The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-10 00:00:00

.~~~

STEAM NAVIGATION.

( From the "liierfitiol Standard, June 9, 1340. )
ARRIVAL OF THE " ARCHIMEDES AT LIVERPOOL, AND

ENYEE! MENTAL TRIAL OF HER POWERS

It has long been acknowledged by teen wno are conver-
sant with mechanical principles, that the common piddle-
wheel, or rather water-mill wheel, which has hitherto been
the instrument of propulsion for our steam-vessels, whether
in rivers or on the ocean, is beset with certain disadvanta-
ges, which, however the principle might be modified, pre-
sented great, if not insurmountable obstacles, either to in-
creased speed beyond a limited rate of velocity; or mate-
rial reduction in the power, weight, and size of the engine,
consumption of fuel required ; ;or, consequently, of in-
creased capacity for stowage without great addi:ional cost,
and a vast increase of tonnage.
The principal disadvantages alluded to we need i,ut briefly
notice. The principle of the paddle-e heel is obviously
imperfect as a mode of ship propulsion. If the wheel be
proportionately small, its operation is principally to tear up
or scratch the water : if large, this defect is partially re-
medied, but far front wholly. The fact is, the first opera-
tion of a revolving p; ddle-wheel is, to a certain extent, to
smash down the water, and its lest operation is, to a cer-
tain (and a greater) extent, to lift the sate.—elevating a
sort of fountain cr cascade abaft the paddle-box, all of
which involves' an expenditure of steam power to a consi-
derable extent, without propelling the vessel. The in-
creasing of the size of the wheel, so that at length a small
but wide portion or segment of the periphery comes in con-
tact with the water, diminishes this cisadvant age, but at the
expense of additional leverage against the engine—that
leverage to be overcome being half the diameter, or the
distance from the paddle-shaft to the floats or paddle-
bands. There is nothing, therefore, for it, but sheer tear-
ing force of steam.
Various modifications of the paddle-wheel have been
produced—some with paddle-boards 20 contrived that they
dipped perpendicularly into the water, and so rose out of
it ; others with the boards placed obliquely, and others
placed or worked in various ingenious ways, to remedy one
or other of the defects already alluded to. These, how
ever, from their complicated structure, and liability to de-
rangement and breakage, have generally been abandoned;
though we must notice the dividing of the original "one"
paddle-board into two or three like steps, with interstices
between, as a decided improvement, in the freeing of the
wheel from water, the plan of our townsman, Mr. Shaw,
of the Dublin Steam-packet Company, a gentleman of
much experience in ocean steam-navigation.
Another objection to the paddle-wheel is its weight and
unwieldy bulk, rising over the upper works of a vessel, and
presenting a rather unseemly hump, like that el the drome-
dary. True, this has in modern large vessels been winch
reduced ; but it is still a top weight—still does the paddle-
box present a large surface to a beam wind, without the
possibility of " taking in a reef"—and still is a vessel,
with such an incumbrance, liable so to roll about, or to be
thrown so far on one side, that one of the wheels may be
thrown for a time out of the water, to the detriment of the
engine and its working.
Another, and the final objection to the paddle, is, that
the vessels so propelled cannot carry sail to any extent,
without an equal derangement of their lateral
—in other words, they must be worked so, that the wheels
must, vs far as possible, have an equal hold of the water on
each side—which cannot be maintained with a lateral pres-
sure of sail. Great, indeed wonderful, improvements have
been made in marine engines: and steam navigation has,
consequently, gone on inerensing and extending its rami-
fications and beneficial effects to the remotest quarters of
the globe. All that. we contend is, that there was room
for improvement, indeed for entire novelty, in the " mode
of propulsion," and that therefore every new and inge-
nious application of a known mechanical agent, or instru-
ment, or invention cf a new one, that may produce in-
crease of speed, with economy in fuel, and consequent
saving of stowage, should be fostered by an intelligent
public, without any feeling of jealousy, as an accession of
maritime and commercial power ; an additional means of
natural wealth, and natural protection ; and greater than
all, as a means of approximating country to country, and
disseminating the blessings of civilization, religion, and
good-will amongst the great family of mankind.
These remarks have been suggested by tne arrival at our
port, since our last publication, of the Archimedes, steam-
yacht, and the pleasure we yesterday experienced in wit-
nessing her performance on our river. It would be presump-
tion in us to assume, from her success hitherto, that her
mode of propulsion is so far superior to that now in use,
that it must be generally adopted. We will not go so far
until further experiments, and, doubtless, further improve-
ments in that mode have become developed. We are
bound, however, to state, that so far the superiority of this
novel application appeared to many practical nautical gen-
tlemen, and others versed in steam navigation, to be al-
together decisive. 'I here can be no doubt of its superio-
rity, if once fully brought out with those improvements
which practical experience will suggest; and even now, as
will be found in the sequel, the Archimedes has outrun
several crack steamers in our river, and has, moreover,
shown that she is a fast sailer under canvas, and indepen-
dently of steam. But we must permit our readers to judge
for themselves,

THE ARCHIMEDES.
The application of the •' Archimedean screw" for the
propulsion of vessels, was first tried by Mr. Francis P.
Smith. the present patentee, about four years ago, on a
boat 32 feet in length, and about six tons burthen. The
screw was worked by a two-horse engine, and such wa3
the success of the first experiment on this small scale, that
the present vessel was finally projected and completed.
Mr. Smith, an intelligent young man, having, by that per-
severance with is peculiar to genius, overcome numerous
obstacles, opposed by prejudice and opinion, and by con.
stant devotion to his object and a great outlay of capital,
achieved what may assuredly be esteemed a triumph of

modem n science.
The Archimedes is rigged as a smart three-masted
schooner, with her masts raking. She is of a beautiful
model, and, having no paddle boxes, she has the appear.
ance of a pleasure yacht, the flue being comparatively
slender. The following are her dimensions :777.

Length over all - 125 feet
-- between perpendiculars lO7
Extreme breadth
Depth of hold
Draft of water (average)
Capacity
Power of engines
The mode of propulsion is by, it might be said, a
portion only of the Archimedean screw. When the ves-
sel was first tried, a full turn of that species of screw
like a patent cork-screw, on a central straight spin-
dle) was employed. The inventor afterwards, for the
sake of compactness, introduced the double-threaded
screw of half a turn' to each thread, as more applica-
ble to this vessel, although he rather prefers the other.
This is of iron, and is fixed in the run of the vessel, in the
dead wood in front of the stern post, and works trans-
versely with the kid, radiating the water in every direc-
t on. The diameter of the screw (which is on the prin-
ciple of the scull) is five feet nine inches, and its length
five feet. It would almost appear impossible that so small
a portion of machinery could propel a vessel of such
length, but the hold it takes of the water, and the velocity
with uhich it tun a gives it great advantages. It is quite
under the surface, md is therefore invisible by spectators
either on board or on shore. It is worked by a spindle,
forming its axle, running fore and aft, and its velocity
is acquired by spur wheels and pinions. Each revolution of
the larger wheel, turned by the cranks of the engines, gives
by the multiplied power, five and one-third revolu-
tions of the screw. The hole or aperture required for
the screw is square, and the operation of the propeller does
not appear to interfere with the steering, which is managed
with the facility of a small boat. The shafts of the engine
work, fire and aft—the cranks working transversely, so as
to communicate the power directly by the cog wheels to
the screw. The larger wheel is toothed or cogged with
horn beam (timber). The engines are compact, but of
short stroke, and not, we think, equal to what we could
accomplish in our good old term, " if we were put to the
screw." The whole apparatus, indeed, is necessarily as a
new application capable of improvement, which will gain
both compactness and speed, and arc already obvious
to the inventor and his friends—though even now the Ar.
c himedes is n crack steamer. The vessel has given origin
to " the Ship Propeller Company."
THE TRIP YESTERDAY.

By special invitation, a number of gentlemen and their
friends, including ladies, went an board about noon. The
vessel was lying moored to the buoy off George's-pier,
and " set screw " about twenty minutes afterwards. Cap-
tain Chappel, R.N., who has accompanied the vessel by
direction of the Admiralty, from London and other in-
termediate ports, including Bristol and Plymouth, to re-
port upon her capabilities, was on board, and was unre-
mitting in his polite attention to all on board—explaining
to them, in conjunction with Mr. Smith, the inventor, the
whoie principle of the propelling mechanism. The 114 y
was delightfully fine ; the deck and cabin of the vessel
roomy and cemfortable, and the whole trip highly pleasant
and exhilarating.
There wire from fifty to sixty ladies sad gentlemen on
board, and all appeared highly to enjoy the experimental
trip. There were on board representatives of the first
commercial, steam navigation, and engine and ship-build-
ing houses, in the town. We noticed among t those pre-
sent, the Mayor, Captain Bevis, R.N., Mr. Fawcett, Mr.
Wiltwick, Mr. Samuel Turner, Mr. H. Littledale, Mr.
Brocklebank, Mr. Jno. Pollock, Captain Fayrer, Captain
Engledue, Mr. Aspinall, Mr. Byron, Mr. Gusrew (of
Scotland), Mr. Wilson, Mr. Smyth, and many other gen
tlemen. Amongst the ladies were several of Captain
Bevis's family.
The vessel first steamed up to Birkenhead, at a good
speed, and afterwards ran back to opposite the George's
Pier, and thence down the river and North Channel,
and round the Formby Light Ship. Her utmost
:Teed was about nine and a half knots. She was looked
upon with astonishment by hundreds on the quays,
and others on shipb, and who had not before seen her.
On returning up the river, the guests were invited
to the spacious cabin, and partook of a sumptuous cold col-
lation, with wine, &. The mayor proposed " Success to
the Archimedes, and to the spirited company who had sent
her out," which was drunk with enthusiasm. A second
set of gncsts afterwards sat down, and numerous toasts
were drunk.
On running down, the Archimedes beat the swiftest of'
the Egremont boats, and on going up to the Sloyne, she
passed her Majesty's tender the Rea Wing, Indeed, no
boat on the river had any chance with her. She turned in
a very short space of Teem. After another run past the
piers and down to the Rock, the, steam um entirely put off
and she beat up under sail—back to the loyne.iti good
style, showing good sailing qualities, though cramped for
sea-room. She then returned to her moorings off the
pier, and landed her passengers—all highly delighted with
the trip and the success of the experiment.
The only disagreeable sensation is a rumbling noise made
by the cog-wheels, which, however, engineers state may be
overcome or greatly reduced.
;;:Te had purposed to be much more minute, but must
for 60 ourselves to a few additional par-
ticulars.
The screw on the same princip!e may be applied to sharp_
sailing vessels with advantage. The propelling power is
,he vessel leaning to leeward. The screw
may fie titrow;' tof sear in two minutes, so that the yes-