Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-02-22
Wimans' Cigar Ship.

Inc present eOnu1llOH Oh H1uan - cigar
.ship," now building in London, and Of which
accounts were published a long time ago, is
is thus described by the London Morning
Herald:
"The general form Of the cigar ship has
been, as her name shows compared with
that of cigar, pointed off at both ends in
stead of one. A more homely, but, per-
haps, more effective illustration, is that of
the unpleasant but favorite plaything of our
street boys, the 'tipcat.' More of our lands
men readers will be more or less familiar
with this simple but ingenious instrument
of annoyance, and if they will fancy a brob-
dignag cat, Of slender make, and tapering
to an absolute needle, point at either end,
they will have before their eyes the exact
representation of the hull of the cigar ship.
This hull, which is, Of course, hollow, and
formed of iron, presenting perfectly
smooth and even surface, supports upon the
upper side small deck, occupying about
half, or something less, to the extreme
length, the tapering extremities projecting
beyond it at either end. Unlike the hull
itself, the deck is not exactly the same at
each end, presenting a wedge-shapen front
toward the bow, while at the stern it is
Above the deck are to be seen the tunnels,
companion-houses, &C., but neither mast
nor rigging of any kind whatever, the only
means Of locomotion possessed by the cigar
ship being her engines, for which she can,
according to estimate, carry coal enough for
five days consumption. Her extreme length
is about two hundred and fifty feet, and
greatest diameter about sixteen feet, taper
hou To nf
almost as that of needle. The amount of
accommodation is therefore extremely Ii
mited and we believe it is not proposed
to make any attempt at carrying cargo of
any description, but to confne the vessel
strictly to passenger trade. Even then it is
difficult to imagine, after due allowance for
saloon and sleeping apartments, stores,
berths for crew, &C., what space can be left
for engines estimated to work up two thou
sand horse power.
"The means of propulsion employed are
two large screws, one at either end of the
vessel, and placed within a very short dis
lance of the extreme points, or at distance
of about one hundred and twenty feet from
the machinery. These propellers are to be
of great diameter and sharp pitch-the one
pushing, the other pulling the vessel, and
each half of its surface above the water.
The estimated extreme speed is about TWEEN
ty-seven miles per hour. A short distance
from the propeller, and nearer to the centre
of the vessel, is the rudder-at each end
broad iron plate like the rudder, or rather
steering paddle, Of the ancient galleys
These are also rather more than one hum
dred feet from the steeing apparatus
"Such is the general external appearance
of this remarkable vessel, now almost ready
for launching. In the water her line of hoa!a-
ton, according to the model of which we
have before spoken, is exactly parallel with
her longitudinal axis, the sharp point at
either end being just level with the surface.
Allowing sixteen feet as her extreme dame
ter, she will thus be raised in the centre eight
feet above the waters edge; or, with two feet
more of bulwarA, ten feet in all. We are
free to confess that, with every possible de-
sire to believe in the good qualities of a YES
sci which promises to bring us our American
news in some three or four days, and to linn
it that dreadful channel busine'r ; within
the hour, we are at loss to understand how,
under these conditions, the cigar ship pur-
poses TO keep afoat. In perfectly smooth
water we can imagine that she might, if
successfully ballasted against the chance of
rolling over and over, as would be of course
her natural tendency, make something very
like the estimated speed, though with what
degree Of comfort to the passengers, deprived
by the construction of the vessel of all light
or ventilation except such as can be obtained
from the deck by means Of skylights and
w1ndsails, and with two enormous propellers
of severe pitch flashing the water at either
end, is another question. The advantages,
too, of being cooped up in such extremely
close quarters, with an engine of this enor-
nous power, may also be open to question:
even under the most favorable circum-
stances.
"But the real difficulties of the cigar ship,
as of most others, must commence with the
first symptoms of q breeze Imagine a YES
sci Of this construction travelling at the rate
of fve-and-twenty miles an hour-the mini
mum rate, be it remembered, for the New
York passage, on account of the consumption
of coal-meeting in midocean one of the
westerly gales now careering across the At
lantic. In front Of her is wall of water
twenty feet high, travelling at the rate Of a
dozen miles an hour. Between them they
meet at speed of forty miles. There is no
bow to lift her over the obstacle. Right
into it she plunges, like harpoon into
whales back, the whole force of the blow
being met by the propeller, which, however
severe may be its pitch, cannot present any
thing very much better than an almost fiat
surface to the shock. What chance the
blades would have of surviving any very
long succession of such shocks is matter of
simple calculation, and one into which the
engineers have no doubt fully entered
1NTRICACIEs OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The construction of the English language
must appear most formidable to foreigner
One Of them, looking at picture of num-
Der of vessels, said, "See, what flock of
ships!" He was told that lock of ships
was called a fleet, and that a feet of sheep
was calldd flock. And it was added, for
his guidance in mastering the intricacies of
our language, that "a flock of girls is called
bevy, that bevy of wolves is called
pack, and pack of thieves is called gang,
and n 0anr of aupalS 10 90 11od q boct ond