The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-16
Application or the Eel Motion for Driving
Vessels.

A gentleman in Greenpoint, last Saturday
afternoon, exhibited to few invited guests
model boat propelled by contrivance
entirely new, at least untried hitherto in
its application to steamboat propulsion.
The model was about two feet long, shaped
like craft intended rather for carrying
freight than for speed, resembling in its
lines and proportions an ordinary coal
barge The propelling contrivance simply
an elongated rudder, made of two flexible
slabs, which, for practical use will be made
of short and narrow pieces Of wood, fitting
closely together and swung from straight
piece that forms the top edge Of the rud-
der. leaving the lower part to be acted up
on BY splnally curved rod that revolves
inside Of the rudder, imparting to its fexi-
BILE sides the serpentine or eel like motion
that drives the boat through the water, by
principle Of resistance similar TO that OF
the ordinary screw propeller. In the
model with which the experiment was
made on Saturday afternoon the rudder or
propeller was constructed of pieces of bvsss
wire working clese together and hanging
from the spine or top edge. The fact that
the rudder is also the propeller does not
interfere in the least with its Office a. n
sterring apparatus in fact, the combina-
! ton appears to be an advantageous one,
and although the flexible sides we're not
submerged to over ons-fourth their depth,
a very satisfactory rate Of speed was at
tanned. The power IL applied in eAactly
the same manner as in the screw propeller,
viz. by longitudinal shaft, which in this
contrivance extends beyond the stern Of
4 - - -
of the rudder, that part inclosed between
the two flexible sides OF the rudder being,
as before stated, spirslly bent. In the
model, the machinery consisted Of simply
the barrel and fuse, spring and chain Of .
brass clock, the SHAT being connected by
means of inter wheels. The inventor
feels certain that very high rste of speed
for boats can be attained with this propel-
Ter. He disclaims any designs on the ca
nails, simply aiming at q principle for nav
igatinc shallow waters. The motion of
the little two-foot vessel through the water
was stately and very easy, Just like that of
a large vessel, and with sufficient velocity
to demonstrate efectually the success Of
the feel motion"-as the inventor calls it
for driving bOats-at least on q small
scale-at fair rate of speed through the
water. The only objection presented BY
the experiment was the length Of the rud-
der, which is required to obtain the wave
motion. This same fault accompanied tbs
first idea of the screw propeller, but it was
found by an accident, and much to the sur
prise of the inventor, that this great length
was superfuous, and that the screw, wher
reduced to single helix, answered the pur
pose better than when it projected Ion,
distance behind 50 it may turn out tha
short rudder win answer az well a. lon,
: one. This ia the FIRST time that the Zee
: motion" has ever been scientifically ap
Piled to the propulsion Of boats. 1t has il
its favor the fact that the jarring creates
by the paddle wheel and the screw pro
propeller is entirely dispensed with, a
there il no heating ON the water TO cause
, Whether the 'seefmotion" will be o sue
cess as applied TO large vessels remains b
be Nesc York Times.