The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-04-06
A NOVEL STEAMSHIP.

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to produce boat that shall be self-right-
ing, that shall be very fast, and that cam
not sink unless entirely torn to pieces.
The boat is comparatively small, as it is
intended only for an experimental or
model boat. If successful, it is intended
to build ocean steam ships upon the
same principle. 1t appears that the in
ventor's aim is to make self-righting
boat by carrying the sides over the deck
in the form of dome. The side frames
are made continuous and meet over the
center of the hull, or, in other words, the
frames begin at one side of the keel, rise
directly at an angle of about forty-fve
degrees to the water line, and then curve
inward over the deck and back on the
same lines to the keel. A section of the
hull taken in the center is thus of wedge
shape, with sharp edge below and
rounded top above. This wedge form is
preserved through the entire length of
the hull. There are no hollow lines in
the boat, and the sharp, overhanging
bow is intended to part the water near
the surface and to form long, tapering
wedge. The widest part of the hull is
exactly at the middle, both ends being
precisely alike. This is quite different
from the flat bottom and straight sides,
with comparatively bluff or rounded
bows, of the ordinary ocean steamship.
The boat is intended to be much deeper
aft than forward, and the deck will be
much higher above water at the bows
than at the stern. There will be no
houses or raised constructions of any
kind on the deck, except the dome-shap-
ed pilothouse, the ventilators, and the
smoke stacks. There will be an open
railing around the center of the deck, SO
that it can be used as promenade in
pleasant weather or whenever the seas do
not break over the boat. The object of
this unbroken dome-shaped deck is to
enable the boat to throw off all waves
that break over the bows or sides in
rough weather. It is thought that, in
stead of shipping tons of water and re-
tanning it on deck till it can be drained
off, the boat will shed or throw off the
water from the long, sharp bows and
open deck, and will at once relieve herself
of the weight of the water. Waves strik-
ing the rounded deck will have no hold
on the boat, and their force will thus be
spent harmlessly. The sharp wedge
shape and rounded top of the hull, and
the fact that even when fully loaded the
center of gravity will be below the water
line, makes the model selfrighting. From
experiments with small model, this
claim of the inventor seems to be clearly
proved. In laying out the boat, only the
spar deck will be used for passengers,
the main deck and all beeow being in
tended for cargo, coal, and engines. The
state-rooms will be arranged along the
outside, each room having port in the
side of the boat, while the ceiling will be
formed of the curved deck above. The
saloon will be the whole width of the
ship, and on the spar deck. For light
ing the saloons there will be sky-lights
in the center, and as these in rough
weather may be covered by the seas that
sweep over the deck, they will be very
strong, and will be air-tight. To secure
ventilation there will be steam-fans, kept
in motion at all times, and maintaining a
good circulation of air through every
part of the boat. For this purpose the
fresh air will be taken through wind-sails
on the deck, and the exhaust air from the
rooms will be turned into the blast used
in forcing the Boiler fires. No boats are
to be carried on deck; the life RATS and
boats will be kept in an apartment under
the domed deck at the stern, and when
they are to be launched. doors will be
opened in the deck and the boats launch
ed In the usual way from davits through
these doors. The pilot house will be at
the ooWs, ana Will be entirely lnclOSed.
1t will not rise much above the deck, and
will be entered from below.
There will be no masts or sails, as it is
intended to depend wholly on the engines
for propulsion. In constructing the hull,
to secure great strength, three heavy
trusses, or ''hog frames," are to be pIac
ed on the keel, each one rigging to the
spar deck and securely fastened to the
side frames of the boat. The ceiling
will be double. and placed diagonally on
the frames. In the larger steamships,
the absence of sailing power will be COM
pensated for by two extra engines and
two supplementary screws, that can be
employed in case the larger screw is lost
or the main engines break down.
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