Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-08
a Triple-NuIled Ship Proposed.
New York Bulletin.1

An article lately published in The Bulletin
On the tendency Of modern shipbuilding to
disregard stability in favor of speed has
attracted much attention from maritime
men, and has brought to our notice several
plans designed to counteraCt this acknowl-
edged danger while keeping in view TIE
necessity of high rates OF speed in order to
compete with existing vessels. The original
steamships we're very wide in proportion to
their length, thus preventing their capsizing
and giving far more effectual resistance to 8
blow fore or aft. The lines. however, have
become sharper and finer year by year,
and the length of the vessel proportionally
increased, until now, with scarcely moro
width than the early vessels of the Cunard
or Collins line, the distance from end to end
is doubled.
a reporter Of The Bulletin q day or two
ago called on Capt. William Coppin, of Lon
donderry, Ireland, who built the first screw
propeller in Great Britain, and who has de-
voted much thought to this question. He is
now temporarily in America, and was willing
to explain his views TO the reporter. After
describing a "twin-hul VI" vessel, the captain
went on to say: "yhe ethod should adopt
would be, however, d triple hull instead of a
Oue-tfle CSutI0 DOsiU 10 curry GlS
engines and the screws The two outer yes
sells would be built on much finer lines than
any now existing, as, in fact, would the
centre one, and the three would be SO
held together that it would be impossible
for any storm to dhIInite them. Each Of the
two outer bulls would be $40 feet in length
by twenty-five feet wide, and the total width
at the extreme would be f20 feet : calcu-
lot oe1,;,, II
hood OF 5000 tons, and would cost about II
per cent. more to build than another ship OF
the same capacity. The objects to be
attained by it would be, in the first
place, extreme stability, and next, greatspead.
You will readily conceive that no wave ever
known in the north Atlantic could oyerturr
a vessel 10 feet wide Waves 90 not rise higher
than twenty-six fectabove the trough in great
hurricanes and OF course the vessel taxes q
portion Of this for purposes OF fotation. The
strength OF ships as now built is so great
that they could be suspended on a pivot
and, of course, by my plan, with create
thickness there will be still greater stiffness
Another element is speed. The chief obsta
Gle to this is the resistance of the water and il
is this reason that has induced our chief ship
builders to make the craft they turn out SC
narrow. by the plan propose there Will Dt
less than ever before known. 1t is true the
width'of the submerged portion will be greater
but its depth viii be much less, and from
the fact that all the curves are segment;
of q circle there will be very little resistance
Much more viii be in the air and much les
in the water than now. The use of ballas
viii not be necessary. To see for yourself
whether this form is likely to move witt
rapidity you have only to LOOK at a cata
maran. No other vessel sails Sd quickly, anC
none IS so safe. This vessel is really cata
maran worked by steam, and of a very ex
tenSive size. A third advantage the vesse
will enjoy will be safety from accidents
Accidents, Of course, will happen, but no
serious enough to destroy the vessel. Their,
could scarcely De combination of collision:
that coT.ld at once sink il Eacn of the hull
TIRE q. led into number of compartments