Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-11-30
THE GERMAN STEAMSHIP.
THE GREAT EASTERN TO DE EcLIPsED.

it A Mr.. Germain of Buffalo, is lecturin
ne in that city on the subject of new steam
ship. He thinks he has discovered pla
IN and model far superior to the Great East
ern. The Buffalo Courier describes it a
&C follows:
r From the well-known principles of resis
tance to bodies moving in water, Mr.. Ger
l. main showed that the part of vessel whicl
4. opens the track, should have its surface.
r. inclined as near to the line of motion as dut
|. regard to strength and steadiness will per
- nit The limit in this direction has moi
heretofore been reaehed, or even approx
r mated. Great length has been supposed
S incompatible with strength. Whereas, in
c the Great Eastern, about the precise length
e most trying to vesssl, to-wit: the distance
from the apex of one large wave to anoth-
,er, has been adopted. Were she much lon
ger, so as to rest on several large waves at
once, she would be stronger; for vessel
resting upon many large waves could not
break in the middle parts without causing
three fractures at the same time like a beam
masOned at both ends to a wall The
height of the waves and their consequent
power is limited, and never having as vet
attained the limit of their power in naval
structures, it only remains to 60 forward
to other desirable results. Great length,
says Mr.. Germain, instead of being source
of weakness in reality promotes strength.
The surfaces which open the track may
with perfect safety be so made as nowhere
to exceed an opening of three feet in a hun
dred on each side, or six feet on both sides. |
With such taper at each end the water
is crowded out from the track, and returns
to it again with only the velocity of three
miles an hour, while the vessel is going at .
the rate of hundred miles an hour.
To increase strength, steadiness and
buoyancy, and at the same time have OPEN
ing surfaces very nearly inclined to the line
of motion, he places on each side of the
vessel, below the water line, V shaped
projection, resembling one leg of pair of
mathematical compasses. This is twenty
feet in height, and projecting out twenty
feet from the main hull of the vessel, and
extends from one end of the vessel to the
other, tapering for the last five hundred
feet to point at the end. The extreme
end of the vessel is an upright wedge, with
a sharp edge, and for twelve feet the iron
or steel plates of which it is composed are
compact with no opening. twenty-five feet E
Of one end is Joined for a rudder. The
projections on the sides, which he calls fins,
moving continually in water, can be used
for surface condensers and having the air
pumped out and the steam exhausting into
l vacuum, the locomotive engine may be :,
lsed with the advantages of condensina
,nginc.
The bottom and the side walls are dou- :,
de, with their outer and inner surface three !,
Get apart, tied together once in three feet
~ iron walls. and braced diagonally with .
imbcr. Each compartment is water tight,
o also are the different apartments of the -
vail. The deck floors are of iron, and all =
ARTS arc put together with the hook FORM ::
o as to be strong at the joining places as :,
lsewhcre.
Careful calculations show that the great :
st oceanic forces will not try the strength +
{ the vessel in any way, to exceed ten per :,
ent. of its strength. Its length is four +, +
lousand feet, breadth of beam, exclusive :,
the informations, seventy-thrcc feet, to =,
hich add forty feet for the two fins, and :,
he whole breadth is one hundred and thir-
,cn feet.
A side wind of twenty-three miles an a. Il
our will carcen it less than two inches, :,
I'd a tornado of one hundred miles an
,ur, striking the whole side with a force !.
fifty pounds to each square foot of sur =;
&C, would eareen the vessel only thirty q
ght inches, or Il little less than five de- y.
ees.
Opening only about eighty per cent of o.,
e size of track opened by the Great East m,
n, which has about eleven thousand horse e
wcr, the capacity of this vessel at the f.
me ratio of machinery and tonnage, and 80
tn the improvement suggested, might e.,
Try two hundred thousand horse power.
The track being once opened, and length a
t being a source of weakness, any amount :.
tonnage for freight or machinery may be o.,
d with no additional resistance whatev- G.
except from friction. g.
Resistance from inertia have always here
ore been the chief resistance in naviga- 60
n. Mr.. Germain expects that with his
del, friction will be the chiefresistance ,
The parts of the vessel above the water,
luding pilot house, smoke pipes, &C., ~, n
Te their surfaces inclined very nearly to .,,,
line of motion, and all operations of WI
vessel will be conducted under cover -:
ither passengers nor crew will be ex- a.,
ed to the force of the atmosphere. .
The line of motion being direct and with ,,ro
pitch, sea sickness will be impossible. ronl
The displacement of such vessel is l10,- ert,
D tons, one-half of which will serve for ortv
vessel itself, if made of iron, leaving t,ro
other half for machinery, freight, and crty
sengcrs. If steel is used for cOnstruc- our
D, the weight of the vessel would be about and