Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-27
STOPPED BY A SEA BRAKE.
The Steamboat Florence, at Fan Speed
Halted within 90 Feet,

The Steamboat Florence at Fall speed,
Halted within 20 Feet.
The steamboat Florence, running on the
Sea Beach route from pier No. 6, North
river, New York. has novel appliance
for checking her Roadway. II is called a
sea brake. On each side of the stern post
is hinged great I'm 9X9H feet made Of
boiler plate braced with angle iron. The
fins are arranged TO fit into the run of the
vessel ordinarily, where they are secured
by ordinary catches, which are controlled
through lines leading to the pilot-hOuse.
When these fins are closed they press
against springs, so that when the catches
are released the fins are thrown out from
the side of the ship and are caught by the
water. If the vessel is under Roadway
they are instantly thrown out until they
stand at right angles to the keel. Asthey
assume this position they bring up against
powerful springs.
1.-The effect of opposing 40 square feet
of boiler iron to the forward progress of
the vessel was well illustrated last Tues
| day." said Capt. Simmons yesterday.
"We were running down past GOwanus
| bay. On our port bow, some distance of,
was lighter running in the same direc-
| ton. After it had passed by big three
masted schooner lying at anchor, Il tackled
suddenly around the schooner and across
our bows. 1t shot out in front Of us not
| twenty feet away and we were running
| about fourteen knots an hour. l was on
| the upper deck and yelled &c the pilot,
| who released the brakes. The steamer
was stopped so suddenly thatsome of the
passengers were staggered and others al
most thrown from their seats, but they
were saved the necessity Of taking to the
water through collision. Not only was
the Roadway stopped, but she was actu-
ally started astern, the engines having
been stopped. This was done by the &C
| ton Of the springs against which the fins
| opened. They were compressed as the
| fins took against the water, and then the
power of the springs forced them forward
/ a short distance and thus started her
astern. We at once closed the fins by
means of CHAINS which run from the outer
| edges of the fins in through hawser holes
and so to the engine-rOom. The fins can
be closed in thirty seconds"
| ''Had you tested the fins before that
dayY'
''Frequently. We have a device for au-
tomatically tripping the fins. 1t is simply
a spar rugged out from the bow at the
water line. 1t projects seventeen feet
| With that in place we have run at full
| speed against logs and buOys. In every
| instance the brakes were opened the mo-
ment the Outrigger struck the object, and
the Roadway was checked almost instantly
and then the vessel dropped astern. She
runs three hundred feet after the engines
are reversed if no brakes are used. II
running in fog we would put that out
rigger in place, and then we could with
| perfect safety run into anything, for the
| bow of the boat would never touch it.
'We can loosen either brake separately
and thus throw the vessel to one side il
occasion demands. / think that when
better known the brakes will be by law
applied TO every ship af1oat.''