Charles H. Manning

US Navy career In February 1863, Manning became a third assistant engineer in the US Navy. He was soon appointed by chief engineer Benjamin Isherwood to conduct experiments on superheating steam on the USS Adelaide. After two years on the Adelaide, he joined the USS Dacotah.

In 1870, he was assigned as an instructor at the US Naval Academy, a post that he held for five years. During this time, he helped to organize a course of instruction for cadet engineers.

On October 15, 1891, a Corliss engine's diameter cast-iron flywheel burst, destroying the building that housed the engine. In the aftermath of this disaster, Manning designed a new diameter flywheel to replace it. He made the new flywheel from western ash, measuring on the face and in thickness. The flywheel was composed of 44 rings of ash, secured by 16 lag bolts per section and some 18,000 lag screws. The flywheel was reportedly the largest wooden wheel in the world at the time. It is a vertical fire-tube boiler suitable for use where floor space is limited and large power is required. The distinguishing characteristic of the Manning boiler was that it included several design features to facilitate cleaning and removal of sediment. The design also uses a double-flanged head to allow for expansion of the tubes and shell. The Manning boiler produces especially dry steam because the water level is well below the tube sheet.

The US Navy employed Manning boilers in both New York Navy Yard and the Key West Naval Station. However, the main application of the boiler was in textile mills: the Manchester Historical Association states that the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company employed 197 Manning boilers.