. Signed, Thomas W. Smith & Co. Alexandria, 26th May, 1836. the peace. Signed, Jonathan Shillaber, justice of Signed, George Swain. Signed, Jonathan Shillaber, justice of E. Alexandria, May 10, 1836. Signed, Thomas Smith & Co. A testimony of the Clerk of the United States Circuit Court, 26th A certificate: Alexandria Boarding School, 5th month 30th, 1836. A letter, dated Washington, 19th May, 1836. Signed, J. C. F. Salo- A letter, dated Washington, May 27, 1836. Signed, J. C. F. Salomon, to the honorable the Secretary of the Navy. 2d Session. JOHN PAUL JONES. STATEMENTS FROM THE BOOKS OF THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Respecting the prize money obtained by the late John Paul Jones from the Government of France. JANUARY 30, 1837. Printed by order of the House of Representatives. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Register's Office, January 28, 1837. SIR: The enclosed transcripts exhibit the information relative to the prize money due the squadron under the command of the late John Paul Jones. By the paper marked A, it appears that $20,772 55 was paid by Capt. Jones to the United States' bankers in Paris, and, the same having been applied by them to the payment of the salaries of foreign ministers, and for other objects, in France, funds were provided in this country by the Board of Treasury, and placed in the hands of Wm. Edgar, of New York, as disbursing agent, (per B.) Of the amount advanced to Mr. Edgar, it appears, by paper marked C, that $5,274 57, not having been applied for, was, in February, 1789, returned to the Treasury. Out of the sum thus returned, the following payments have been made under the present Government, viz 1790, December 29. To Joseph Russells 1791, February 8. $13 16 Thomas Jones 52 66 15. Matthew Parke, administrator of The amount of these payments deducted from the sum returned to the Treasury by Mr. Edgar, leaves of the fund a balance unapplied of $3,899 68. A roll of the persons entitled to shares of the prizes captured by Capt. Jones, is on the files of the Department of State. By that roll, Richard and Gilbert Wal appear each to have been entitled to livres tournois 1997 6. There is, however, on the roll, no mark indicating those which have been paid; and, as the "dividend book" referred to in the Auditor's report in favor of Joseph Frederick, (of which the enclosed is a copy,) has been lost, it cannot now be ascertained whether the Gilberts were paid the amounts due to them, or not. I have the honor to be, sir, Hon. HENRY L. PINCKNEY. T. L. SMITH. NOTE.-There is no list of the payments made by Mr. Edgar on file in this office; and, from his account remaining open, it is presumed no return was made by him, unless it be that referred to in the Auditor's statement in favor of Joseph Frederick, above mentioned. A. REGISTER'S OFFICE, Mons. GRAND, banker at Paris, his French account......Dr. To JOHN PAUL JONES, his account in livres tournois, paid into the hands of Mons. Grand for prize money due to the crews of the squadron under the command of said Jones: For one hundred and twelve thousand one hundred and seventy-two livres two sols and four derniers, entered in pursuance of the Comptroller's letter to me, dated the 30th ultimo, to the debit of said Grand, being for so much paid by said Jones to him (Grand) as a balance of prize money due to the crews of Capt. Jones's late squadron, and which, having been applied by said Grand to the payment of salaries due "foreign ministers, and other necessary disbursements arising in France," rendered it expedient for the Commissioners of the Treasury to apply a like sum from the Treasury here, (as per entry of this date a warrant in favor of Willian Edgar, blotter 3146,) in order to secure to the claimants the proportion of prize money to which they are respectively entitled, (vide the letter from the Board to the Comptroller of the Treasury, dated 27th April, 1787, referring to a letter of 12th August, 1786, from Thomas Jefferson, Esq., minister plenipotentiary from the United States at the court of France, to the Board, on this subject,) 112,172 24 $20,772 55 TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Register's Office, January 27, 1837. I certify that the foregoing entry is truly taken and made from blotter No. 10, page 3446, one of the revolutionary records in this office. T. L. SMITH, Register. B. REGISTER'S OFFICE, New York, May 1, 1787, WILLIAM EDGAR, Esq., New York......Dr. To Treasury warrants drawn, &c. : For a warrant, No. 677, drawn 27th April, in favor of said Edgar, for twenty thousand seven hundred and seventy-two dollars and fifty-five ninetieths, being on account of prize money due to the squadron under the command of Captain John Paul Jones, in the year 1779; for the distribution of which the said William Edgar is held accountable, agreeably to the instructions of the board $20,772 55 TREASURY Department, Register's Office, January 27, 1837. I certify that the foregoing entry is truly taken and made from blotter No. 10, page 3446, one of the revolutionary records in this office. T. L. SMITH, Register. C. REGISTER'S OFFICE, New York, February 26, 1789. MICHAEL HILLEGAS, Treasurer.......Dr. TO WILLIAM EDGAR, Esq., of New York: For a warrant, No. 478, drawn this day in favor of said Treasrer, on William Edgar, Esq., for five thousand two hundred and seventy-four dollars and fifty-seven ninetieths, being the balance remaining in his hands this day, of moneys by him received, on account of prize money due the squadron under the command of John Paul Jones $5,274 57 |