Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-08-20

Nlar.eilles. On the 5th of January, lat.
Fl, long. 66, experienced a heavy, gale OF
wind, aud while running 8 and>s knots, a
large sea struck the ernof the ship, and
carried away the rudder at the waser'sSedge,
when the vessel immediately preached to.
& The main mast was sprung, and the hull
Law exposed to every sea. In.this unfortu-
nate 'stuatien capt., Mugfcrd was reduced:
i to the necessity eff steering the skip with
cables over the quarters for upwards of 90
days making however the best Of the way
towards the Westert1 Islands and Madeira.
The weather during 1al the tine was sx-
tremely boisterous, and the ship much ex-
posed to the sea 1t was dofing this inter.
val that capt. Mugford planned and execut-
| ed,a rudder which he afterwards proceeded
in securing in It's proper place, at The stern
of the ship. Kits entirely of a nesy COM
ssruction, and does the inventor the great
est honor. Merchants and seamen ir par
ticular, must be under great obligations to
captain Mhgtord, for the invention. and
the United States will feel proud in having
giving birth to citizen who has conceived
plan so useful and important 10 the COM
mercial interest, and from which we may
calculate that the lives Of mariner. may be
rendered more secure, and the property OF
cur merchants be less exposed while On the
ocean. 49,.
The Uylesses returned TO this pott a few
days since, and several gentleman having
examined the r:ldder and a model and
drawing of it, We are enabled to give the
following description OF this highly useful
machine.
The rudder has false stem post attach.
ed to it, made from square topmast which.
is about 20 feet in length. The main part
of the rudder is formed from piece OF the
same sopmast, and four studding sa!l-booms
secured together make the back part, the
whole being lashed with small ropes, and
fixed in proper manner with bolts, and
banded on the sides with bords. The rud-
der is IA feet in length, and four feet wide
1t has or 10 eye bolts, and there is All
equal number on the false stern post, thro'
which pieces of iron crow bars were put
and used as pintals, and which when proper
ly placed, attached and secured the rudder
to the false stern post, in the same manner
that Fintals, gugeons, and braces secured
common rudlers to ships stern posts, II he
old iron tiller ofthe ship, about 6 feet long,
passes the body Of the rudder, near thenp-
per part, and from which, on each side,
ropes were passed over the quarters=of the
ship, to top mast runningou near the mlz-
en- chains, and having single block at the
end, the proper tiller ropes were rove thro'
them, and the ship then steered the usual
manner with the wheel. There are several
large straps fastened to the false stern post,
from which hawsers were passed on each
side of the vessel, In order to secure 1t in its
proper station, upon the old stern post
The old gudgeons still remaining the sterp
post, it was necessary to cut mortlses IN
to the false one to receive them, and these
were found Of verv essential service IN
keeping the whole machine firmly fixed in
h assigned situatione
On the the Sd of February the whole was
prepared and the weather being then IA
vorable, the new rudder was hoisted over
thessern of the ship with a four pound cab
non TO sink it to the proper depth, and the
false stern posi- being entered into the
rudder case, the quarter ropes hauled tight
and few bolts passed through it from the.
head OF the old stern post, 1t was then yse-
cured and found TO answer perfectly well,
and The ship steered her course without any
dificulty, They were then lat. 81, and
long ~. The passage to Marseilfes was
now performed IL the safest raanner.. When
shey arrived IN Mnseilles, the new ruddes
excited considerable attention. The French
took drawings oft, and alis captains IN
port took care to furnish themselves with
complete models of Most unquestionably
as it relates to ships, it is the most useful