The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-08-05 00:00:00

PRINCIPLE OF CONSTRUCTION.

This beautiful ship is constructed on a principle re-
cently patented by Mr. Jordan, for the purpose of com-
bining wood and iron in the construction of sailing and
other craft, in such manner as to, secure their united
strength, without in any instance allowing the water to
come in contact with the latter material. " The timbers,'
if we may use the expression, are of strong angle iron
rivetted together in two different forms, one resembling
T iron, the other shaped thus, It; they are used alter-
nately. The outer planking is secured by counter-
sunk headed bolts, and nuts in. the inner side to every

" timber," while the "IL shaped iron gives a surface to
which the ceiling is fastened. Connecting the top of every
" timber" is an iron stringer of half inch plate, two feet
deep, running the full length of the ship ; another of
similar dimensions runs along the lower deck beam ends,
and on each side, rivetted its whole length, is an elliptic
iron girder, starting at the rising of the floor, terminating
at the gunwale on the rounding of the quarter aft, and
forward at the bluff of the bow line these stringers, it
may be remarked, are all outside.. She is also tied inside
with diagonal trussings, running transversely from amid-
ships. She has a hollow tube keelson, which serves as a
tank, holding over eleven tons of water ; her sister keel-
sons and bilge keelsons are of strong angle iron. The
lower deck beams are of plate iron, dipping at the ends
to form hanging knees, which are secured to the framing;
they are strengthened at the top by two lengths of angle
iron back to back, finished at the bottom with a neat
round-beaded'muulding. The planking is all secured by
counter-sunk bolts, screwed up inside, and over this she
has a sheathing of felt and wood. The planking in her
bottom is rock elm, the top sides are greenheart and teak,
the bulwark stancheons are of sabicu, and the decks
are narrow planks of 4-inch yellow pine. Though there
is no lack of either timber or iron in this ship, she is not
only lighter but has a greater carrying capacity with less
displacement, and is deemed as strong if not stronger than
any ship afloat. The great objects, however, attained
are those of preventing the fouling which naturally occurs
in vessels solely built with iron, while dry rot is altogether
avoided. A gentleman had been sent down from the
Admiralty to examine the Tubal Cain, who, although
formerly opposed to the principle, admitted, after a most
minute examination of her, that his opinions were com-
pletely changed, and expressed himself in the highest
terms as to her construction. Captain Claxton also paid
a complimentary tribute to the principle on which the
vessel has been constructed. He stated that the
principle of construction adopted by Messrs. Jordan
and Getty was in his judgment superior to that
adopted by other builders, though he had at one
time been of an opposite opinion. He added that the
method of fastening the planking used by those gentlemen,
which consisted of counter sunk-headed screw bolts, was
decidedly stronger, and was calcnlated to retain as firm a
hold as that which had been hitherto used. The vessels
on this principle had the same space inside that iron ships
had ; and as every iron ship so fouled thatshe bad to go into
dock every twelve months, the superiority of Mr. Jordan's
patent must be apparent, as vessels constructed on this
principle would not require to do so.