New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-16
NOW STEAM is AND HAS BEEN SUCCESS
FULLY USED ON CANALS.

now STEAM is AND HAS BEEN SUCCESS
FULLY USED ON CANALS
TO dt Editor Of The N. Y. Tribune.
Ibaye carefully examined the article over the sigma
,ure of Fulton" headed How to use steam on
Canals" which appeared in your paper OF the 2o'h
inst. and approve many of his views while there are
others which my practical experience IN towing oy
,.su on the canal for the last five years leads me 10
Nsopnrove. The reason why steam did not supersede
horse mower upon the canals early attracted my at
tenton as the towing Of boats was admitted by all 10
he peculary cruel and destructive to animal life, and
apparently as peculiarly fitted for the nerveess and I'M
tirng energy of steam.
Deeply reprctting the total failure in oil attempts to
apply it, / made up my mind TO give the subject
thorough investigation. First, in acquaintng myself
with what had already been done, and the supposed
obstacles in the way found the great objection to
be the washing away of the banks by the waves
created BY the wheel. This decisive objection
10 the use of the side and stern padde-wheels.
The screw propeller was then coming into USE par
ticulary for towing and driving heavy freight boats,
where strength rather than speed was required and
was found ON broad and deep waters to be effective,
economical and convenient. 1t was attempted to APP
ply this propeller TO canal towing, using in some in
stances two wheels worked by engine and in others
huf on
than The stem and wheels, and not sufficient to
inure seriously as was thought, the banks OF some
canals 1t was soon found, however, that these
screws which had in oil cases 10 drop near the bottom
Of the canal and revolye rapidly IN order 10 get any
effective power threw into connection The entire BODY
Of water, and undermined and washed In the bapks
and sides thereby creating bars, though less injurious
at the surface.
Finding the screw to possess the least objection, as
then thought gave it careful considerations ma.
ture ard capabilities for towing upon canals. Many
believe nearly all the important facts suggested ey
youI cores pondent were carefully examined but IN
some respects with different result The screw pro-
peer ia its best condition, acquires ITS 0uer solely dy
boring as rag through the yielding element Of ~dRer,
and al must hare body Of rQter TO tore INTO. Its
fanges are necessarily limited in number, as well as
area: nor can the area be increased by working one
wheel asten of another, for in that case the alter
wheel becomes dead drag in the quick water OF the
former. They must therefore, be limited TO as many
as can stand in line with each other on one hub and
each fapge in its revolution cuts its thread if
may be allowed the EXPRESSION whenever the boat Is
in motion. If the wheel is but five feet diameter, ana
half submerged, there VIII be little more ahan one
such a wheel must revolve, to make any heaoWay,
will cut the water up and destroy its inertia and re-
sistance nor do believe your correspondent anticl
pations can be realized 10y working TWO or more
wheels 0brfda of each other. The area oil paodle
WILL of course, be increased, but WI" not these many
wheels, working in the limited sections OF Ordinary
canals break the waters too much, catch upon the
sloipg banks aud on the whole lose in the increased
complication of friction, cumbersomeness and exposure
among the many and various obstacles in canals more
than can possibly be gained? This was my conclusion
then, and all my experience since confnms u; 1e.
sides the practice Of the world has been LOT the ast
~ wears TO drop the two and use but one
whenever this kind could be used 10 aovanlage q. II.
These Investigations led me to the conclusion tiat
the real dcs,dcrdtu was to construct and arrange
a propellng wheel with hull that 1t should be abe
to tow load proportonofe TO me p0rcr dPplnd upon
canals and ao,rOw, crooked, shaIiOw, shOoiy and
snopey rirers rk0ut creating dny rash TO canals or
arnos,1p the aeheel TO collision. This idea have fully
realized by constructing boats upon the following pla
for towing p,lrposes at least The hull with single
how and dou6 stern the channel extending from the
stern TO near the midship section, taklDg care 10
20 form the forward part OF the chanhei ar 10 aa;
the water as easily possible from the bottom lwch
,s fatl TO the wheel as the boat moves along. Inc
machinery and fuel occupying the forward part where
the bearings are entire and the cabin the after por-
ton. over the channel They can be constructed to
draw from inches to3a feet. The paddle wheel wuch
is mounted and works the forward part OF the chan
pel il constructed in the ordinary way, cTc me Pod-
dies They are made Of boiler iron, and their form Is
the convex surface Of half or ess of the rtstum OF
cone the hight of which Is LESS than bali tne wheei
diameter and instead Of the circular, prefer to give
them a Darabola curve, varying the hight OF ther
ach according to the rise of the wheel and proposed
dip Of the paddles Their outer edge, when placed as
they are permanently upon the arms, conforms TO the
wheels PERIPHERY and their working faces, OF course
incline backward from the wheels radl and are con-
cave To prevent the water escaping over the paddle
when II hlls, 1 increase lts hgut as TUG oen.oi
is app cached 80 that at this point it is one-th wioer
than at the ends. These paddles lose M power In
buryiDg lifting, enter the water feafAcrHg, ana
srifhout tie last jar concentrating AZ cGnstanty,
as they enter, until erGy part becomes hAed, ~h'ch
at the point required to JrOPel the boat dkedd and then
almost instantly. from their inclined position discharge
themselves with little disturbance leaving the water
in nearly vertical position. This concentrating
lion of the paddles while entering and their graspng
and hodips the water when filed, pressing il slightly
downward at that point, gives to the wheel in that
position at least, tie frnaest possible fuicrum,
and one altogether sufficient, rithoW The buckets
droppzRg 6eiOp The boots lotion. Should any inju-
nous commoton Of the water be found in any
ca4e, il is alayed without any appreciable loss
of power by what is termed the wave queiler,"
which is usually hollow and watertight, suspended in
the channel the forward end by hinges ana the aeI
end by strong scrrw this end can be readily raised
or lowered 30 as to smooth down any waves by their
passing under its long, plane, and gr aduay declining
surface This is also Of great service IN hrovng Mc
boat eff Of any object the boat happens TO get ias
upon for by screwlDg the qucller down, ana WORKING
the queler raises the stern of the boat and where not
needed, be screwed up, clear OF the water OUT OF
the wsy A further description can be found IN the
Patept-Of6ce Report for 1880, page 49,
l find by this arrangement that almost any amour
Of power can be applied without the possibility OF
with aggregate cagocs Of 900 tups, have been lowed
during The last years through one canal, whose av
erage section does exceed the sections Of the
vessels lowed 10 per cent, at speed of three miles
an hour py one OF our tugs working about 80 horse
power. This tug draws feet inches, has two high
pressure engines and locomotive tubular boiler with
wheel IL feet diameter, feet face and ID inches dip
not dropping Loto as The bottom of tie boat by Is
inches--aId makes, with this heavy tow, Ia rcvou-
tor per minute, and consumes Oneelevcnth Of cord
Of pine wood per mile.
lam Satisfied that wheel of the like size arranged
With hull Of lighter drasgh' which shall dip two