The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-01
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
COMMERCIAL STEAM VESSEL.S-A NEW
ENTERPRISE.

An enterprise of more than ordinary importance
is now in progress We learn that steam-vessel
will be launched in July, which is intended as the
first Of line of steam. packet ships to ply be-
tween New York and Liverpool, and to combine, as
much as possible, the advantages of the ordinary
sailng-shp with those of the steam-vesse. The
subject noticed at length in Part ILL., of Lardners
Lectures on Science and Art, published in New
York, by Greedy & McElrath. The article is enti-
tied Prospects Of Steam Navigation" 1t is said
that ten years have gone by since the great enter
prise of superseding the far-famed packetships by
the establishment of steam-liners, was announced to
the world; and, instead Of sweeping the packe-ships
from the face of the ocean, they have so far as New
York and Philadelphia concerned, improved in
efficiency increased in magnitude, and multiplied In
number; while the great steam project which was to
prove their DOOM has made its flash and disappear
ed, leaving the Great Western "aone in her glory"
This experience, il is argued, has shown the fail
ure Of the enterprise in commercial sense, while
the less ambitious scheme of line of mail steam
ers, sustained by the liberal subsidy of the British
Post Office, and plying between the ports Of
Liverpool and Boston, has been successfully
realized. How, then, are those things TO be ex-
painedl Simply because the steamers between
New York and England were not SO well fitted for
commercial purposes the packetships, and could
not compete with the line of post office steamers,
controlled and subsidized by the British govern
ment and serving the colonial objects of that nation.
Such vessels from New York and Philadelphia, to
he successful aim at the acquisition Of powers,
which will enable them 10 perform the service Of
packet-ships; in word, be packet-shps, in which
sufficient steam-power shall be supplied to give them
increased expedition, regularity, and punctuality,
without robbIng them, to any serious extent, Of
their present capablity Of satisfying the wants OF
commerce. These great objects are now aimed at
in shc vessel above alluded to. Captain Ericsson
has had the subject under consideration for some
time; and the conclusions to which he has arrived
will, il is thought, accomplish everything that is
desired. One Of his recent inventions places II in
the power Of the commander at any time, "within
the space of FIVE minutes, TO raise the propeller out
of tho water submerge it, so as to convert, for
all intents and purposes, steamer into sailing
vessel, or a saing-vcssel into steamer, as he may
see fit The shaft on which the propeling- Is
fixed. is provided with simple mechanism within
the vessel, by which il may be easily at any time
drawn out Of the nave Of the wheel. The wheel II
SELF is sustained by powerful vertical arm, the
y; pcr end Of which is attached TO q strong axis
winch enters the vessel parallel the main axis Of
the wheel, and above the summit Of the wheel. To
this axis, within the vessel, is attached piece Of
,nechanisnf, by which it may be turned through hall
!, revolution By the power Of two men, with such
tree that the propeller will be made to perform hall
revolution round he upper end Of the vertical arm
which supports il, by which that arm will be pre-
sented upward instead ,.f downward. The wheel
therefore, instead Of being submerged, VIII besup