The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-07-20 00:00:00

STEAMING ON THE CANALS

In an article under this head in the Guardian of Saturday
last, we noticed the first down voyage to this town from Lon-
don, through the canals, of a steam boat named the Novelty.
Before entering into some further particulars respecting this
boat, we are desirous to correct an error into which we were
led by our informant, and which, not having ourselves wit-
nessed the speed of the boat on the canal, we had no means
of setting right at the tittle. We there stated her speed to be
at the rate of nearly eight miles an hour; but so far from
this being the case ou the canals, we understand that all that
is sought for is to attain, as a regular speed, a rate of six
miles an hout ; and this speed has been maintained in even
the first trial through the canals, in the most satisfactory
manner. The speed of " nearly eight miles an hour" has
been attained by the boat, but not on the canals: it was run
during a trial on the Thames, under circumstances much
more favourable to steaming than are to be obtained in canal
navigation.
We have already stated, that the Novelty is the hull of an
old canal boat. Her form, to those unacquainted with the
build of these boats, will be better understood when we state
that her length is about seventy-four feet, with seven feet six
inch beam; she is heavily constructed, and, when loaded,
draws about two feet water. We noticed that her engine
was high pressure and of four horses' power, supplied with
steam from a small locomotive boiler. The boat is fitted
with a species of paddles, alreadS, described, but perhaps
better known as " Ericsson's propellers," in substitution of
the side paddles, of the old steamers—which are constructed
so as to propel, without raising a surge injurious to canal
banks, and so as to pass through the narrow locks with ease
and safety—objects hitherto unattained, and deemed impracti-
cable. The main peculiarity of this invention is the construc-
tion of the paddle, so as to secure an action resembling that
of a fish's tail, or of a perpetual sculling through the water.
The difference between the operation of the propellers and
that of the fish or double scull, is, that insteaa of the force
being alternate from side to side, the propellers' strokes
upon the water are simultaneous. We before explained the
construction of the paddle-boards, and the fact of their re-
volving in opposite directions. This is effected by the wheels
or rings being fixed, one to a hollow shaft, and the other to a
solid shaft, revolving within the hollow one; so that, although
they move in opposite directions, they turn upon the same
centre; each opponent paddle-board striking the water at the
same time. The power from the engine is communicated by
a crank at the solid shaft; a cog-wheel attached to the crank
shaft works in gear with another cog-wheel immediately un-
der it, and the reversed action of the other propellers is ob-
tained by gearing and an endless chain. As these propellers
work with the greatest effect when submerged, no waste of
power is incurred, andano shaking motion communicated to
the boat. When in motion, with her propellers submerged,
there is little to distinguish the Novelty. from other canal
boats, the old wooden funnel being retained; there being
little smoke, as coke is the fuel consumed; the engine and
boiler being out of sight, and the only variation in her form
being the elongation and widening of the stern, about 14
inches, with the addition of a slight stage for the helmsman.
We noticed the fact of an experimental trip having been
made by this boat on Monday week, upon the Duke of
Bridgewater's Canal. The party on board consisted of some
of the principal canal proprietors and water carriers in this
town and neighbourhood, and their friends. The Novelty
started from the Manchester end of the canal, about six
minutes before one o'clock; passed the Worsley branch at
twenty minutes past one o'clock; and reached the wharf at
Altrincham at half-past two o'clock, having performed the
eight miles in one hour and thirty-six minutes. The speed
of the boat, and the fact of no towing horses being visible,
caused no small astonishment to various rustics on the canal
banks; and some of the more cunning of these people, hear-
ing the panting of the engine, and seeing the bubbling of
the water in her wake, at length decided that there was
"stemma aloive in her tail." The voyagers, much delighted
with their trip, proceeded to the Stamford Arms, Altrincham,
where "Success to the undertaking" was toasted: and,
amongst other healths given, were those of Lord Francis
Egerton, as the representative and successor of the Duke of
Bridgewater; of Messrs. Robins, Mills, & Co. the proprietors
of the boat, and projectors of the experiment of steam pro-
pulsion on the canals; and of their friend Mr. Williams, who
steamed down in the Novelty, and kept her log.
At twenty minutes before five o'clock, the boat started on
her return from Altrincham bridge, and on her way came up
with the Wellington fly-boat, which, having just before been
freshly horsed, kept a-head for about two miles, but was then
obliged to yield with a bad grace, his horses being half killed
under the unwonted exertion. The Novelty passed " his
grace" in fine style, and arrived at Messrs. Robins, Mills, and
Co.'s wharf, at ten minutes after six o'clock.
Owing to the construction and form of the boat, to the
propellers being only partially immersed, to the engine being
out of repair, and to the utter disregard of her `• trim" during
the experiment, it was observed that the propellers had not a
fair chance; nor could the boat attain that higher rate of
speed which her due emergence was to three-quarters of an
inch,—about 1-36th part of her draught; and it was observed
that there was no sensible increase of her speed when the
engine, from 70, increased to 84 revolutions per minute. In-
crease of speed under such circumstances must have resulted,
had the boat been of such a form as,to have allowed her to
rise out of the water, and to keep in tt im. During the trial
trip, no injurious ripple was produced by the propellers;
but where the water was shallow, a ripple, caused by the dis-
placement of water by the boat, followed midway, and con-
siderably impeded her progress. With deeper water her
speed accelerated, and on the Thames she is said to have at-
tained a rate varying from eight to nine, and even up to and
exceeding ten miles per hour.
We understand that the American government, ever on
the alert, has at once availed itself of this invention. An iron
steam-boat, built by Mr. John Laird, of North Birkenhead,
(under the inspection of Mr. F. B. Ogden, the United States
Consul at Liverpool,) and fitted with these propellers, was
launched on the 7th instant. She is at present waiting for
her boilers, and it is expected will be tried on the Mersey in
the course of text week. She is intended to be worked as a
steam-tug, to tow ships upon the Delaware and Raritan
canal, (New Jevsey,) which was completed in 1834, and is
42 miles in length. Her machinery is said to be of a new
and improved construction, and not a tenth part of the weight
of the machinery in general use, of equal power.
It is, perhaps, premature to speculate on the great revo-
lution which the success of this experiment, and the conse-
quent adoption of steam power on canals, would occasion in
canal navigation. Some of the earliest and most obvious re-
sults would be—the necessity of deepening the canals, or
keeping more water in them; the avoidance of that delay
now so much complained of, in boats waiting, very often for
several days together, for turns, at the various locks; and
an increased traffic in lighter goods, by means of fewer boats
than are at present employed on the canals. All these ad-
vantages, however, are of course contingent on the success
of the mechanical invention, in its application to canals, and
on the degree of cordiality with which canal proprietors ap-
prove of a change, which some of them may imagine (whe-
ther justly or not we do not affirm) will cause a greater wear
and tear of their property than that to which the ordinary
method of horse towing at present subjects them.—Alcinches-
tar Guardian, ' • .