Thibodaux minerva., 1853-10-01

|
New Orleans Bulletin, is all agog, with the ex-
pectation that in a short time the voyage te
Europe will be accomplished in the space of ss
days. There is nothing extravagant or unta
tural in any such expectation. The North River
boats have accomplished rate of speed that
would take them to Liverpool within that time
and if the hull of vessels can be constructed and
strengthened as to bear the application of a
given amount of additional motive power
steam. there is no philosophical reason to be
urged, ,swhy they should not obtain correspond
ing ACCELERATED speed.
The following is an interesting description Of
1.-THE invention:
+ Nsply hsaated Steamship. Ii this age oil
daring, unexpected and impetuoe andvanse.
ment, beliefin the value of discoveries and in.
IIxentions yet untried may safely be large, judg-
HIM by the vast array Of anaIogues and expe-
riences of which we are constantly put in pos
session. The #so-called impossible passage Of
tn Atlantic by steam in fifteen days has beer
Isreadered still more wonderful by the reduction
lIpf the time, by degrees, to- twelve, and finally
I to nine days and fraction But this reduction
is evidently But the precprsDr of scontinued di-
minution of the period required, and therefore
we are not much surprised tosarn tint one Of
| Tue ihost emiue4Asol Ming euSmeefss "HAa1l
Morris, of Philadelpha, has commenced con
structing in this city vessel, to be ready to
sail somewhere about next February, and which
Ewill, in the opinion Of the inventor, sbe able to
perform voyagete Europe. habit1ahy y and Sc
cureIs within Six days, xbesidess possessing
various other advantages orr ordinary steam
ers. as@
! The vessel is now building at Green Point,
and isaof. the following dimensions Length on
| deck, 225 feet; depth of hold, q feety diameter
OF paddle wheels, 36 feet; beam amidshps, 81
feet; draft of water, feet 6 inches; displace-
Iment, 75O tons; power, 1900 horse; accomoda-
| tions for 80 passengers.
1 The bui ilders guarantee that she will make the
voyage between New Yorkgand England within
six days in the winter season. William Norris,
Civil and Mechanical Engineer, and John W.
Grifiths, Naval Architect, are the constructors
and patentees. They claim thesfollowing ad-
vantage instheir improvement: u
| l. a perfect security against fire or water
?. Less risk to lifs,snd greater comfort to
passengers. 4s@
/ The boilers will be- placed within the walls OF
onsEith iron beams over the same.
| Air chambers, of sufficient sustaining capaci-
ty, will extend the whole length of the ship.
The sudden shocks of head and beam seas, to
which all ships of the present construction are
liable Ore obviated by these improvements,
while the gentle undulating motion, always
maintained, will tend to prevent sea sickness,
and at the same time keep the decks dry except
from spray.
The full power of the engine will be reserved
for combating heavy gales, while ships Of fhe
present construction are compelled to slacken
their steam as the gale increases in severity.
These new improvements enable more steam to
be applied, the harder the gale blows.
These facts do not appear more startling than
! those announced in 1886 by the same William
| Norris, when his improvements in the locomo-
| tive engines enabled him to ascend an inclined
plain of one foot rise in fourteen feet, which, al
| the time, was considered contrary to common
sense, and against the laws of gravity, but
which nevertheless was accomplished, to the
surprise and satisfaction of the whole scientific
world.
The high standing of John ". Grifiths, as a
naval constructor, who has made many valuable
improvements in shipbuilding; and the reputa-
tion of Mr.. Norris as u mechanical and civil en-
gineer, would argue perfect success in their
present undertaking.
| The machinery of the ship will consist of one
walking-b beam engine with two tribular boilers,
all of the most improved construction, but with
out anything new in their principles. The
power of the engine, in proportion to the size
and drast of water will be very great, about
five times as great, we believe, as that of the
Cunard line. In an ordinary vessel such power
cannot be applied, as it would tear the hull tn
pieces. In the present case, however, it is made
practicable by the peculiar internal structure as
well as by the novelty of the model but as this
mode Of Strengthening the ship is a new inven-
ton, the patent for which has not yet been issued
we refrain from stating any particulars with
regard to it. As far as we can judge, however,
| it is well adapted to its ends.
| Aswill be seen by the figures we have given
above, the floor of the vessel is unusually fiat
and its draft of water exceedingly small. AT
the same time the bow is unusually sharp. In
fact, the model is the result at once of a great
deal of practical experience, as well as of labor
ious and careful mathematical calculations, and
it is believed that its lines and forms are such
as to produce the least possible resistance in pas
| sing through the water. Here, then, with the
| grounds for the estimate that an average speed
| of twenty miles an hour will be attained in
| storm as well as calm:
l. Sharpness of bow, perfection of curves and
light-drafsandbuo
8. Enormous power of engine.
| 4 The daily consumption of coal will be about
80 tons, and the stock for a passage about 800;
no freight is to be taken. The vessel is named
| the civilian Norris" Sbe will be ready for
launching by the first of December. Her boilers
| and engine are building at Secor's. She will
carry no masts, but will be arranged with jury
masts' to rig in case Of necessity.
PR1NTER's DEv1L.-We have so frequently
been asked by friends and others, "why the
boy in a printing office is called the Devil q
that we give what little we know upon the
subject "a
The first persons who carried on printing
to any extent, were John Guttenburg, John
Faust Tor Faustus,) and Peter Scheffer
Germany was the place where the art was
invented and first carried on. The following
| story is told of the first introduction of print.
ing into France.
"In 1862, Faust carried number Of Bibles
10 Paris which he and his partner Schefef
had printed, ava disposed of them sas man.
uscripts: at this time the discovery Of the
art was not known in France AT first he
sold them at the high price of 500 or COG
crowns the SUN usually obtained by the
| scribes he afterwards lowered his price to
sixty, which created universal astonishmeut
but when he produced them according to
| the demand, and even reduced the price te
thirty, all Paris became agi.ated. The uni
formity Of the copies increased their wonder
the Parisians considering it a task beyond
human invention. Tnformations were given