The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-04-18
A Gigantic oceaa Steamer.

Ocean travel has not met with any i'm
portant changes Or improvements since tht
first introduction Of large sea.golng steam
ers. There has been no great improvement
either In the mode Of construction, speed OF
comfort OF passengers on ocean steamers
since the establishment of the Cunard line
between New York and Liverpool. But il
cannot be supposed that in an age of inven
tion, such as this in which we are now liy
Ing, ocean travel must be the only excep
tion to progress and improvement. Al
least this has been the opinion of one enter
prising family-the Winans family, of Bal
timore. Most of our readers have had more
or less knowledge that for the last twenty
years or more, the Winans brothers have
been engaged in experiments on most
costly scale, looking to an important ad.
vance in the construction of ocean steamers
fer rapid transit.
Possessed Of almost unlimited means and
Of the highest order of inventive and con.
structive genius, these gentlemen have
never lost sight of this one object, and the
public is now assured that they are about
to enter practically upon their new mode
of steamer construction. They have ex-
pended already over $3,OOo.0Oo in expert
ments alone, without receiving dollar in
return. So exhaustive and complete have
been these experiments, and SO well assur-
ed are they of success that the first steamer
which they will build will be upon the most
gigantic scals-far exceeding the dilnen
tions of the Great Eastern.
One of the chief features of novelty in
the Wiaansp steamer will be its cigar-shap.
ed hull, which will be 1900 feet IN length
sos feet longer than than the Great East
ern. IL viii nave engines OF 1t6o, 666666 norse-
power, and will be propelled by two screws
under the after quarter of the vessel. The
average speed, based upon most extensive
practical experiments, and the most thor
ough scientific calculation, will be 23 miles
an hour.
Another important and novel feature will
be tower 150 feet high, containing in part
state rooms looking out on circular balco-
mes, but haY,ng within a hollow cylinder
vertically throughout its entire length and
traversed by an immense weight susceptible
of being adjusted at any desired height.
The effect that this tower produces upon
the motion Of the vessel is precisely the re-
verse of thai which one would most readily
infer. When scaled to proper height,
in proportion to the ''beat" Or motion Of
the waves preVailing,it absolutely prevents
all rolling. The great length of this steam
er will prevent pitching, SO that, presum-
ing it tjustifies the ela ms and and expecta-
tioas of the inventors, it should be very ad-
vsntageous for purposes of ocean travel. 1t
is designed for the transatlantic mail and
passenger service, and their port Of entry
in this ecu it1y will be New London, Conn.,,
of which aspscial survey was made three
ago with this view. Milford Haven is ex-
pscted to be the port of entry for Great
Britain.
That ii win revolutionizs ocean travel is
the conviction Of the Messrs. Winans, and
on that conviction they have expended mil
lions, and are about to exp.nd still more,it
being their intention to construct three
other similar vessels as soon as that describ-
ed shall have been successfully operated.
The estimated cost of construction of these
vessels is e1, 900, 900 sterling each, and it is
confidently believed by the Messrs. Winans
and many of their friends, that they will
accomplish the passage of the Atlantic in
less than six days at all seasons, in spite of
any weather which has b zen known as yet
on that ocean.