The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-05-19
-.
A Water Wonder.

ABOUT tnree years ago all lntelll-
gent mechanic of Baltimore began
to put into shape some ideas he had
concerning water as propelling
power for vessels. He believed that
by Judicious manipulation a boat
could be propelled without wheel or
screw. With an inventors sublime
faith in the correctness of his theory,
he gave his spare moments to putting
his ideas into practical form. He
built Il model and launched her in a
trough. He 'tired up' with kero-
sene and raised steam to work his
pump. The experiment with the
working model satisfied the inven-
tor that he was on the right track.
But between that model and the trim
little "Alpha," which ran down the
bay on her trial trip Thursday, there
Was wide gulf of hope, disappoint-
ment, hard work and expectation.
At one O'Clock Thursday afternoon,
Mr.. George G. Caldwell, the inven-
tor; Captain jeremiah Cotterell,
master; Mr.. John Ahern, business
agent, and Mr.. William Warren,
who has aided Mr.. Caldwell, went
on board at the long dock, accompa-
MED by representatives of the press.
The "Alpha" is a Baltimore built
boat, constructed on the tugboat
model, and as neat a thing of the
kind as there is afioat. She is 40 feet
in length, and has lO3 feet of beam.
She is furnished with one 16-horse
power horizontal tubular boiler, and
No. Z Knowles pump. From the
pump to the stern are two lines of
pipe, which strike the water about 8
feet beneath the surface. Two SINH
lar lines run to the bow. The pump
drives through each pipe q inch
stream, which enters the water
through 7-S inch nozzle. With 60
pounds of steam the pump makes
$50 strokes to the minute, each stroke
driving a stream into the body of
water. This is all there is about
this wonderful device. And yet, ,un-
der all the disadvantages of trial
trip, this WIS the device which yes
terday enabled the alpha" to make
ten knots an hour under sixty pounds
pressure. There was not a ripple
astern, and no perceptible displace-
ment of the water, except the little
made by the cutting of the bow.
She was backed and turned with per-
feet ease. To back the boat the
stream is driven through the bow
nozzles and the craft obeys on the
instant. If the boat were to spring
a leak, the pump would simply draw
its supply from the hold and go on
with its work. 1t is claimed that a
vesselprovided with this appliance
could not sink under ordinary leak
age. For prudential reasons there
were no experiments in this line yes
terday. A remarkable feature of
the Caldwell contrivance is that the
power which propels will also steer.
To accomplish this the nozzles are
worked alternately from side to side,
using the streams as levers, on the
principle of the oar. There is yet
another use to which this device can
be applied. In case of fire on board
or about the docks a line of hose is
attached to the pump, and in a sec.
ond there is floating steam engine
which could at least hold its own
with anything on wheels. The in
ventor claims that his device can be
profitably applied to any vessel, al
though it is mainly intended for ca.
nal service, where he demand is for
a cheap propeller that will not wash
the banks. Mr.. Caldwell declares
that both the first and after cost of
his invention will be far less than
that of anything now in use. The
entire driving apparatus is below,
and no part of it could be carried
away by accident or design. The
whole thing is so simple that there
is not much to get out of order and
nothing that could not easily be re-
paired. The attempt of the British
government in 1866 to apply water
as propelling power to vessels is
the only similar effort within our
knowledge. The Water Witch"
was propelled by streams forced out
at the sides, rotary fan supplying
the power. The "Water Witch'
achieved failure and retired from
business. Mr.. Caldwells invention
has been patented in Europe, as well
as in this country. OF its merit it
can only be said that it works and
performs.its task. 1t is something
to know that the whole affair is a
Baltimore enterprise in the hands OF
Baltimoreans.-BdltO. Gazette, 10th.
/. Tho DOp (tofhaI;o n;aLo,~ oF ~ -