Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-03-13
The New screw Frlgases.

The six new United States steam frigates, part
of which are already finished and the remainder
nearly completed, will do much toward establishing
for our steam navy a reputation somewhat consist
ent with American character. The Minnesota,
built at Washington, has been constructed by naval
parties aioue; but the Merimae built at Boston,
and now cruising in the Mediterranean-the Wa
bash, built at Philadelphia, and now lying off the
Navy Yard at Brookyn-the Colorado and Roam
oke, now nearly completed in Virginia, aud the
Niagara at this port all built or building more
or less, under the contract system. The five first
named are heavy war vessels, about $500 tons
each, quite fully rugged, and ordinarily carrying
each forty heavy guns. In fact, judging from the
Wabash, the only specimen which has yet visited
our harbor. the appearance of these ships, when
the hinge single smoke pipe is lowered-wbich they
are enabled to do by an operation similar to the
closing of telescope tube-is not readily dstin-
gnishable from that of ordinary frst-elsss sailing
frigstss. The Niagara is Of different class. In
her every thing but durability and general eficea-
cy has been sacrificed to secure speed She is S45
feet in length, the longest war vessel ever built in
America and may be considered ship OF $500
tons burden; she carries only twelve guns and
these are all on the upper deck. Her masts and
rigging are comparatively light but her boilers and
engines are adapted to the development OF immense
power and great disappointment will be fit should
she fail 70 be by far the deetest vessel possess
ed by any country. She has four very large boil
ers of the style patented BY Mr. D. b. Martin, the
present Engineer in Chief Of the Navy, each con-
tanning six furnaces. The whole contain five thou.
sand Upright tubes, each three feet long and two
inches in diameter, and mainly through the inn
mensely extended surface of these the heat of the
fuel is economically and rapidly conveyed to the
water to generate steam. She has three engines,
a novel and almost unprecedented arrangement
,he whole object being TO develope great power
without making engines too unwiedly in size.
The Wabash has two engines OF precisely the
diameter and stroke. The diameter OF each eylin-
der is sevehtytwo inches the stroke Of piston three
feet Both vessels use steam at pressure Of about
Is pounds 10 square inch, and Employ II con-
densingly. The Niagara cuts of at two-thirds the
stroke the Wabash at points variable from 10 to
81 inches, from which coupled with the dispropor-
ton in the number of cylinders, the relative pow
ers OF the two vessels may be very correctly infer
red. The Wabash We may consider type of the
four other steamers, the Merrimae, Roanoke, Colo
RADIO and Minnesota. The propeller of the Niagara
is Of brass, 10 feet inches 10 diameter, and by
complication of mechanism 10 the hub, the two
blades are each capable Of twisting about to assume
positions more less 0blique, so 10 vary the
pitch OF the at pleasure, but only As "a feet
pitch are the surfaces mathematically parts OF
true screw although it is designed TO be frequently
used at as great pitch as 3s feet Tested ut dock
performances under TIE circumstances. The engines
are direct acting. horizontal each being connected
20 a separate crank forged ia the stout shaft The
eyinaers are ranged oa one side Of abe vessel and
the condeussrs, air pumps &c, en- the other. She
has two telescope smoke pipes, aud her guns
al heavy There are tso twelve-inch and ten-ineh
guns all well adapted f's long range, or Tor throw
ing hollow sot aud shells The forte Of the Mag
ara win be dealing with light, sEift enemy, OF
oIsyiue upon a heavy and clamsy ons a, too great
distance 20 be reached wirh bis guns IN return.
'The engines Of the Wabash sre termed hsrp en-
eincs. similar in arrangement 20 what Is known as
Inc sts~pIe engine, but lying horizontal. Ia gen.
eral tersas the peeulArity may be descioed as con-
ais,inr Ia an open or skeleton pisson-fcd IN wLich
The crank has liberty 70 complete ils rsEolution.
iBpellsd by q connecting rod extending % 'Es ex
.renity. shich IL supported n guidts as usual
like de Niaears her engines are extremely CON-
80 md na TsrGuI There are ioar Harsin boilers.
each containing Eve furnaces. The propeller =
Iset inches Ia diameter. wiih pitch OF % ieet,
snchanseAble. Lake the NiagAras her psopesisFia
of urnss. vhich metal - not affected oy sea-wstff
To economics steam, the engines o. al faese ir.ss
.tes are made With ony about thres-eiehths o. an
1 inch rIearnnce or space between TIE riston ena
evllndsr-snd when al he cod o. ~ siroks, epd N
sonseqes1es nipcb jdEenulls snd ssssAis ezsFclsed
1 Ii preventing damage irous tbs presence q snail
qasnsislss 81 wassr e ~ asqeF, espfsi.As GO
| krst etssslae ina aneines. The oal{ eHreas aifi
euIsy Which hss vet been Developed 70 woEking the
Wshssh : the beating ii her cEpnks from iriesieo
| There are two counecGpg reds 70 each efspt-oesg
inr one o. each side DC lhsnaFp o. sbe open e. &
4 q, whseh ferms cnulinusNeo "a lhe risfon roi.
/ q aseerbs5. Ths di.messu a the cfapk bssfees.
/ sos.eti.ae. called essnk pisa srs isaFaesn nc IS
sad she lsugth q each Of ne tso ees''pss p 'hs
~s. = Asessl 80 steaasaaA fsfa1sa..-.s !