The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-31
THE CITY OFBOSTON.
Her Probable Fate.

A correspondent OF the New York Post in
comm entng upon the alleged probability OF the
City OF Boston having taken frc from the heating
OF the journals OF the machinery, caused by the
increase speed due 10 the substitution OF two
baded for q three-b!aled screw, makes the follow
ing very plausible suggestion in regard to the
fate OF the missing steamships:
AS mauy OF the friends OF those on board may
feel additional anguish from the fact that their
friends have suffered the dread terrors Of bre on
board ship at sea. 1t may be as weil 10 snow
how ridiculous the conclusions Of the paper
quoted are. In the first place. the speed at Which
q screw Is driven depends on the pitch or distance
tie screw truyels ahead In one revolution, anu
not upon the number OF blades, the resisting sur
face being divided into two three, or four pST-
tlons according to the Judgment or the engineer;
two blades being used generally where vessels
are ascendant crtncn,rc..""; on sails as ar
fording less resistance when the blades are
placed perpendicularlr and the vessel driven by
sail alone. Again, the shaft and all the bearings
of an engine Iuu in metal, and have no wool
whatevef near them, and are never, under any
circumstances, allowed 20 run above the temper
ature at which water evaporates-22 degrees
for before reaching the point ut which the Dry
est wood igniIeS, they would so cut ana bind Ill
the journals of large Shaft as 10 stop the engine
The probable fl:e Of the City OF Boston mas
been an encounter with an iceberg. one WI!
naturally say that tic cantain, being careful,
would reduce the speed Of his ship when the de-
preston Of the thermometer would SHOW that
shere were iceScr:s in the neighborhood. sup
pose, then, that the speed had been reduced To
ten knots an hour, and let us see with what lorcc
the City of Boston would stri Ike an iceberg OF
sufficient magnitude 10 remain practically I'M
movable when the vessel struck 1t.
The City of Boston probably weighed 1000 TONS;
water in boilers, say Iity tons: passengers, bag
gage, &C. fifty tons; freight. 500 tons. making IN
all 1900 tons. At speed OF ten KNOTS an nour
she would move seventeen feet in one second.
which wOad give the vesSe. momentum, OF
force with which she wo;l strike OF 81, 800 tons,
q force sufficient TO crush III her BOWS Ior
many feet. Besides this, let one Imagine ior
moment the ti fleet upon al ponderaI0,le
bodies partially secured to the VesSel. iae
vessel suddenly stopped, boats, masls, lur,
niture, passengers, everything ABOUT tue sesse'
would virtually he driven ahea;l at spceu Oh seV
enteen feet second; the boilers would prooaoiy
be ;oosened from their fastenings, the masts
would bc broken OF, the boats wOutd be cLrfiee
away, terror would prevail, which the shrlcHS ol
afrighted and wounded passengers would leigh
ten. The vessel wou,d siaS Immediately. 10
boats could be lowered, 10 provision he made to
save single person. Should SHE have taken fire,
there would have been NJ least q short time to
lower boats and prepare raits, on Which some
would have remained probably long enough a1oat
to havc been picked up by steamers or sailing
vessels passing over the same route
A long enough time has now elapsed to have
heard from a!plUst every port for Which steamer
or sailing vesSefea that route would have sailed
and hope for the safe arrival OF the City Of Boston
has almost died out, even in the minds OF thu
| most sanguine.