The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-08-02 00:00:00

STEAM NAWGATIOA.

[The riTth Report of the Select Committee of
the Hpuie of Commons on the London sod Holy-
livid Roads', on the regulations for conveying the
moil beti►res, London and Dublin, &c. u ■ most
iiitereeting distort:trot. It investigates the sub-
ject, which is daily becoming of more import-
ance from its general adoption, not only on
rivers and canals, but in crossing seas—tmumely,
steam tiaviption. The Committee trace the
original ■pphcation of steam to the purposes of
impelling vessels, Hod prove (though the Ame-
rican)* have the merit of bringing the invention
into use) that to Engteed belongs *II the glory of
this invention. The Committee next advert to the
verious adoptions of strain boats, and state, from the
evidence adduced, that the experience of what
strain boats have performed, is fully sufficient to
place beyond all doubt their safety even in the
most tempestuous weather !" We shall make en
extract from' the cocumencemeut of the Report,
cooly premising that we have seldom read a Parlia-
mentary document of inure interest.]
Your Committee, since they presented to the
House their Second Report, have prosecuted the in-
quiry, then only just begun, into the important sub•
ject of steam bouts.
The first instance of applying steam to vessels,
is that which occurred in 1736, when Mr. Hull
obtained letters-1.141cm for the construction' of a
steam boat for towing vessels in and ont of port.
The application of peddle-wheels, now so generally
adopted, appears to have beeu originally suggested
by this patent. Mr. Hull proposed to employ the
atmospheroc engine of Newcotnen, which by means
of a crank, communicating with the working-beam,
imparted a rotary action to the wheels and paddles
which were placed at the bow of the vessel. Next
in successiun were the experiments of the Duke
of Bridgewater, to use steam•buats for towing
barges on canals ; and then came those of Mr.
Miller, of Dalswinton, in the comity of Dum-
fries, ins double ve►sel with ■ wheel In the middle.
But after Mr. Hull the Marquis de Jouffroy un-
questionably hulas the most distinguished rink in
the list of practical engineers, who have added to
the value of 'the invention : in 1701 he constructed
a steam boat at Lyons of 140 feet in length ; and
with this he made several successful experiments
on the river Sosne. In 1795 Lord Stanhope con-
toructed a boat to be moved by steam. Isi 1301
Mr. Symington tried a host that was propelled by
steam on the Forth and Clyde navigation. Still no
practical uses resulted from any of those attempts.
It was nut till the year 1807, when the Ameri-
cans began to use steam boats on their rivets,
that their safety and utility was first proved.
But the whole merit of constructing these boats
is due to natives of Grevt Britain ; Mr. Henry
Bell, ..f Glasgow, gave the first model of them
to Mr. Fulton, and went over to America to
assist him in establishing them; and Mr. Fulton
gut thesengines he used in his first steam boat on
the Hudson river from Messrs. &whoa and Watt.
Steam navigation seems to have made great pro-
gress from this time in Auserics. It swears from
the Report of the Select Committee of the Season
of 1817, on this subject, that there were then 17
large steam hosts its enlisting employment on the
American riven., besides ferry bouts. A list of
strain boat,. has been published by Mr. Rubinson,
which shows, that on the Mississippi ;done, the ton-
nage of those in work at present amounts to 7,259
tons, nod of those building to 5 995 loin. There
are now, in all, übsut 300 steam boats its use in
America.

Mr. Bell continued to turn his talents to the im-
proving of strum apparatus and its application is
va►ious muoistiectures about Glasgow ; and its 1811
corotructril the COMei tite4ol-boat, of 45 cons, with
engine of four-horse ;rower, to navigate the
Clyde between Glasgow mod the Ilelensburgh Baths,
established by him on an extrusive scale. The
success of this experiment led to the constructing
of several steam•boutr, by other pergolas, of
larger dimensions and with g►eater steaming
limber. These having superseded Mr. Bell'.
small boat in the Clyde, it was enlarged. and
established as a regular packet between Glas-
gow and the western end of the Caledonian canal
at Fort IVilliarn, by way of the Crinan canal in
Argyleshire. Mr. Bell 'about the seine time con-
structed the Stirling Castle steam-boat, and em-
ployed her on the river Forth, between Leith and
Stirling ; lie afterward. took her to Invertiem, where
she has been for two years plying between that
town and Fort Augustus, going seven miles by
the Caledonian canal, end 9.3 mules along Loch Ness.
Mauy other bouts were succesfully established übout
this time on the Forth and Clyde, and several on
the rivers Tay, Thames, Mersey, nod Humber,
and between Southampton and the Isle of 11'ight ;
but it was not till the year-1818 that a steam host
was made use of to perform regular voyages at
In this year the Rob Hoy, of ninety tons, built by
Mr. Drolly, of Dumbarton. and with au engine
of thirty-horse (ower, made by Mr. Napier, of
Glasgow, plied regula►ly between Greenock and
Belfast, and proved the practicability of extruding
the rise Of ihr steam-eugine to ►ea mitigation.—
Jo the year 1819, the Talbot, of one IlUlltiltd and
fifty tons, built by Messrs. 11'oorl, with two thirty-
horse ei4ineat solute by Mr. Napier, plied daily be-
tfteett Holy head and Dublin, throughout the whole
summer and autumn, and successfully encountered
many severe gales. In the year 1820, the leanAoe,
of 170 1011 P, built by Mr. J. Scott, with two thirty-
horse engines wade by Mr. Napier, was established
4111 /he same station ; rind in 18111 the Poptinastera-
General introduced strati, bouts at Holyhead and
Dove', fur the conveyance of the mall.. Drerisig
'Low last three 3 CV'S the Belfast, iffobert Bruce,
Waterloo, Lrbpse, Superb, Majestic, and Cambria,
wrrr constructed, of I.rge totiitagr. and with en.
glues of great poise,. for court.) tug passengers be-
tween Greenock and Belfast and Liverpool; be-
tween Liverpool sod Dublin; and between Liverpool
anti Bagilt, ii, Fliotehire. All these vessels, except
the Cumbria and tieffot, were constructed in the
Clyde. In the year 1821 the City of ttilinbargh
and lilountuinetr were established to go between
London and Leith ; and its the present year there
have been already fitted for sea the St. Patrick and
Si. Ceorge at Liverpool ; the ✓antes Weit. for the
Leith and Loudon station ; the SW, to go be•
twern Brighton mid Dieppe ; the Javtreiga acid
('sties, between Dover and Calais; sud the Lost(
Melville, to go resoled.). b:tweeit Loodowbridge

and Calais. twelve more stela hadi and will he
completed this summer. Ferry-boats propelled bT
steam, sufficiently commodious to carry earriogc.,
horses, and settle, hare been established with greai,
public utility on the Tay, between Dundee ,4,i)
Fifeshire ; at the Queen's Ferry, in Scotland ; uts
the Severn, the Mersey, and the Humber, and at
other ferrite. •
hi the Appendix there is • list, which hos been
Made by VG Field, o& all the steam boats which
have bees huilt in the United Kingdoni, sheeting
their torienge and the power of their engines the
names of the builders Roelof the erigine•makers; the
date of their being launched, said also the station;
where they ply. From this list it appears that, in
the space of • very few yeuro, the public have bren
accommodated, in all directiorir, with this rare,
rapid, and economical mode of conveyance..
The experience of what steam hosts have per-
formed is fully sufficient to rilar! beyond all &Olt
their safety even in the most tempestuous wesabeos.
The Rob Roy plied two winters between Greenock
and Belfast, arid last winter between Dover and
Calais ; the Eclipse plied the wlw,le of last
winter between Glasgow and Belfast; sad that
Cumbria between Liverpool and Bagilt. A steam
boat has plied regularly, through all seasons.
between New York, the flavatinali, sod New
Orleans. All the other strain boats winds have
been used at sea, have been reposed to mime,
roue severe gales ; but the trial which the Holy?
head steam boats went through during the lint
tempestuous winter, from the nature of the ser-
vice requiring them to go to sea at a filed hour
every day, 'troves that steam boats, when properly
constructed, are able to go to sea volteu sailing ves-
sel, could not, and that in some respects they tow-
able, in very bad weather, advantages over ailing
vessels. l'he following extract, brain the evidence
of Captain Rogers is quite conclusive es to the
power and safety of *steam boats at sea:—
" Q Have you had fall trial of the means ratite, slat,
respect Its gale, of •itsd Yes, in every way. I crusa.6l
in the Meteor on the bah of February, its the heaviest era I
have seen during eight years I have been uu the sunhats.
" Q. Have the steam packets suited regularly daring the
whole winter ?—A. Except a very few days I have se. a
them go several times .hru sailug parkstr could not.
"Q Have you foutul that she sterns packets bush and r
the inspectioa of the Navy Botrd are a. wife as any semi
you ever oat Seated?—A. Certainly.

" Q. Is aster any dancer, in yone opinitroy to brappre.
headed from them as siesta vessels?—A. Nu.
" Q. Are you of artesian, that is the treat of the engine
foiling, with the assiitance of snails and the anchor, you in .y
keep a packet in perfect safety?—A. There is no tioLlot
of it : by punier two cables together, which she has vii
board, she would ride out any gale in the Chanter' as easy
ay 'lure.

Are t►e Committee to understand your opmion to
he. that in say weather, howeier severe, the strain imam sill
stand that weather as well a■ any sail boat'—A. Yes, in
any wind; the more wind the butter tin the steam In.ala;
that M where they sbew their an p-r
" Q. In the heaviest gale this could blow, you w uul.l ra.
titer be in a steam packet thin in ■ sailing packet —A.
Yen; that is, in a vessel of our ronsti uctiou.
" Q. Have you fussed, ill blowing 11/1,11111.C.11131 thi• ce.ri.Kl
works at all, tither mile or out?—A. Nu. nut at ail;
I do not see it its the least ; nut a single thing, she is as
solid as a wall.
" Q. Was the lasi winter a worse winter than usual?—
A. I have heard it said that it has been the worst wrintrr
fur fifty years; Lloyd's have paid mote thes winter than ,sere
they did.

Q. Can yea carry woe boat nu cub quarter A We
ca• carry two, bets all that is lumber; we arm dusk uf
jug drowned or burin row." •

In another piste Captain Rogers says—.

" 1 sever read a novel before 1 wee o• bowl! a stews
packet, and 1 go down sus frequently, and read fur au Sour
or t au."

• In another part of the Report (p. 121.) the Carnmitt,e
say," It maybe collected frum the evidence, that he z,. at. r
past of the breakages which bare oecored of Jiff." erit pa, it
of the machinery in siesta hoists, has beta "win!, to th, n. -
xligessce af the engine keepers. Ste tine the ',Tar without
clearings& the ismer which Is famed uu the top of the
piston, from condensed steam, is our Call{e of (iv turas;
other secidrats have arisen from siittering the bearings upon
which the shafts wwle, and !Mks roneircii..g the pubs with
the b. am, to gel louse; and in some cases from waking
diem " tithe, the, the hearings It. at ; and also Irom natal-
leading ruefully to the stein, valve whew the refs.! is ex-
posed to a heavy ara. Mr. Wait 11,1111, will the r xpericiii•
now obtained, we make nu doubt hot that we shall hr alb- t'.
could' art macbiarry Ices li.ble 10 accident; ha. unwell nisoil
•Iways depend upuu the vigilance and expel tenser of the tarn
who work the totallce Mr. damilli Iltegew twist s.k d what
were the causes of archlegile 141 the mschinery, pep!,ed
• thee depended more un the etigiue•keem sat than icy thieg
•

(To 1e confinurd )

NAVAL LVTELLIGENCE.

FOATSMOUTIF, JVCY

Arrived the Vigilant French brig from the cunt of ;Afro..
detained by the Iphigeein fur Oa% cry, and slut to England;
alao she Shamrock• frurn a cruise.

Sailed the Juhmatiall,fur Bremen.

rt.vvoirrnt JULT
Arrived oho Ham.* Webber, from laneb,e.
Sailed the Alp for News Zealand.

/FILLIIIOUTA. JILT :V
Sailed the Owen Glendower fur Madeira; and the /Jiro%
Burnett, for New Braiawick.r

lIIIPGAT IP, 31.3. V 3 1 .

The-10K Christisw. from Newcastle G r Ctco, nr.t. row
fool of while riding in the f,ulh lii. morn i e b. the r
Dublin Camille pschei. by which 11w forgoer Isr.t he. [KU 41,
and rename, and b prueredisig for ibis batboy..

DUAL ;il
s Canoe doiru from tie River and rennin, %lir N} r. t., r,
I'M' pi, 100.1011.

Arrived the Standar.% Lothrrirgtuts, for .1 onair:‘, att•i •
leer or tolliera from the North, for •!•ff.ren• ,h•
*maenad. and remain with the outward boun,l a, Kr...,
detained by t!se strong soutb.art at *inch,.