The New York herald., 1877-03-16
THE NEW DOMINION.
A Triumph Of Canadian Ingenuily-Fisht-
ing. Winter BlOckades.
A MARINE NONDESCR1PT.
Seven Miles an Hour Through Ice Twelve
Inches Thick
orrAwA, Can, March IS, 1877.

that Canada should be able to teach her republican
sister the border anything in the art ot steam.
boat building or that results have already been ac-
complished which leave far behind In the race all
the efforts OF a similar kind which the attention
OF Americans has been directed. Yet Is even SO.
The readers of the HERALD will recall fact that but
a few weeks have elapsed the East and Hudson
rivers obstruced by ice that At times 1t
sheer impossby tor ferryboats 10 make their reRu-
lar crossings; while at Baltimore and Philadelphia
thousands upon thousands Of dollars spent the
futile to keep open navigation in order that
commerce might not be interrupted and The local n
terests Of tho respective cities thereby suffer. In
either instance the thickness OF the ice did
ceed eight inches, and yet the most improved
expedients applied TO tug and lceboats and steam
chinery failed to break the barrier and achieve the
object sought. Now observe what has been done in
Canada this country of Arctic temperature, frozen
streams and bays and dangerous bergs.
sciENCE-wHIcH?
The Straits of Northu mberland bounded their
south side by the shores OF Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick, and on the north by Prince Edwards
Island The distance between these shores averages
about forty miles, except In the narrows between
Capes Tormentne and Traverse where the distance is
about nlne miles, between these two points that
communication has been secured during the winter
monhs) by means of ice boats The time occupied in
crossing by these is SAID be from four TO thirteen
hours freight carried, and tho exposure times
is so terrible be accompanied by loss OF o 'Ac
cording the description which have received 'tho
surface of these straits becomes agated, at times,
by conflicting currents as 70 have the appearance OF
boiling caldron masses OF ice TO be hurrying
in opposite directions with rotary motion, while the
large fields, some of them miles in extent, rent
asunder like paper, and their meeting edges piled up
into walls OF ice The roar and screaming noise OF the
accompanied by storm, forms grand, and almost
appalling scene. insignificant, indeed, appears
WINTER SHIP
In the midst OF such scene, as turned around and
lifted like feather II trembles ike aspen leaf
the grip OF the pressing which passes from
each side to the Keel til meeting there. It makes
very cast OF ship Just quickly will the
whimsical currents subside and JOIN, hurrying away
ana releasing the imprisoned craft rho pheno,n ma
is SAID be caused by the throbDng upheaving OF
the Atlantic Ocean. which, according TO the violence Of
the storm, throws surface wave as were INTO the
which, let be moving at elevation only
few inches would cause an eddyng or surface aglta
OF these waters, particularly when moving IN
contrary direction TO tho tide AT Cape Tormentine
the opposite directions, their ebb and flow
being ot tho Same duration, VIZ, SIX hours, and their
rise and iall from SIX TO eight ieet.'
This condition OF affairs more loss obtains be-
Georgetown Prince Edwards Island, and Pic
tou, Nova Scotia, the points which the Dominion
agreed should be connected Dy Terry all times
and winter. In fact the undertaking is part Of
tho conditions of confederation Several experiments
made but they aled no boat being found strong
enough sustain the tremendous strain and thump-
ing and pressure to which II must be subjected. At
this Juncture Mr. H. w. Sewel OF Quebec, ship
builder OF many years experience, whose hobby tor
quarter OF century has been the navigation Of
rivers closed by ice made proposition the govern
| the construction OF the winter steamer, cele-
| braled throughout the Dominion as
'NoRTHERN LIGHT"
With Canadian energy he finished it in less than
SIX months, and with true Canadian thrift no made It
Tue flrst trip took place in the month Of November
since which time the terry of forty miles has been
parativey uninterrupted, thus securing 10 the people
oi Prince Edwards Island practical commercial
cipatlon. As an illustration OF this uct, among the
| Plctou were iron knees, oakum, copper and iron
bars wire hemp, &c. articles which enable many OF the
ship builders on the Island 10 launch their vessels on
the FIRST open water instead o At the beginning june
! 1t Is that during some OF the terrible weather
which prevailed there were delays, when the stanch
little craft locked in the nerce grip OF the ice for
several hours at but all OF her experience
for the purpose Tor which she has been de-
vised she has proved greater than her
| protector expected. Tue object now in view Is to
establish winter Navigation in the river ST. Lawrence,
thus securing to the Dominion uninterrupted commu.
nication with the outer world Mr. sewel says that
with the board Ice covering every rock and shoal, the
| foe ice laying like u great band or shield under
the passing ships lee and the total absence of fog
and sea, this 500 miles OF water, with its
mirror like surface presents fewer difficulties to
conquer than those which have succumbed 10 little
steamer in the straits o northumberland. Should this
undertaking prove 70 be successful may not be long
before the Hudson River and Long Island Sound VIII
be kept open during The winter months aud so remain
year round important factors in the commerce OF
New York. AS the subject may ultimately TO be
| important to large number OF merchants, shippers
anu capitalists well as those engaged in Arctic
ugations have procured the following statistical IN
formation with reference TO construction, power &C =
A YoNDEscRiPr.
The Northern Light is vessel OF peculiar model
The steamer Is l44 leet long, 20 feet BEAM with
daught water OF II feet at the stern and about feet
the bow. She has an exceedingly sharp floor and a
high bge the latter being the line oi oiation, thus
reducing the ice pressure u MINIMUM and prevent
ing anything like right angle pressure. The shape oi
The bottom, SECURES The vessel from any disastrous
| true vhepc a. n n
the steamer TO enter work out Of harbors with ac
Ivy Her draught o water being as above stated there
is secured four feet OF water above the up
per blade OF tho propeller, which IS twelve
ieet in diameter, with pitch OF IL feet inches. The
keel formed with gentle sweep curve resembling
some " hat the OF IA skate which unites with the
Of the stern so gradually that is difficult TO my
where the latter joins the Keel This peculiar shape
enables the vessel to ride ana depress the ice
forward draught IA feet back OF the being only
ieeL During summer navigation she Is trimmed to
draw but feet forward This is TO prevent her falling
of In "a way. The skin OF her hull is double, the
outer covering being two and hall inch thickness OF
green.hcart species OF wood that IL as hard as lig
mum Vita, and Tor the purpose better than iron. The
whole enclosed that in the water the steamer
scmbes "a metallic coffin with Du'seyes in the SIDES
afford light and air. The interior Is warmed by ex
haust ste and thus the greatest comfort in the most
iuclemenI weather secured The engines are OF com
pound build Of 700 horse power The cylinders
side by sde their danetcrs being 90 and 30 nches
The boilers, Two IN NUMBER are circular. IL feet In
The test pressure the steam gauge Is l40 pounds
the working pressure about 10 pounds, and the
consumption OI Coai Id tOuS per - nOuTs lucu "
the power OF this vessel may be had from the TACT thai
she has steamed into Georgetown harbor through Ice
twelve inches thickness at the rate OF soven miles ar
hour for distance four miles and halt, and has
split field ice thrtysix inches thick as far us the eye
could reach with blow or her fore foot, and hum
mock Ice IRON To fifteen leet thick. Her stem fol
several feet Is sod The consists OF twenty men
and there are pleasant accommodations for forty pas
sengcrG
Dry as tho foregoing details may appear they are
suggestive, and some enterprising man, II not Mr.
SewaIl himself, may yet make improvements that vii
produce entire revolution In the science OF winte
navigation What has already been done regarded
In Canada as an mpossbillty, but after twenty-five
years OF patient work and waiting the inventor lives
enjoy his reward In the commentator both OF thu
government anu its pubic spirited citlzcns Should
the effort to apply the principle above described TO Tho
navigation OF the great ST. Lawrence aud other rivers
be successful toretell what important com
mercia results may follow In the further development
OF the power and wealth Of this grand Dominion III.