The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1877-06-02
A MARIN % CURIOSITY.
A Vessel Propelled by Streams OF
Water Pumped from Her Hull.
From the Baltimore Gazette, May 81

From the Baltimore Gazette, May o..
About three years ago an Intelligent mechanic
of Baltimore began to put into shape some ideas
he had concerning water as q propelling power
for vessels. He believed that by judicious man.
ipulation 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 model and launched
her in trough He "fred up" with kerosene
AMI raised steam to work his pump. The ex-
pertinent with the working model satisfied the
inventor 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 yester-
day, there was wide gulf of hope, disappoint-
ment, hard work and expectation.
At one o'clock p. m. yesterday MIR. Geo. q.
Caldwell. the inventor; Capt. Jeremiah Cot
terrell, master; Mr.. John Ahern, business agent,
and Mr.. VIM. Warren, who has aided Mr.. Oald-
we'll, went on board at the Long Dock, accom-
panied by representatives of the press. The
Alpha is Baltimore built boat, constructed on
the tug-boat model and as neat thing of the
kind as there is afioat. She is 43 feet in length
and has l0h feet of beam. She is furnished
with one 16horse power horizontal tubular
boiler and No. Knowles pump From the
stern are two lines of pipe, which strike the
water shout feet beneath the surface. Two
similar lines run to the bow. The pump drives
through each pipe az inch stream, which
enters the water through q inch nozzle.
With sixty pounds of steam the pump makes
1S0 strokes to the minute, each stroke driving
stream into the body Of the water
This ia all there is about this wonderful de-
vice which yesterday enabled the Alpha to make
ten knots an hour under sixty pounds pressure.
There was not ripple astern and no perceptible
displacement of the water, except the little made
by the cutting Of the bow She was backed and
turned with perfect ease. To back the boat the
stream is driven through the bow nozzles and
the craft obeys on the instant. II the boat were
to spring leak, the pump would simply draw
its supply from the hold and go on with its
this appliance could not sink under ordinary
leakage. For prudential reasons there were no
experiments in this line yesterday.
remarkable feature of the Caldwell contri-
vance 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 line of hose is attached to the
pump, and in second there is a floating steam
engine which conld ut least hold its own with
anything on wheels. The inventor claims that
his device can be pro6tably applied to any ves-
sci, although 1t is mainly intended for canal
service, where the demand is for cheap pro-
peller that will not wash the banks. Mr.. Cald.
we'll 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 ap.
paratus is below. and no part Of it could be
carried away by accident or design.
The whole thing is so simple that there is no,
much to get out of order, and nothing thai
could not easily be repaired. The attempt OF
the British Government in 1866 to apply watel
as propelling power to vessels is the only SINH
lar effort within our knowledge The Wate
Witch was propelled by streams forced out o
the sides, rotatory fan supplying the power
The Water Witch achieved failure and retired
from business. Mr.. Caldwells invention ha
been patented in Europe as well as in thi
country. OF its merits it can only be said tina
it works and performs its task. 1t is somethin
to know that the whole affair is Baltimore en-
terprise, in the hands Of Baltmoreans.