The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-25

IuS 10 2UooeeSs =
Lsarning thst G. A. Bennett of Racine,
Wis. was ia tho city prospecting . little
Win some Chicago capitalists in regard
to the construction Of what he modestiy
terms m ocean railway, reporter Ut
shis paper called upon him ct the Matte
son House the other day TO see about It
Though anticipating some interest in his
proposition, be haa not expected the
matter to become public SO soon, and he
hardly felt disposed at present to draw
attention from other projects 81 q KIND
red nature, moro especially n his prln-
cipls was already demonstrated maths.
matically and Theoretically substantial
success in prospect, whereas the balloon
undertaking was simply IN immense ex-
pertinent, and needed the utmost atten-
ton in securing results, which he was
ycrv mach afraid would be nothing more
practical than giving facility TO the es-
cape Of Graphic gas, and perhaps the o.
enlistment Of an admitted law OF an
upper castern-cours;ng air-current, As
70 the current ever becoming matter
of commerce, he had his doubts that
the balloon would over become means
Of general travel, he considered rather
!" moonish ;" the idea was a little too
high to be tolerated even by American
minds of soaring tendency. But he
thought that all honor was due TO Wise
md Donaldson for their hereoic energy
and fearless devotion to science.
The reporter was shown draughts, and
elected an explanation, from which is
dcduced the following description of the
Captains marine carriage, which in gen
erai appearance, with q few exceptions,
resembles the ordinary propeller. There
10 q lower deck. and above it the cabin !;
bat what there is below these, in the
place occupied by that part of the pro-
pel!er which is in tho water, is the re-
markablc feature, and peculiar to the
new plans of tn. marine craft. There
is no hull, and nothing TO be forced fhrogh
tie Wt.ser; but as port, answering the
same purpose, are what no calls the
/" ties" of his railway, but which may be
properly called pontoons, lying cross
wise and under the car, and the sections
(pontoons bsin. connected together
each to its fellow, they form an endless
chain, which by means OF an engine, is
made to revolve around large perpendi-
calar wheels at each end of the car, after
tho manner Of the tread bars in the we'll
known horse tread-power; therefore
half of bis belt is consecutivcly in the
water, making base, a foundation for
the car to pass over. BY its continued
rotating movment around the wheels
the sections Of the chain arc, as they are
released at the stern from position in the
water, carried mp over the stern wheel
and forward between the deck a.d cabin,
to tho FORE wheel, where they are each
in its turn let down again by the fore
wheel to their Offices in the water, which
principal is analogous to thatperhaps the
reader has seen demonstrated in the old
time school girls manner OF crossing
. shallow brook, whore but two step
ping stones kept her feet dry for dozen
yards or moro, in the place of which |
now, alas! We find piers, the hard stony
hearted abutments of conventiOnality.
The carriage with which Capt. Ben
nett intends to cross the Atlantic this
fall, is, rs represented in tho draught,
thirty feet long, by twelve feet wide the
pantoon sections ten feet long, (their re-
spective lengths crosswise Of the length !
Of the car, making the width of the belt
they FORM two feet deep and one foot
wide, each having buoyancy Of $50
pounds, which, multiplied by thirty
that number being in the water ut the
time) make, after allowing for their own
weight, . tonnage of about 81 900 pounds.
Tho drive wheels are fifty-two feet in
which with hundred and Fifty
q minute; give an impetus
10 the car of thirty miles and hour, af-
ter allowing for friction and atmospher-
e resistanco.-Chicago Tribune.