, 1880-03-28
MARINE NEWS.
Description Of the New Steam-Barge
Minnesota Launched at
Milwaukee.
Demoralfziug Effect Of the Weather upon tha
Snow and lce at tho Lover End
Of This Lake.
Carriers Not at All Discouraged at the Going
Rates Of F1eig ght.

THE STEAM-BARGE MINNESOTA.
The new steam-b barge Minnesota which was
launched from the shipyura Of Mossrs. WOLF s.
Davidson, ut Milwaukee, yesterday afternoon'
for the Inter- Ocean Transportation Company,
is vessel Of such generally acknowledged ex,
cellence for business purposes that Il genernl
description Of the craft will not be out of place.
The dimensions OF the Minnesota are as fol-
lows: Length Of keel, a5 feet; breadth or
beam, SO feet: depth OF hold. " feet from the
base line. Her gnrboards were edge boited 10
the keel before the frames we're raised, t1o DOT
tom being hat for four feet each SIDE OF
the centre Of the keel before the dead rise
commences, From that point she has dead
rise Of an inch and quarter to the foot Her
frames are twenfy-oue inches from centres,
nodded out of six-inch Hitch, with an extra SIN
gle frame and futtock between each frame the
entire length Of the floors, thus leaving but three
Keeison T is FORMED I Of n thrce keelsons sbreast
being fifty four inches In hight, ooted through
and through with one and one~eighth inch iron.
from the base amidship, and runs the reverse
way OF the sheer, the forward and after euds
thus forming an arch. The main deck beams
haIr @ Feet s apart. S?H Tbey arc Secured to tho
sides BY shelf pieces three o,f feet in in
riveted On the inside. Hanging knees and dag
onnl braces form keelson OIL the tloor, about
properly fastened ut both ends, viii greatly aid
in supporting the bottom Of the vessel and hold
1t FROM coming up or going down. but the great
the vessel is light and rolling heavily. Then
there is great strain upon the nilgcs. part1cu-
larry in double -decked vessels. These braces 30
support the bilges that it Is impossible for them
to give. The upper deck is six and one-hu1ffeet
above the main deck amldships, and runs
S tSa arve spasa h the s aseper It.
both ends. The beams Of this deck alp most
" six by eight inches, secured with sheif-pjeee
twenty-four inches in width. and with hanging
knees. The wtndlss deck forward is between
the main nnd upper decks, formed with beams
nine oy ten inches and a shelf-Pece, making
three immense natural crook brenst-hookst
making complete job Of tying the ends togeth-
Sr TSe ted
clamps, etc, are all in proportion, una nre SUCH
rs are required BY the underwriters for first
seventy-hve tons II iron und spikes and nenrly
u ton Of cinch- rings were used Al butts were
driven from the outside except those striking
iron.
The model OF the Minnesota Is especially
aduptod for vessels in the iron-ore and grain
trade, being calculated to secure light draft in
is One feature in her shnpe Mt which is different
from any other vessel built upon the lakes thus
fur, viz: her fan1afl runs within four feet OF
her upper-deck. giving her the appearance Of
saltwater steamer. She is calculated to curry
1850 gross tons of iron On fourteen and one-
@ fefs he %T of Su5 %Se no
aosft of the ensne a The % HOUSES on a deck ure
house to close in the boilers and engine,
with sufficient rooms on either side
Of tho engine for engineers and tlrcmcn, aud
lower deck. The Minnesota will carry three
n,asts, the length of which nre as follows: Fore
mast, eighty-two fect: malninast, eighth four
fhAt rr1NS frhf faaf
in this part Of tho outfit is that her mzzen IS the
iurgest sail she carries, the uuzzen-boom being
tits viii % be Of great 6enefi to the the
craft light Tho hull contains five eleyating
matches, and three extra hatches for loading on
trimmed, thus giving her eight hatches on the
main deck. BY this 1t can be seen that the
owners DO not nfena to keep her IN port losing
The boiler una engine Of tho Minnesota nrc
being built by james shcrins, Of Milwaukee.
in diameter, aud sixteen feet nine inches long.
inch in thickness. The best Of United States
iron is to enter into the construction Of the ire
box, ETC. The engine ls Of the compound order,
the high h-prcssne cylinder being twenty-four |
inches in diameter, With forty inches stroke, and
the low pressure cyluder forty-eight inches In |
dianetcr, with forty inches stroke. The bed
plate Is twelve feet four inches long, eleven feet
VIDE and f twelve t 1nehes dsep and nd we1ghs % nl9e
plate is three tons. The frame will consist of !
six round hollow columns Of cast-tron, each |
thirteen feet six inches long, fourteen inches In
diameter at the buse, and ten and one-half !
inches ut the top, and weighing 3OU0 pounds. |
There are Two craanks one solid md one built, |
with united weight OF Ave tons. The slides are !
OF steel and cross heads OF iron. The air pump |
is twentyfour inches In diameter with eighteen /
inches STROKES the condenser twenty-five inches ]
In diameter uud SIX and onc-hn1f feet high. The !
out-board shaft Is nine and one-half inches In |
diameter, and the connecting shnft ten inches in |
diameter. Length Of SHIFTING from centre Of !
engine to wheel thirty feet. 1t Is calculated !
that the engine will register $50 horsepower. |
with twenty-five pounds Of atmospheric pres
sure upon the loW-pressure cylinder. The weight ]
OF boiler. engine, aud fuel is estimated ut 100 |
tons. The wheel is ten feet four inches in |
diameter, with fifteen feet pitch. With this |
wheel, and the power to drive it, the speed Of /
the minnesota, loaded, it is thought will reach
twelve miles per hour. Capt William Spencer
will command the craft
GRAIN AND COARSE FREIGUTS.
The recent decline in grain freights has had
no very discouraglng effect upon ressel~owners.
On the contrary, they manifest spirit Of in-
difference, and freely express the belief that
things VT Il right themselves as soon US nayign-
tion opens fully. Then vessels will become
scattered in IN intinit number Of directions,
md the scarcity Of tonnage sure to he creutcd in
this way will have the etfoct so they nrgue, to
send rites upward The sumo feeling appears !