Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-02-26
From the Prairie Du CHEN Leader.
-.-. WARDS steam Ice Boat.

|
| WARDS Steam Ice Boat.
On Sunday morning last we were aston.
lshed by announcements in our Milwaukee ex-
changes that steam ice boat, designed to
run during the winter months, in connection
with the NJ. & NJ. R. R., to St. Paul, was now
IN course OF construction in this city. Inqui
ry soon satisfied us that we were not so dere-
llct IN our duty as local journalists as circum-
stances made it appear. The first installinent
| OF material for the new boat had arrived on
| the previous evening, after our edition was
| circulated, surprising our railroad officials as
| much as the announcement did us. A sec
| ond mstallment arrived on Thursday evening.
(the remainder is expected tonight, and yes
terday, we had the pleasure of making the
acquaintance of the inventor, Mr.. Wizard, I'M
der whose immediate superintendent the boat
IS being put together, and of listening to his
history OF the invention, and what that inven-
ton is proposed to accomplish.
Some years ago, Mr.. Wizard, then a resident
of GAINESVILLE in this State, commenced exper-
iments with view to the construction of a
boat to run on the rivers when closed by ice,
and has since labored unremittingly to meet
and overcome the obstacles to the success of
his design, which presented themselves to his
own mind or We're urged by others. In the
past year, and since his invention has been
submitted to the scrutiny of scientific men.
no objection has been brought forward that
he had not anticipated and provided for. If
the ice should fail, the boat would rest upon
the water, and by the power of the engines
could be launched upon the ice with greater
ease than locomotive could be replaced upon
the track when off,
Hummocks that are impossible are
planned down in few moments; and over a
surface too rough for safe travelling, it will
plane its way, and make speed of from four
to eight miles an hour. 1t is supported on
skates or runners, so adjusted as to pass
through snow tive feet in depth without pre-
senting any considerable resistance. 1t can
be stopped without danger of its freezing to
the ice A steam brake is attached, by which
its velocity may be perfectly controlled The
tendency to make " iceway nron short turns
has been obvated.
In his prospectus, Mr. Ward gives the fol-
lowing brief intell:siole description of his
boat:
"The boat which I first propose to build
will be twelve feet in width by seventy feet
in length, and when resting upon the water
would displace about one foot in depth. 1t
will be propelled by pair of.locomotive en-
gines, acting on single driving wheel, to
which adhesion is given by various devices.
The bottom, ends, and sides of the hull, for
about three feet in height, are of iron; the
upper part is inclosed and finished similar to
a passenger Car, and warmed by steam pipes,
and will accommodate one hundred passen-
gers it is steered by pilot familiar with the
river by the devices which give him perfect
command over it."
He calculates the ordinary speed on the ice
at twenty to forty miles an hour and with
clear, solid ice, we believe his vessel can east
iy be made to attain speed of eighty miles. l
We have also before us detailed descrp-
tons of the machinery but without the ac-
companying illustrations, our readers would
scarcely be the wiser for them.
Mr. Wizard mas now some forty mechanics
employed in putting the boat together, and
expects to have it completed in two weeks
In the meantime, We understand survey of
the river will be instituted and a route laid
down for the boat to follow. There is there
fore little danger but the experiment will be
fairly tested before the ice breaks up. And
on the failure of the southern ice more north
ern routes may be opened
Should the hopes of the inventor be reali-
zed-and of this it would seem there is scarce
ly Doubts value to the Northwest will
exceed that of any invention of recent date.
The great want of conveyance for winter
travel is much felt by the citizens of the West
and Northwest, where thousands of miles of
river navigation is close! for four, five and six
months of the year; and where the business
in season of navigation gives employment to
many hundred steamboats,. The immense
field open to a feasible mode of adaptation to
the ice-road, will appear by glance at the
map of our Northwestern rivers and lakes
The large and constantly increasing popula-
ton on these river banks and tributary to
them, would at once give employment to many
hundred boats of the kind and these boats
will entirely supersede the necessity of Rail
roads in winter, where built parallel to rivers
in cold climates. The track costs nothing,
and is kept in repair without expense.
The iron work of the boat was gotten out
by the Novelty Works of New York, and the
greater part of the wood work in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad have
furnished the motive power, and manifested a
great interest in the success of the enterprise.