The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-19
SrEERING MADE EASY.

by one Nan Does the work OF Four.
FrOm the New York Sun.
The SUI several,months ago describeda
new steam steering apparatus, invented by
Capt Sam Martin, a we'll known steam
boat man, recently connected with Ply.
mouth Rock. The Captain claimed for
his invention great advantages over the
ordinary a~pparatusfOr steering steamboats,.
The old method Is very simple. From the
rudder, two ropes, chains, or iron rods run
forward on each side Of the vessel, and
are connected with ropes which, passing
through blocks, run thence up TO the pilot
house, whore they are fastened tOthe bar
rel or axle Of the wheel. Revolutions Of
this wheel move the rudder, and hereto
fore, except In ocean steamships, where
complicated machinery Is used, the wheel
has been turned by human force. Small
steamers, tugs, and the like, can be steered
by one man; larger vessels require two,
three and four men in the w~heelhouse. II
the pilot wishes to turn his vessel TO the
left, he turns the wheel 10 the left, and
vice versa. When the rudder Is thrown
eltltI W tlU IIsutOI lvItt tlNIe 70 " CulIS
spending Stacking Of the rudder chain on
the opposite side, and In a rough sea there
Is o constant jerking OF the rudder in col.
sequence. To remedy this, 70 keep o con-
slant and uniform strain on the rudder
chain, and 10 make steam take the place Of
The severe muscular exertion now neces-
sary in managing the wheel OF q large
steamer, was Capt. Martins aim.
After much thought he hit upon a plan.
It was to cut out a certain section OF each
rudder chain about midships oil the vessel,
and in the place OF the detached pieces
put cylinders. In each cylinder he placed
a piston, and connected the rudder chains
with each piston. This done.he had Oall
purposes the same old steering apparatus,
ior the pistons were simply links In the
rudder chains, and could be moved by
turning the wheel in the pilot house. The
next thing TO do was TO apply steam to the
cylinders. They were consequently join.
cd by asteam pipe, the boiler was tapped,
and the steam supplied through q valve in
the pipe connecting the two cylinders,
This valve he operated from in the pilot
house. When the lever in the pilot house
was straight, 1t showed that there was IN
equal pressure on both pistons, and that
there was as much steam in one cylinder
as the other. AS the lever was moved,
and the rudder turned, 1t transferred a
percentage of steam from one cylinder to
the other, and as the piston OF the right
cylinder went in, the piston Of the left
proportionately ran out, taking up the
slack chain at the stern and holding the
rudder taut in any position. By turning
the lever To a certain point both cylinders
were exhausted and the steam shut OIL.
The wheel in the pilot house not only
served as an indicator, night and day, TO
show that the cylinders were answering
the turn OF the lever, but it could be used
in another way. II there was a break in
the machinery, or the steam ran low, the
vessel could be steercd in the old.
fashioned way with u man at the wheel,
the pistons in the cylinders acting us a
link in the chain that leads from the
wheel TO the rudder.
This is the invention that Captain Mar
tin patented. theoretically it seemed a
success. The next thing to do was to test
its practicabillty. So the apparatus was
put in the tug Joe Stickney, a long, mar
row and rapid craft. 1t worked to a
charm. Next, Captain Martin made ar
engagements to put his new steam steering
apparatus into the Maryland, a large
craft that plies between Harlem and
Jersey City, laden with freight and pas
senger cars. The Maryland Is a double
ended ferryboat, very long, broad, high
and unwleldy. The old steering appa-
ratus consisted OF Undetermined wheels,
and sometimes four, and never less
than three men required to
steer her, and Y g then it was neces-
sary at times TO slow up, in order to
recover from the action Of wind and tide.
Yesterday, at 0 o'clock, the Maryland
made trial trip from Jersey City to Har-
lem, steered by Capt. Martins new inyen-
ton. Right in front Of the wheel a slen-
der steel lever came through the floor.
Capt. Martin held 1t with one hand, as the
boat swung into the stream. When the
lever vas put to the right or to the left the
wheel revOlved rapidly and the boat obey
ed promptly. AS the Maryland wentstead-
lily down the river, rounded the Battery,
and then ploughed up the East River,
Capt. Brooks, the Captain OF the boat, took
the lever in his " hand, while his as
sistants sat down in the pilot house and
looked on. The new apparatus worked
beautifully, and a boy OF ten years could
have steered the Maryland.
The main point OF Capt. Martins inven-
ton is its cheapnoss. He says it can be
put. into any steam vessel for an eighth Of
the cost Of an steam steering apparatus
now in use, and the coat OF the steam is a
mere hagatelle. Those now in use are run
by donkey engines, requiring the services
Of extra men at the engines. Capt. Mar.
tin gets his steam from the boilers in &c.
tual use, and dispenses with the services
OF men already employed.