Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1837-10-23

Iron evening edition Of Saturday.
improvements In the Construction OF steam
Vessels.


many other steam boats-he fnghtful sacrifice OF
lives and the agonzing deaths that have taken place
within few years past makes sensitively alive to
any and every plan tending to ameorate such dread
full occurrences
1t is with the greatest pleasure therefore, that we
draw the public attention TO the plan OF NJ .. W.
Williams, of England, for nsurng vessels from most
of the calamtes to which they now liable which
has been successfully tested and put into operation
by the Dublin Steam Company.
Had this plan been in operation with ~ the Home
had NOT been lost-its passengers had not persisted.
1t is expected that the British Parliament will pass
law to compel its enforcement universally in all
sells built in English ports, and we hope and trust
that some such legislative enactments will here be
passed as shall render the safety of those thus voy
aging comparatively certain.
While upon the subject of Improvements in Steam
boats, we must not omit plan of Mr.. Benefits,
steam generating steam plan. 1t has been highly
spoken oil. So much was thought OF II, that under
the inspection of Captain Cobb, steamboat has
been blilt by Messrs. Brown & Bell, for the purpose
of testing Mr.. Benefits new inverted steam boilers
and machinery for generating cam.
contract was made with this gentleman in June
l4h, 1885, to furnish his apparatus by the 18th of
November following. The steamboat being ready
by that time TO receive it.
The principle of Mr.. Bennets generating steam has
been tried, bat some mperfection in the machinery
together with other causes, has hitherto prevented
the steamer from being tested to the extent of its
powers, a per agreement.
This boat is now lying at Brown a. Bells yard,
where the machinists are busy engaged in fitting
new valves
1t is the general opinion that Captain Cobb's ves-
sci is better calculated for USE than any other we
have seen, and that it is built in the strongest
ner. Her machinery is fitted diagonally Theength
of the boat is about l60 feet-sufcieny long to ena-
BILE her to contend with the waves.
We have no doubt but that Captain Cobb would be
pleased that scientific persons should visit the boat,
and examine her capabilities.
We will not delay our readers further from Mr.
Williams own remarks upon it, which are full, COM
piete and convincing. He Essays
A desire to lessen or prevent those accidents TO
which ships are liable has long engaged the la
bors and attention of humane and scientific men; and
when we consider the fragile nature of ship, as COM
pared with the tremendous and irresistible force OF the
sea, and that single plank is all that IS interposed
between that element and those on board, we are
tempted to express astonshment not that so few
vessels are lost, but that so few escape.
That any expedien shall be discovered which will
prevent the Eruption of the water TO an extent beyond
what may be within the power o. men and pumps TO
expel is hopeless case. Even in the event OF run
ming on an anchor or other body which should break
any part of the ships bottom side that of sim
gle plank starting, the extent Of the injury would
most likely be such as TO render IT Impossible to
keep the vessel afoat by human power. 1t occurred
10 me, that the only practicable expedient for pre-
venting the sinking actual submersion of the entire
vessel would be- by combining the effect of the injury
sustained to that portion section Of the vessel in
which the injury occurred and this the basis ofthe
plan am now TO submit.
nsfbt hooh aan Mt Mad yh oh mi
prevent the water ofits breaking in, from col
lsioa other causes from passing at oace through
out the entire body OF the vessel and here lies me
great of DANGER particularly in steam vessels,
rs the fires being at the To- part of the hull
soonest affected by the water-and the chances OF es-
cape, by being expediuously run on shore, are thus
lost. Indeed in steam vessels the mere circumstance
of arrangement to any of those pipes, or connexions
between the interior and EXTERIOR for the necessary
introduction and expulsion of water from the engine
and boiler have often caused the most serious results
In one instance the casual introduction OF piece OF
sea weed under the valve OF the bge water pump OF
steam vessel caused TO fill nearly to sinking But
when it is considered that those casualties which too
often end in the sinking of steamer, arc local IN Their
origin, and affect but a small portion Of the vessel
and that the water admitted is often of so small
extent to be almost within the power of the pumps
II will nj once suggest the Importance and the efh
ciency Of the protection, by combining the water to
that section ef the vessel which has sustained the in
jury, and where Interruption took place.
The plan of dividing the vessels hull into sections,
each Of which Should be completely water-ght, has,
we told, been practised by the Chinese in their
trade barges, the several er-tght compartments
being under lock andkey and appropriated to separate
shippers.
This mode of giving security first occurred 10 me
building the iron steamer the Garryowen, (now ply
ing the Shannon, at Limerlck) and the trade
barges which the Dublin Company steamers tow on
that river. Where the hull was Of lron as in the
Garyowen the introduction Of iron plate bulkheads
was easy and effective; and, independently Of the
great strength afforded by this internal and sectional
bridging, as it may be called these sections were
susceptible Of being made water light as the vessel
ITSELF
Experience has proved that il impossiblet to make
timber PARTITION or bulkhead, wafer tight! or, at
least that should continue The heat of the ves-
sci is sufficient such shrinking in partition
of timber planking to render 1t wholly useless in
preventing water from passing. Iron plate partitions
however possessed all the requisites for this eflectual
division Of the vessel into many water tight
pmtmens. Their introduction into tmber-built ships
appeared, then, an important desideratum. Many
objections were, however started. Men do not like
TO be put out of their way ana, indeed plan which
should prevent ships foundenng at was, least,
not likely TO find much favor in the eyes of ship
builders.
The only parts where water could pass from any
one section, when filed to another section not so
filed would be- not through the iron partitions, but
the a} ee and bottom of the vessel where they