The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-12
THE CHALMETTE.

hEEINNi VI bH5 IS6W lEOH Steamer.
Yesterday the new Iron steamer of the Nor
gan Line, Chamette. crossed the bar and In the
evening took her place Mt the Morgan wharf, In
Algiers. where she viii to-day doubtless be an
object OF much curiosity. The following Is a
complete description of her. as taken from the
.Ndutical Gazette:
constructed BY the Messrs. Cramps. ut Phila-
delphia. and was specially. designed by A. @.
GERS Of ths Morgan usana and Tan ~ Rail-
road and Steamship Company, to meet the re-
dnirements OF the route between New York and
New Orleans. and no expense has been spared
to make her Il speedy. economical and iarge
freight carrier.
Her principal dimensions are as follows !;
Length between stem and propeller posts, $40
feet; over all, $40 feet: beam, moulded, 40 feet .
depth from base line. u faet: compound engine
with 70 and %, inch cylinders and feet inches
stroke; working steam pressure so pounds per
square inch above the atmosphere. screw pro-
peller 1G feet in diameter and "a feet pitch. She
mas four cylindrical main boilers with three
cylindrical furnaces. one large donkey boiler
With same working pressure Us the main boil
ere.
Tho windlass md forward capstan. made by
the American ship Windlass Company OF Prov
idence. one of their finest jobs, are operated by
an engine. There are five separate freight
hosting engines made by Williamson Brothers.
OF Philadelphia. which are arranged 80 us to
work the after capstan, mud handle the sails.
and In various. ways to aid In tightening the
The steam pumping facilities provided In
case OF fire or pumping the blge are very lib-
eral. consisting Of two large donkey pumps and
one large centrifugal pump. with pipe connec-
lions running independently to each compart-
ment OF the vessel; besides these fac tiles there
are two Hancock inspirators six inches In d.
charging water III case Of an emergency. There
are fifteen engines. all told, on board the Chal-
mette. beside, three Hancock inspirators. in
Guiding tho hpiAr feeders. In short. ali the
modern improvements which have been proven
BY experience to be desi rable for the safety Of
Il ehss and a and to dasstR the
Sest possible manner. The oha!mette has
three tlfths Of the length of the vessel; the In
termediate or middle deck is Of iron through
out; the upper. deck Is what Is known as the
strngers Throughout. The sides Of the vessel
are iron to above the upper deck, which Is flush
fore and aft. On this deck are the pilot house,
captains and officers rooms the machinery.
hatch inclosure. package freight house dining
room. kitchen. etc The forecastle Is located
On h9 na dsk and She r has
ballast compart ments. and between these bulk
heads are large vertical belts at every twenty
feet. extending from keel to underside of main
deck plating. receiving main deck beam knees.
There are three iron masts. all arranged as
venttlating tubes to all the cargo compurt-
ments. each mast fitted with q damper valve. to
be closed above deck In event of Il FIRE In the
cargo: thus. with the ventilators shut off. steam
can % delivered effectively into any one or all
Of the cargo compartments at once, aud also
into the coal bunkers In case the coal should
take fire. At each mast there Is a small steam
winch for handling sails or any heavy hauling
at sea or In port. The steering of the vessel Is
done by steam steerer In the forward pilot
house. and tor further security there is safety
steering apparatus. consisting Of powerful
screw purchase, located in n house over the
rudder-head, besides the usual relieving tackle
arrangement.
The masts are fitted with leg of mutton sails
no gaffs--aud. although fitted with booms on
the foot they can either be brailed up or lower
ed down and furled to the booms. Each mast
and cargo ,penants are of the best America |
galvanized iron wire. She is fitted with metal I
lie lifeboats. and everything required by law |
and good lud gment for the protection of off, |
GERS and crew Ia event of disaster She is fitted
with signal system between the pilot houses |
self to all prudent navtgators. An order given |
In the p1lot-house forward to the engine-room
is transmitted to the engineer and the move-
ment or the engine Is instantly indicated In |
ooth pliot-houses, so that the officer giving the
order Is certain OF the movement of the engine.
This system needs universal adoption.
The Chalmette has been classed Al for twenty
years. which Is the highest rate given In any Of |
the registers. In point of finish she Is very
superior vessel. and she has been constructed |
with remarkable dispatch far In excess of any
hing Of her class In the world. and she bids
1nest and largest freight steamer under the
American flag.
The Chalmette is intended for freight pur-
,oses solely. having no passenger accommo-
iations. Her capacity liz from 5000 to 5000 bales
i cotton. much depending upon the time
lioEed ID which to load bar. Il. as Is usual