News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-04-05
BUILT ON A NEW MODEL.
The Mastless Steamship Meteor. that Is
Expected TO Run 20 Miles an Hour.

The steamer Meteor, the model from
which the American Quick Transit
Steamship Company hope to build
number of steamers that will average
two round trips between New York and
Liverpool each month the year round,
has been placed on the screw dock, Pier
80 East River. The Meteor is a yacht
1876 feet long over all and 1876 feet on the
water line. Her breadth of beam over
all Is % feet inches, and on the water
line II feet. Her depth of hold is II
feet She draws. with coal on board, II
feet 3 inches of water aft, and 6 feet II
inches forward.
Standing on the dock and looking at
her as she sits on the blocks, there are
several peculiarities of construction that
strike the eye. These are that the mid
ship section is a very sharp but we'll
proportional V; her deck IS slightly
archlng; there are no spars; there Is an
enormous Overhang to her STERN the
Wheelhouse forward, the. skylghts along
the deck, the hatch coamings, and, in
tact, everything on deck, present curved
surface to all the water that may come
ON board; and light rail takes the place
OF bulwarks. Her greatest breadth of
beam IS forward of the midship section.
There are peculiaities of construction
that one does not see from the dock, but
1t Is asserted by the constructing en-
glneer, Mr.. A. Perry Bliven, that they
are no less essential to its perfection.
The keel is moulded Is inches and
sided Is. The frames are s by 6
inches at the keel and 6 inches square
at the clamps. The sidings are six-inch
The popularity of the frames is that
they are continuous hoops placed on the
keel and bOlted to it through and through
with acknowledgements galvanized iron
bolts. There are three keelsons above
the frames, and, the space between
frames above tke keel being filled in, she
has practically ii keel that is moulded six
feet. The bed-plate of the engine and
the boiler rests on the upper keelson.
To give additional stiffness to the hull,
there is on each side longitudinal frame,
4 by s inches, that begins at the keel
forward, arches up to the clamps amid
ships, and ends at the keel in the stern.
As each is bolted through and through
to the frames the sides of the vessel have
the strength Of an arched truss.
Steam will be furnished to the engines
from Ward generator, a sort of vertical
boiler, i'll which the water is contained
in coiled tubes It has 90 square feet of
heating surface, and four times the
steam-generating capacity of any known
boiler. It has been tested to a cold
water pressure of 1000 pounds to the
square inch.
The two engines are the first of their
kind and are called annular compound,
the high pressure cylinder being placed
within the low pressure cylinder. Each
inner cylinder is 81 by 20B, the outer 20
by 2OI, the piston of the latter being a
ring, with two piston rods. Economy of
space and increased power are claimed
for the engines. The cranks are placed
at quarters, and the power eXerted is al
ways the same whatever their position.
A phosphOr bronze foUr-bladed wheel,
1O5 feet in diameter and of the same
pitch, hung on the end of a 75-inch 81
foot hammered-steel shaft, will propel
the vessel. With a steam pressure of
$50 pounds and 300 revolutions to the
minute, the power developed will be
2, 900 horse power.
Mr.. Blivcn expects that the Meteor
will run at from % to 25 Oand) miles an
hour The steamers of which this is the
model are to he 4GS feet long, p feet
beam, and Sc feet depth of hold. They
will carry 4, 600 tons Offreight, 600 first
class and 2, 900 steeragc passengers, be-
sides 500 tons of mail and express mat
ter. They will cost, if built in America,
$50, 900. Having no canvas, they will
carry no sailors The consumption of
coal will be One-half of what is usual,
and therefore only One-half the usual
number of c0al-heavers will be needed.
The situation of the bunkers on the sides
of the vessel so that the coal will feed it.
self into the stoke hole will also save
labor. To add to the safety Of the line
steamers, they will have two extra shafts,
one Of which viii be placed directly over
the main shaft and one below it. Small
wheels VII be placed on the ends of
thcse shafts, but these will ordinarily be
enclosed 10y what may be called doors
hinged on the stern post and latched for
ward of the wheels. In case the main
wheel should be carried away the rudder
would be disabled at the same time. The
Captain would then open these doors, al
lowing them to swing around and replace
the rudder. The small wheels will be
turned by independent engines. It is
asserted that they would drive the vessel
twelve miles an hour.
Mr.. Biyen says the running expenses
will be one-half of those of the old style
steamers Of the same size, and the rates
of insurance will be onc-half also. The
steamers will make at least five miles an
hour more than the model.
"What will keep them from rolling
their smolle-stacl1s out if they carry no
canvas 2" asked the reporter.
''The shape of the hull said Mr..
Bliven. 'They will roll on the keel for
an axis, while other shapes roll on the
water line like a barrel. When this
model rolls either way, the overhanging
hips will catch the water and right it i'm
mediateIy. I could launch the Meteor
upside down, and she'd right herself"