The New York herald., 1879-08-02
A STEAM CATAMARAN.

DESCRIPTION OF A NOVELTY IN MARINE ARCHI-
lecture FROM WHICH GREAT SPEED IS Ex-
PEcTED.
PoUGHKEEPsIE August l. 1879.
Persons driving to the ferry landing at this city
taking tour of inspection along the river front
have been mystifed at curious structure on which
many workmen are planning and hammering To
the uninitiated it seems like misshapen boat with
hole through the middle. and even to those learned
in the lore Of cstamarans and other curiosites Of
river architecture the vessel anomaly is in
fact pure experiments steam catamaran built for
the purpose of obtaining greater amount Of speed
in proportion to the outlay Of energy than has yet
been reached by any vessel that floats. The model
is entirely different from anything ever before de-
signed and is the result of the theories Of Mr. Will
lam T. Merritt, the owner and the practical expe-
rience of George I. Polk. the builder In some re-
spects it is similar to ordinary catamaran, the
the halves being placed about fifteen feet apart and
boarded perpendicular sides being exactly par
allel each other Those two half hulls Joined
above by heavy beams, and the width of deck is 80
feet and length 20. The water. Of course, flows
through the straight middle space few feet below
the deck Such vessels usually very long aud
narrow and have heretofore been used only for sail
ing. In England recently two ordinary hus were thus
Joined together by deck and used with four wheels
for crossing the Channel. the object being not
much speed as the prevention OF sea sickness. But
this vessel was not catamaran the sides OF the in
rounding. and so Offering as much resistance as two
ordinary hulls
feet the keel, with only feet beam and
feet depth, that while the deck s almost
half wide it is long the huls very long and
narrow, and will displace but little water and offer
no more resistance than q single narrow hull. In
each hull will be placed . twenty-five horse power
engine operating two wheels, that the vessel will
have four wheels. two between and two outside Of
the hulls.
ECONOMY POWER.
The wheels themselves are Of peculiar construc-
ton. being feet In diameter and Of the kind
known "festhering"-that is the paddles not
fixed unchanging radi of circle. to present
q varying angle to the water. but are movable. and.
by y simple latching and uplstching process.
constantly ut right angles to the water punging
into it and coming utvertically Thus all the power
is directly applied to forward propulsion. and none
whatever is wasted in lifting depressing the vessel
Other feathering wheels have been contrived. but
none have yet proved OF practical utility; but this
arrangement is the invention Of Mr. Merritt himself.
and its simplicity is expected to insure success. The
vessel will be launched in day or Two. The name
has not yet been determined upon. but II she shows
an astonishing speed the marine wonder will be
dubbed the Surprise" 1t has been estimated that
she will make thirty miles hour. At all events
an unprecedented speed will undoubtedly be at
tanned As she is launched she will be towed
to Newburg to Ward. Stanton & Co.'s dock where
her engines will be put in. Mr.. Merritt is gentle
man of large means and intends to give his now in
yentiOn q good test.