The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-09-07
LIFE ON AN OCEAN STEAMER. -
STEAMER BRITANIC, J
WHITE STAR LINE, MID-OcEAN,
June 22d, 1877.

| OTEAMER DRITANlC,
WHITE STAR LINE, MID-OcEAN,A 4
June 22d, 1877.
In this letter, propose to give some o
the characteristics of an ocean steamer. ant
particularly of this vessel and the Ger
manic OF the same line, as they are con
structed and furnished exactly alike.
An ocean steamer differs very widely from
lake or river steamer. The load or car
go OF lake steal.er is placed all on the
main deck, and, of course, above the water
line. In an ocean steamer the cargo is put
in the hold far below the water line, also our
baggage, except what we require in our
state rooms. a lake steamer draws only
from 3 to or 10 feet of water. This stca.
mer draws 25 feet of water. A lake steam
tsrsss psoPesiod-b by side s,whesls.ss!I !Ihis.s...al
is driven by a screw, situated ffearly % feet
below the surface of the water, in front of
the rudder, but in rear of the vessel. This
screw has four steel hanges, and is only 23
feet inches in diameter. Yet its propell-
ing power, being SO deep under water, is
tremendous.
The hull of lake steamer is constructed
OF wood, and has guards extending out four
or five feet beyond the hull. An ocean
steamer is constructed of iron-great long
iron plates forming the hold, and these fas-
tened by bolts to an iron framework. There
is hardly a particle Of wood below the water
line. There are no side guards. A lake
steamer is wide in proportion to it's length
This steamer, the Britanic, is 40 feet long
and only As feet wide.
The following arc the principal statistics
respecting this vessel Leagth 40 feet;
width 10 feet; tonnage 5004 tons engines
76O horse power indicated power, 5000 !;
eight boilers, with 32 furnaces under them;
consumption of coal per day 95 tons num-
bcr of officers and men, including sailors,
tircmcn, cooks aud table walters, 1852; aver
age speed of ship, Is knots to the hour, Ga
knot is onc.sixth of mile longer tha an
English mile diameter Of screw 23 feet,
SIX inches; ; diameter Of shaft 22 inches.
The dining saloon is about fifty feet long
and extends from side to side of the ship
having five rows OF tables, with fixed revolv-
ing chairs, seating 1872 persons.
On leaving port the tanks are filled with
$4,000 gallons of fresh water which, by
means Of pipes, is carried to every part of
the ship. If this supply should fall short,
one gallon per minute can be produced by
.et,-stAesn frana tho onA.t :i~-s----
There arc Two S,6ao .us;"~s tv drive the
ship, and nineteen other engines to do the
other work of the ship. BY two small en-
gines the cargo and even our baggage is lif-
ted into and out of the ship. An enclosed
wheel on the upper deck, worked by a small
engine, drives 900 cubic feet Of fresh air
every minute through pipes into every state
room, and to all parts Of the ship. The slip
as stecred Iy steam! In the whecl.house on
the upper deck man stands behind small
wheel, not three feet in diameter. CA child
could control this wheel in the toughest
weather.) by means of rods which extend
from this wheel to an engine placed on the
main deck near the stern, the man turns the
wheel one way and it opers a valve in one
Of the cylinders of the engine, OF by turning
the other way, the valve in the other cylin-
doc 30 ope~ :, IN this why rte~-.-p~wor ia 90
piled directly to machinery which controls
the rudder. If the man in front lets go of
the wheel, the engine is locked and holds the
ruddcr in the exact position in which it was
left. This steering arrangement is compar-
ativcly new, and is, as yet, applied to but few
vessels. if by any accident this engine and
apparatus should get out Of order, there is
placed directly in front Of it the great double
wheel for four to six men to handle, and
which can be put in gear in five seconds.
There is arranged throughout the ship
series of electric wires, so that if we arc in
our stateroom or smoking room, and wish to
call a steward or waiter, we have only to
touch button. y bell rings in the stew
ards department, and the Indicator" tells
where the servant is wanted.
This and some other of the vessels of the
White Star Line possess improvements
which are not found in many"of the older
steam vessels The dining ssioome~eaL- eaL-s+ss%s
rooms are as near midshp as possible, and
are on the main deck, and far above the
water line. BY this arrangement but little
motion is felt, and the port holes can be left
open unless the weather is very rough
Although the waves are now rolling from 5
to 10 feet high, our vessel moves along with
out any pitching, and am writing as agree
ably as if in my own parlor. In all modern
built steamships, there are below the water
line air-tight compartments, so that if an
accident should happen and hole be stove
in, single compartment would fill with wa
ter, but do no other damage only adding a
little to our cargo AS to safety, would
rather go from New York to Liverpool in
this vessel than to 60 from New York to
Chicago in the cars. A gentleman next to
-saa~ss3'issS this was his thirty
fourth trip across the Atlantic, and this. he
said was the finest vessel he had ever sailed
in. We asked him if he had ever met with
an accident. "No," said he, and then ad.
dcd, Il was once on Cunardcr, about ten