, 1872-12-01
SEA-SICKNESS,

Practice.
The London Times, in it's issue Of Nov. II,
thus refers to the subject Of - the Bessemer
ship saloon - The germ Of the principle, it
pended cabin lamp in fact, it has often been
suggested that cabin furniture should be simi-
lar1y suspended, and the idea appears feasible,
although really it is not practicableat least, it
would not prevent sea-sickness- the reason
that, although an article Of furniture so sus-
horizontal position, it would still follow every
vertical motion Of the vessel. But there is in
every vessel when pitching or rolling a neutral
axis, or point Of no motion, and it occurred to
Mr. Bessemer; in thinking out the matter, that
by suspending q saloon at a point coincident
with this axis, he would attain this desired end.
The idea promised well it needed but one con-
dition to be complied with in practice to insure
it's success in preventing sea-sicknoss that con-
dition was that the equilibrium Of the saloon
should not be disturbed, or, in other words, that
the load should be equally distributed at start
ing, and that no change in its disposition should
be made during the passage. This, of course,
meant that no passenger should move from his
condition which Of itself would be fatal
to the adoption of the system. There
VAS also the apprehension that disturbance
might arise from the oscillation to which pen
dulous body suspended from q body in motion
was liable. So that idea WAS Abandoned but not
q suspended circular saloon, 50 feet in diameter
and rs feet high retained in 8 horizontal posi-
tion by means Of a heayy counterbalance weight.
Pursuing the subject still further, it occurred to
Mr.. Bessemer that if he could not prevent mo-
ton by his method Of suspension, he could, at
any rate, arrest it, the moment it was set up. To
this end he has designed saloon 70 feet in
length, 80 feet in width, and 20 feet in height,
carrying on the top promenade deck at q
height Of Z feet above the ordinary deck Of the
VaEAaI The n0IDta of nf fhfa
saloon will be in a limo with the keel Of
the vessel, and coincident with the neutral axis
OF the ship when rolling. The saloon will be
well lighted and ventilated, and will bo fitted at
and four for gentlemen, which, as well as the
promenade deck, will be accessible at all times
by means of q broad staircase FREQ from all mo-
tion. The governing principle of this suspended
saloon consists Of q set Of powerful hydraulic
apparatus connected with the under side Of the
flooring, and so arranged that as the vessel rolls
to either side the pressure or resistance afforded
by the water is instantly brought into play, and
utilized III checking the motion. There ia no
doubt that this arrangement could be made
of time, but for the present Mr.. Bessemer
controls the apparatus by a pair of
very sensitive equilibrium valves, nctuated by q
hand lever. At this lever stands 4 steersman,
who, with curved spiritlevel before him,
watches the slightest indication of rolling in the
vessel, and in an instant suppresses the least
tendency OF the saloon to follow the motion Of
the ship.
It viii be seen that, so far, the rolling action
of the vessel has been provided against It may
therefore be asked how the effects Of pitching
are met? In the circular saloon proposed
by Mr.. Bessemer, both motions were pro-
rided against in the present saloon the effects
Of rolling only can be prevented. The
By increasing tho length Of the vessel to
such an extent as to insure 1ongi-
tudinal stability. The principle of the saloon,
in fact, il to DO carried out in o steam
E. J. Reed, C. p, for the channel passage: This
vessel will be $50 feet long, with As feet deck
beam, and 65 feet over her paddle-bo1es and
which, when fully loaded, will draw but feet
inches of water, thus enabling her to meet the
requirements Of the present shallow harborage
on either side of the channel. Tho saloon will |
be placed in the centre of the vessel, position
now generally occupied by the engines, which |
will be placed fore and aft, and will drive two
pairs Of paddle-wheels, aa the small draft of the
engines Of 750 horsepower nominal,
up to 4,600-horse power, and it is e1-
pected to attain & speed Of twenty miles an !
hour, which expectation her small immersed |
area of midship section fully justitics. The ves-
sells will be double-ended, SO as to enable them |
to enter and quit existing harbors, and at each |
end will be wel-eppointed cabin for second |
class passengers. At each extremity these ships
will have = very low freeboard, so that they may
cut through the waves instead of rising to them.
This. combined with their great length, peculiar
shape, and the distribution Of the weights |
they carry, will render the pitching motion go |
slight as to be scarcely appreciable in a saloon
situated midway Of the length Of the vessel.
To an engi gineer the results Of the principle |
propounded BY h1r. Bessemer are self-orident;
there are, however, others to whom they can
not, of course, be made SO clear On paper. In
order, therefore, to demonstrate to ali the feasi-
bility OF his scheme Mr.. Bessemer has construct
ed large working model in tho grounds OF his
residence. Modelit can hardly be called, either,
as it is larger than the midship section
OF one Of the Citizen STEAMBOATS,. The arrange
ment consists Of twenty-feet length, the hull |
Of vessel Of twenty feet BEAM sunk in 2 brick
pit, and carried on longitudinal axis. Similar
". suspended within the representative
ship is cabin measuring sixteen feet
by ten feet, beneath the floor of which is
the hydraulic arrangement for arrest
ing motion, or, in other words, for locking the
cabin. A small square hole in the floor admits
the body Of the ateersman, who sits in front OF
lever working horizontally, and
having just beyond it curved spirit-1eyel sur
mounted by graduated scale and pointer. In
the centre Of the scale is the zero point, and SO
long as the cabin preserves q true level the
pointer stands at zero. Directly, however, the
slightest deviation from the horizontal occurs /
he pointer will stand either to the right or left
II Zer0 according to tho direction of the roll OF
the cabin. The object of the steersman is, Of |
course, to keep the pointer exactly at zero,
Ind this he ensily accompliRhes BIZ slightly |
moving the handle either one way or the
other, as may be necessary: An oscilating mo-
ion is given to the hull through q crank-slaft
worked through toothed gearing by small en-
5ine placed outside the hull. This motion
to 4 degrees each way, representing a
;otal roll of % degrees, the number of oscilla-
ions being ten per minute. It need hardly be
pointed out that both the extent and frequency
If the roll are much in excess of the average in
practice, but, notwithstanding this, the cabin
loes not indicate deviation Of more than from
degree to ~ degrees from the horizontal. It
8, moreover, to be borne in mind that the light |
structure forming the cabin is very readily IN
luenced By the slightest vibration, and but in
adequately represents saloon weighing many
'ons. the inertia Of which alone would aid its
stability.
The Society of Arts, ever on the alert to stim-
alate invention, and to promote scientific prog
:ess some time since offered it's gold medal for
he best design for steamer in which the
1o1rors Of the Channel passage should be re-
luced to minimum, if not altogether abolish
I'd. To this Society, therefore, Mr. Bessemer's
INVENTION became an object Of direct interest, t
II 1r1$ $r%H HTA I