Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-12-13
A MODEL STEAMER.
A Revolution in Ocean Travel Promised
A Novel InYenti0n.

A Revolution in Ocean Travel PrOmlsed-I
Novel Invention.
New York special to Chicago Tribune:
The American Quick Transit Steam Ship
company, OF Boston, is business organ |
ization formed for the purpose of build
ing and running steamships built after
q new model, which are expected to
make the trip across the Atlantic in five
days at less expense than it is now done
by the best boats of the present lines.
The proposed ships are to be, built after
designs by Mr.. A. Perry Bliven, ship.
designer and builder Of this city, who
has designed and built many first-class
vessels, among them the Republic and
the Ada. For the purpose of testing the
ses-going qualities of the form of boat
proposed, Mr.. Bliven has built during
the last summer steam yacht, the Me-
teor, of 545 tons, which illustrates all
the changes proposed, and will, it
is hoped and expected, fully demon
strate the advantages of the model.
The Meteor was built at Nyack on the
Hudson, and is now lying at Pier thirty
eight, East river. In appearance she
looks like magnified steam launch,
with turtle-bac deck. She is long and
narrow, and appears to possess great
buoyancy in the water, owing to greater
beam above the water line than below.
She ID loo feet long, twenty-three feet
six inches greatest beam, and seventeen
feet six inches in depth. There are no
masts, that being the distinctive feature
of the model, Mr.. Bliven believing that
the masts and rigging greatly retard the
speed of steam vessels. The shape of
the hull is designed to increase the car
rying capacity without Offering too
much resistance to the water, the keel
being sharp, and the smallest resistance
being offered where the water is densest
The screw is ten feet in diameter, and is
placed entirely under water. As very
perfect precautions against the break
ing down of machinery is neces
sary, two auxiliary screws, with separate
shafts and engines, are provided, ant
carried one above and the other below
the principal screw. Should the chic
shaft break, the other screw can be set Il
motion within fifteen seconds, or befor
the vessel has lost headway. The decl
of the Meteor offer fine promenade
broken only by the pilot-house at tn
bow, the smokestacks and skylights
There are no bulwarks. A rail run
around the deck for the safety of passen
gers, auu IL 1s expected Cuat IN mgn sea
the Meteor will pillow through the crest
of the waves, everything being arrange,
; 30 that no amount of water will do an
damage. The veptilating shafts are g
arranged that under pressure of waite
from high wave they close to reope
: when the pressure is removed. Ih
, Meteor will be propelled by enormou
engines, $500 horse power bein
spoken of as the power expected. Fc
: her size she will be the most powerfr
, steamboat afoat. The accommodation
for passengers show great ingenuity, an
. the curved deck has great strength, as
g simply follows the lines of the timber
] On an ocean steamer of this model th
!, saloons may be of unusual size an
! sweep, as no masts have to be accomm
dated. The engines will be placed in IL
? Meteor within the next thirty days, ar
a trial trip will be made, when her build,
expects that speed of twenty-five mil,
an hour will be attained, and possib
thirty.ive. A construction company b.
been organized for the purpose of bull
+ ing these steamships for the new lin
and has recently bought twenty-sevt
acres of land fronting on the water at B,
| Ridoa