The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-26
TELE g K APH. .
The Construction Of Ocean Steamers.

TO TpE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
The writer, from imperative of dut, 10 com
PEELED 10 make this following statement In reference to
the melancholy disaster to tho i'll fAed steamship San
Frsncisoo.
The SAN Fraucsso like pu nbsr of other VESSELS de-.
signed for the Pscac trade had serious defect in the
construction o. her hull refer to the In which
the oeck beams coptipued all the way and
projecting beyond the hull (tea nboAt fasbion which,
together With the deck, wAs closely planked and
lar to ccmmon river steamboat This sbsrtiou is OK
emely venient for he purpose OF carrying and
the G., amity Of the San Francisco and IS the writer
knows, bond OF other vessels tf similar arrange
ments. a. shown to him in gale encountered At
sea, in vhch steamer he was nearly lost from the
fact that the bsst up the guards although they
we're ,prnsinged. which means false side built up
under the guard 70 protect them from the direct
sctiep OF tue ses The San Francsco had such pro
lection this but on the contrary had guard which
formed plain projecting shelf ledge 1t will be
be easily understood Why the plank covering this guard
at III. edge Of the hull rapidly beaten BY the
bstteI formed BY the heavy This last fact
that oa,ely afte the breaking down Of the engine,
and the loss Of way the shp breach
ed TO- ard fell into the trough Of the TO render
this ineligible to all ts only necessary state
that ship in this situation would be struck By the
with giant force tqusre up her beam and
would be throw her opposite beam. lmagin 40
the situation Of the vsssel her side would form
inclined plane up which tie vast would rush with
humid OF force due to the body of water and the
momentum OF the Observe that this huge body Of
water is dteEy ted by ths projecting shelf
guard. Can it now bs wcrd, red that the ships
hull, opened fore and aft TO receive the delugs,
should be =. once partially swamped with water,
so TO require the most strenuous exsrtons OF the
hundreds board OF her to keep her sinking Tbs
force Of these Tremendous blows Of the striking against
the guards Of such to make the vessel vib ate
gest 10 hip the follow ing alteration 10 the guards
vessels built 10 ts built IT, for instance the
deca be'ms which continue ort beyond the null we're
cut Oft hush with the zane the beams then requisite TO
form ths guard might be abut ted SIMPLY against the
side Of the hull and supported BY Simple kones lgat
cn diagonal braces Then in the event Of danger the
SEA wen ms Y v br,A q
psbdent OF the wheel Ar additional of the dsAs
Ter board this vessel Is very to steamers
going around the Horn being large store OF
provisions and other stores requisite for the voyage the
vessel muss ecsssar be deep Now, asserted
troops ard IL thsis il altogether unadyisA
BILE Iasmuch caused the vessel to too deeply
laden for afey, 1t is we'll known fact that deeply
laden vessels In great danger Of laundering at
This was the case with the unfortunate President 1t
bsng vel, kno that when sh saes from this port abe
entirely loaded Provisions can easily be OBJ.
taired eDy OF the South American ports where the
vsssel had TO call for fresh water SC 1T reasonable
rates thus showing necesty for overlooking tbs
s-i vi Il previons Much might be said this bran h
CT the euhject, but fpace will not permit There Is
her subject the writer deems too portAn to omit
sufficient strereth These statements the writer very
much doubts and wond add that ship in the situation
OF he ssp Francisco you'd At tin be very deeply sub
height and squenty the weight Of the column OF
vatsr requiied to be raised hyher air pump from tbs
condepter, and thua bringing greatly liz creased
raises the bucket, and consequently the water
already named, thereby csusing the rod to break,
rela ed by the engineer. The way TO prevent
such phe would have been to have carried low
steam And 70 throttle tbs well dowrtha is to d.
niosh the Of steam emitted to the cylinders
But in this matter Mr. Marshall the engineer, not al
lived Pre- pc; discretion ina much he ordered BY
tie commander TO carry AL the steam he possibly could
with ANY degree OF Nov to explain the fore.
going hat 1t may be untersood the writer will
state that from authority that he deems reliable the
ship WAS found deeply laden a. 10 be unmanaseable
that is 20 say steered fAdy-A result very common In
ever loaded vefses The ony remedy for sbis dangerous
situation Of The chip left the the order
already referred to- to carry AL the steam the
idered prudent-t being well knosn fast that the
sver the hull Of vessel moves through the water the
better shs oteys her helm THU, there choice
left either for the commander engineer to use proper
dscrt ton for tad the bis engine with su
cient the safety Of his engine then the
ship would have lost sieerage wsy, end the ship would
stll have bro<cfed 10, and the present catastrophe
VI uld still have taken place.
The sriter viii hereafter sneavor TO show the amer
In which tineH circum oed Ike 70 that Of the San
FSpoco could be made TO work with sufficient power
- 10 save the ship and all those boNd II the
fore gcir article Be aae to further the sncs Of hu
marity and promote commerce., 1t viii meet the ends
ofA CONSTRUCTOR.