The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-20
AcRoss the ATLANTIC in FoURDAYs
Present Condition of the "Cigar Ship"

The nresent condition of the Winans "Ci-
gar Ship" now building in London, and OF
which accounts were published long time
asb, is thus described by the Lo4don Morn
ing Herald; .-.,'sli sfaeI, ~.
&The general form of the cigar ship has been
as her name shows, compared with that of a
cigar pointed off at both ends instead of one.
A more homely, but, perhaps, more effective
illustration is that OF the unpleasant but favor
tie plaything of street boys, the 'upcat'. Most
of our iandsmen readers will be more or less
familiar with this simple but ingenious lnstrli-
ment of annoyance, and If they VIII fancy
BrobSignag cat of slender make ana taper
ing to an absolute needle-polnG ~ elmer emu
they will have before their eyes the exact rep
resentation of the hull of the cigar ship. This
hull, which is, OF course, hollow, and is form
ed of iron, presenting perfectly smooth and
even surface, supports upon the upper side a
small deck, occupying about half, or some
thing less, of the extreme length, the tapering
extremities projecting beyond it at either end.
Unlike the hull ITSELF this deck Is not exactly
the same at each end, presenting wedge
shaped front towards the bow, while at the
stern it is rounded off American clipper fash
ion. Above the deck are to be seen the fun
nels, conpanon-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, ac-
cordlng to estimate, carry coal enough for five
days consumption. Her extreme length is
about two hundred and fifty feet, and great
est diameter about sixteen feet, tapering grad
ualiy, as we have said, to point almost as
fine as that OF needle. The amount of ac-
commod ation is therefore extremely limited;
and we believe it is not proposed to make any
attempt at carrying largo OF any description,
hut to confine the vessel strictly to the paSsel-
ger trade Even then it is difficult to imagine,
after due allowance for saloon and sleeping
apartments stores, berths for crew, &e., what
space can be left for engines estimated to work
up to two thousand horse power.
"The means OF propulsion employed are two
large screws one at either end .of the vessel,
and placed within a very short distance Of the
extreme points, or at a 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 showing half of its
surface above the water. The estimated ex-
IRENE is about tacenty-seren miles per hour
A short distance from the propeller, and near
er to the centre oil the vessel, is the rudder-
one at each end-a broad iron plate like the
rudder, or rather steering paddle, of the an
Gent galleys. These are also rather more
than one hundred feet from the steering appa-
ratus. ~ ffs
"Such is the general external appearance of
this remarkable vessel, now almost ready for
launching. In the water her line of flotation,
according to the model Of which we have be-
tore spoken, is exactly parallel with her longi-
tudina axis. the sharp point at either end be-
ing just level with the surface. Allowing
sixteen feet as her extreme diameter, she
will thus be raised in the centre eight feet
above the waters edge; or with two feet more
of bulwark, ten feet in ALL We are free to
confess that, with every possible desire to be-
lieve in the good qualities of a vessel which
promises to bring us our American news in
some three or four days, and to limit that
dreadful channel business to within the hour,
We are at loss to understand how, underthese
conditions, the cigar ship purposes to keep
afoat. In perfectly smooth water we can inn
agine 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 windsails, and with two euor-
nous propellers of severe pitch lashing 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 enormous power, may also be open to
question, even under the most favorable cir
stances. 80.
"Sut the real difficulties of the cigar ship,
as of most others, Must commence with the
first symptoms OF breeze. Imagine vessel
of this construction travelling at the rate of
five-and-twenty miles an hour-the minimum
rate, be it remembered, for the New York pas
sage, on account of the consumption Of coal
meeting in mid-ocean one OF the westerly
gales now careering across the Atlantic. In
front of her is a. wall of water twenty feet
hi yh, travelling at the rate of a dozen miles an
hour. Between them they meet at the speed
of forty miles. There is no bow to lift her
over the obstacle Right into it she plunges,
Ike harpoon into whales back, the whole
force of the blow being met by the propeller,
which, however severe may be its pitch, can
not present anything very much better than
an almost fat surface to the Shock What
chance the blades would have of surviving any
very long succession of such shocks is a mat
ter of simple calculation, and one into which
the engineers have no doubt fully entered"