The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-03-17

The following is from an esteemed friend
whose scientific attachments entitle his opin-
ions 10 considcration.l
For the Gate City.
A Plan FOR the Propulsion Of vos.
sells.
In 1886, James Rumsey, Of Maryland, built
and tried upon the Potomac river a remark
able steamboat. She was fifty feet long,
with tubular boiler Of FIVE gallons capacity,
and a rude steam engine, the valves OF which
we're moved by hand. Her machinery occu.
pied about the space of four -four barrels
With three and half tons on board, this
boat was propelled against the current at the
rate of four or FIVE miles an hour--a perform
ance which, considering the imperfection of
her engine, has never been surpassed.
Declared from the use Of his invention by
rights previously granted to others, Rumsey
went to England and proceeded to build a
boat on the Thames. When his work was
nearly completed, he was imprisoned for
debt, and he soon afterward died leaving his
boat unfinished.
The plan Of Rumsey, the same according
to his opponents, as suggested by the celebra-
ted mathematician Bernouilli, and referred
to by Franklin, was the inductiog Of cur
rent of water at the bow and the election of
it at the stern by means Of pump and suit
able tubes. Excepting q steamer recently
constructed on this principle, and success
fully plying on the western coast Of Scotland,
no application within the knowledgeof the
writer has been made Of this mode of pro-
pulsion.
desire to call attention to the superiority
of Rumsey's method in connection with some
improvements upon his application of it. l
propose as propelling power double &C:
ton pump placed on end below the water
line, it's valves moved by levers SO adjusted
as to allow Of reversal of the current; the
induction and eduction pipes properly pro-
tected and provided with air chambers to
prevent shock--the forward pipe terminating
| toward the bow, the aft one below the rudder
post; the speed Of current necessary to al
low for slip to be given by suitable narrow
ing of the dscharging ori6ce; an arrange
ment to allow the current, or a part of it, to
pass from above or below through the rud-
der to be discharged at its oft edge. The
chief objections to the ordinary radial wheel
are: great loss Of power consequent upon tn.
unavailing resistance on the obliquely enter.
ing and emerging floats, occasioning an un.
desirable vibratory motion of the vessel; Z
loss of power from the resistance to the floats
revolving in the air; difficulties and danger.
consequent upon the varying depth Of i'm
mersion of the wheels when the vessel rolls
the presentation at disadvantage of tn,
large surfaces Of the wheel-boxes to TIT
wind. The screw propeller interferes with tn,
proper clearing of the storm in rough wealth
ers it is in the way when the steamer is un
der sail only it is inefficient in mannuverint
the vessel.
The plan here suggested is liable to non,
Of these objections; and to this negative re-
commentator it addstw positive ones Of
the first Importance. The impulse, giver
with the least possible loss in the transmis.
sion Of the power of the engine to the resist
ing medium, is directly backward and con
tinuous. The vessel can be perfectly gov
erned, either in forward or backward move
ment, or without Roadway, il need BIO, b,
means of the current through the rudder.
j. b.