Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-15

miles uer hour" son both days the weather
was most unfavorable, from much rain, and a
strong uale of wind, directly i'll her face. having
been from the East on Wednesday, and from the
West ON Thursday when free from the
locks, tunnel, and other impediments, the speed
at which she proceeded varied from to IL miles
an hour; and the extraordinary results OF the pre-
yious experiments made on the Paisley canal
and Forth and Clyde canal, were again complete
Iy verified and ascertained during her progress
through ll3 miles of canal navigation. For IL
appeared that when she moved through the WATER
at the rate of six or seven miles per hour, there
was great swell or wave constantly III her iroh''
and she was followed by strong surge or wave
bearing against the bank Of the canal. Al THESE
times the hauling rope WAS tight, and the horses
appeared to be distressed. But as the speed was
increased, the wave or swelling OF water IN her
front sunk down; and when the speed came 10
be about miles an hour, the swell entirely dis-
appeared, the waters in front became smooth ana
level; the hauling rope slackened, and the hors'
cs seemed easy, and little or no surge was to De
seen on the banks behind the vessel"
On these experiments, the following comment
is made bv the same writer: .'There appears,
therefore, no reason to fear that the banks ol ca
nails can ever be hurt, by increasing the speed
of boats, to theNtmost attainable height; and
measures are ia progress for increasing the speed
of passaue boats ON the Forth and Clyde canal.
aud the Union Canal; or at least OF keeping 1t,
during the whole voyage, between Glasgow and
Edinburgh, to the highest rate, which has been
already realized; &, thus. reducing the time con-
sumed in the voyage, to five hours. y
To these experiments, Mr.. FalrbaiTn has add
ed MANY others which are referred to in the text.
and more infinitely described in the appendix oil
his very interesting: work; aud from them lie de-
duces results confoundng all the established theo
ries that the resistance, to body, drawn along
a line of water confined within the banks OF a Ca
nal did not appear to increase IN the ratio, land
down IN theory; and that, while at low rate OF
velocity, viz: at, and under six miles all hour.
the resistance TO the progress OF the boat, on a
broad line of water, was considerably less than
on a narrower line; on the contrary, at high
rate Of velocity, say above ten miles an hour, the
forces necessary to the propulsion OF the boat, on
a broad, and narrow line Of water, appeared to
he the same il the advantage was not rather III
favor of the narrow line"
From these observations he was induced, to
recommend, and the Forth and Clyde Canal Com
pany to agree, to build light twin iron steam
passas re boat to ply between Glasgow and Edln-
hrsh," which, at the date OF his publication, lie
was preparing to launch. Her length is to be 6s
feet, her breadth Of beam II feet, her steam ell
sine to be Of ten horse power; the diameter OF
her paddle wheel, 9 feet" and its motion cal
culated to give from so to 60 strokes in the MI
mute; her whole weight tons l6 cwt. and her
draft of water, l6 inches. She will accommo-
date from 100 to 80 passengers; her anticIpat-
ed velocity will be from nine to ten miles an hour,
and the cost, to the Canal Company, for the con-
veyance Of passenger. between Edinburgh and
Glasgow, Sc miles, will not much exceed two
pence; which," Mr.. Fairbairn adds, lis not a
fifteenth of the expense of the conveyance of the
Mr. Fairbairn saws "that however much he was
persuaded that steam power was the cheapest for
hIph YelncIfIaS and al, for.