New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-12
New DfedgebOat.

The National Gazette has the following
description of the new dredgeboat which
will be here in few weeks, and operate
with the Essayons at the bar:
The War Department, in June, awarded
the contract for building and equipping a
double-end dredgeboat, for improving the
John Roach & Son, Of the Morgan Iron
Works, OF this city, and the work of
construction has begun under the superin-
tendence of Chief Engineer Marsland. The
cost OF the boat, complete, will not be far
from $22O, 900, and she is to be delivered at
New Orleans, to Major G. w. Howell, of
the engineer corps. by the first of January,
lS72 When complete, the General McAllis-
ter, for so the dredg ge will be called, will act
dredgeboat EssayOns, built by the Atlantic
Works, Boston, and now working on the
bars at Southwest Pass
From the general specifications, the fol-
lowing summary Of the details of her con-
structiOn has been obtained: The hull is
building by Henry Steers, at Greenpoint,
Long Island, and is of the following dimen.
sions: Extreme length of deck, one hundred
and sixty feet; breadth nodded, thirty feet;
to underside of thick plank amidships.
twenty-six feet. The frame to be of white
oak. hackmatack. cedar and locust; bottom
plank white oak three and a half inches
thick. She will be provided with short
mast and a tOpmast, with a swinging beam
to Lift tive thousand pounds, the boom to
project eighteen feet beyond the rudder
posts.
There will be two houses on deck, one
forward, the other aft the smoketack, each
to be thirty-two feet in length and fifteen in
width, arranged for officers, with mess
rooms, pantries, etc. She will have two cut
ters and one whaleboat, and will be provided
with two anchors Of fifteen hundred pounds
each, with fifteen fathOms of one and half
inch chain cables. The vessel will draw fif-
teen feet OF water without stores of any
kind ON board, and without water in tanks
or 6oliers. There will be propeller at each
ei end OF the vessel, the forward one, fourteen
feet IN diameter, to be driven by pair Of
oscillating, surface-condensing engines,
forty inches diameter and four feet
stroke Of piston; the engines to be
worked with fOrty.five pounds pressure.
and to make sixty revolutions per minute.
Alan's surface condenser is to be used.
The propeller shafts will be of the best fag-
oted iron, the forward one fifteen inches in
diameter and twenty -four feet long, in one
section, with thirteen collars forged on, for
thrust bearers-the collars to be one inch |
and quarter face, one inch and . quarter |
apart, and two inches deep. The forward
propeller is to be be fourteen feet in dimater, |
our-bladed, and of gun metal (brass), the |
blades separate from the hub and secured |
to it by sockets and keys. The after pro.
peller will have three blades.
Two hosting engines will be placed on
the forward main deck, capable Of hosting |
fifteen tons, single purchase. The motive |
and working power will be furnished from !
fOur horizontal fuhu1or ho;1ora 1w;rh tho
tubes arranged above the furnaces, three of |
the boilers to have three furnaces each, and !
the fourth two furnaces. There will also be |
= donkey boiler with one engine.
At the bow there will be mud keel" to |
extend below the keel of the vessel three |
feet, and to be made of one inch wrought |
ron plates. She will have two rudders,
tilted the same as the New York ferryboats. |
When ready to leave this port for New Or |
cans the General McAllister will be fitted |
complete for service, with officers and crew
IN board.