Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1853-08-27
History Of our Steam NAVY.

stea m poal when would carry heaVy guns.
and move at the rate of four miles per hour.
In 1914 law was passed authorizing the
/ President to cause to b, built and equipped,
one or more floating batteries for the defence
of the waters of the United States. The har-
Dor and coast defence was committed to a
committee. who employed Fulton as en-
gineer, and who laid down the keel of our
first navy steamer on the Goth June. 1914.
This was al the shtpyard of A. & N. Brown,
in this city; in four months this vessel was
launched, and, was named the :: Demoogos
and g Fulton the First" 1t was not until
/ fitted up completely on that day she made
ceedng she made a trip of 90 miles out into
the ocean. This ship was totally unfit for
navigation. and was laid up at the Brooklyn
| Navy Yard as a receiving ship until 1929.
when, in a most nnaccountable manner she
was Blown up, killing "a men: woman,
and wounding 10: our first naval steamer
was an unfortunate one-as nearly all its
successors have been. In 1888 Fnlton the
Secondo was built for the defence Of New
| York Harbot5 she was made strong and car
ried Heavy battery. but she too was totally
unified for the pt5pose Of ocean navigation,
Sheghaa two horizontal engines, wlih cylin-
| dersof so inches diameter. and 9 teetsstToke,
| which were built AT the West Point Foundry,
and cost S41.198 81 Her boilers Were of
copper, and cost 500, 296 O6-an ENORMOUS
amount of money. Her total cost was
S299,649 o. This vessel lay al the Brook
lyn Navy Yard a useless hulk. until 1851
when Chief Engineer Stuart was directed 10
reconstruct, ii entirely. The old engines
were taken out, also TIE copper boilers. A
single inclined engine built by H. R. Dun
ham & Co.. along with iron boilers. were
put in at cost OF S75.909. By statistics of
this vessels performance, obtained from
S,uart's splendid work on Naval Steamers,
it appears that she made as high speed as
90 miles per hour. For this extraordinary
speed we cannot account-her engine and
model would not lead us to believe that she
could make such time as, upon good au-
thority it is stated she has made. The three
" FutonS" had paddle-wheels.
In 1912 Lieut.. Hunter U. s. NJ. took out
patent for new submerged wheel for the
propulsion OF steamers. and upon lh6strengih
of some experiments made with 9 small boat
on the canal, at Washington, the Govern.
ment ordered vessel named the "Union,"
of 1000 tons burden to be constructed at the
Norfolk Navy Yard to test this wheel on
large scale This wheel was submerged
paddle wheel, revolving horizontally III
case under water. This vessel was employ
ed for about % months in the Gulf of Mexico
had two sets of engines put in her: anil had
number Of alterations made in the wheel,
and yet never made over knots per hour.
In 1916 this vessel was laid up in the Navy
Yard at Philadelphia, her machinery and
boilers taken out, and was turned intoa re-
ceiving vessel after costing sl72, ATT So
In lS43, a small iron steamer, named the
Michigan" was built for cruising on the
northern upper lakes, aud has done good ser.
vice since.
The Mississippi the nag-steamshp Of
Commodore Perry, in the Japan Expedition
was built in 1870 at the Navy Yard, in Phi
ladelphia, and her engines We're constructed
by Merrlck & Town, of that city, from designs
BY Charles w. Copeland, of this city Her
cost was $3.50, 25l; repairs in S52 S94, 954.
This vessel has side wheels, and has done
great and good service 10 the country; it is
believed that she has steamed a greater dis
lance than any war steamer afioat, and has
required but little repairs, aud she will last
quite number of years yet. The Missou-
RI" was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard,
in 1871, from the same lines as the IS Missis-
sippi." and her engines an machinery were
constructed, at West Point Foundry. Cold
Spring. from designs by Mr.. Copeland Chas.
H. Haswell being then engineer in Chief of
the U. S. N. Her cost was S59s,4s3 IS. On
the 23d of Aug, 1913. this fine steam frieate,
was destroyed by fire, al Gibraltar. She was
fine sailor, and was, in every respect like
the Mississippi, only she had o feet stroke,
with GIL, inches diameter of cylinders.
while the cylinders of the former are Is in
ches diameter. and the stroke is only feet.
The Princeton was also built inyI8i3
with Ercsson's engines and propelsEs.. This
vessel was failure, 80 far as the quality of
her hull was concerned, and lasted about
six years; her speed was about six miles per
hour with steaSa alone Two small steamers
('addle-wheelsl named the "Spifre7 and
the Vixen" were purchased by the govern
ment during the Mexican war. They have
undergone many repairs since, and are of a
very inferior character.
The ".Allegheny" was constructed OF iron
at Pittsburgh. from plans by Lieut.. Hunter,
in 1Si7, and fitted with two OF the designers
submerged wheels. She was 900 tons bur-
den. and 33 feet broad. Her whole cos, was
1922. 053. 70, including $1,000 for the patent
right of the wheel, most enormous price
indeed. for small iron steamer This ves-
sci was sent on trip to the Mediterranean.
and on her return in iS49 The Hunter wheel
was condemned: side wheels were recon-
mended but sEfe5 was not fiji to go 10 sea
again. Dnrino 1852 she Underwent great
alterations. and propeller designed BY En-
Gineer sherwood, was substituted for the
Hunter wheel. One of Prisons condensers
was also applied, but none Of these changes
can bring it up to SIX knots per hour.
In 1850 the .Saranac y was built at the
Portsmouth Navy Yard, n H. with engines
built by Jabez Coney, Of Boston, from de-
signs by Charles W Copeland. This vessel
has paddle wheels, maintains respectable
speed, is very efficient, and a credit to the
service.
The "San Jacinton was constructed on
the same lines a. the Saranac. a, the Brook
}yn Navy Yard Her engines were designed
by c. w Haswell, Engineer in Chief U. s. N.
ami were built in 1850 by Merrck & Son,
Philadelphia She was 10 be fitted with a
propeller by Mr.. Haswell, which was TO be
placed at the one side Of the centre line
Before the propeller was put in, Mr.. Stuart
superseded Mr.. Haswell, and got different
propeller placed in her. His work says that
She run at the rate of 1S miles per hour. in