The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-26
EADs's SHIP RAILWAY.


a Working Model Exhibited in the Senate
Navai-Committee Room.
Washington Special.
A working model has been placed on exhibi-
ton in the Senate naval-commttee room, OF a
portion of Captain Eads's proposed ship railway
over the isthmus of Tehuantepec. tits sufficient
to Illustrate the manner in which it is proposed
to lift ships out of the water and place them
upon the car for transportation, and the means
adopted to change the direction of the limo of
railroad without resorting to curves. The ship
Is brought from the harbor into dock in which
the carriage or car is submerged upon a sunken
pontoon. The poutoon is hoated by pumping
out water from the compartments into which il
has been admitted as a sinker. A sufficient num-
Der of supports to hold tho vessel in
position on the carriage are provided and fried
with adjustable hinged girths, covered with
cushioned surface These supports are made
upon rods or columns which pass through the
glrderS of the carriage freely and arc exactly
pendant over corresponding number of by
draulic rams IN the pontoOn which are operated
by pump upon tower attached to the side of
the pontoon. When the kee-bock Of the car
riage rises upon the pontoon to within about two
feet OF the keel of the vessel the hydraulic
pump is started pushing up the supports gonJly
against the vessel under the keel bottom and
bllges and snugly up around the sides. As thu
vessel continues to rise and her weight increases,
the pressure upon the rams increases until,
when the vessel is entirely out Of the water her
full weight is borne on the rams. and the sup
ports have conformed their movements to the
shape of the vessel. Then hand wheels or ad-
iusting nuts are ran down upon the supporting
columns to a bearing on the girder plates, the
rams withdrawn, and the girderS support
the evenly distributed weight of tho vessel The
carriage is then run from the pontoon upon
the track Changes IN direction to avoid
curves in the track made by floating turn
tables which are pontoons large enough to take
the carriage with the ship and hoatitabout cen,
trail pivot cylinder. In the working model
now on exhibition the ship is about six feet III
length and the machinery in proportion. The
operations of this model have been wit
messed by senators and members of the House
with much interest but without the uanifesta-
ton of any disposition to make an appropria-
ton for the construction of the ship railway 1t
is thought however, that the demonstration
thus made of the practicability of the ship rail
way will accomplish the main purposes OF its
protector in preventing any appropriation for
further survey or to commence the construction
Of the Nicaragua canal There are not many
open advocates of the Panama canal in Wash
ington, but the point is made by them that the
objection raised against the Panama route
that it cannot be used by sailing vessels on ac-
count of the MINDLESS region in the Pacific for
hundreds of miles from Panama-apples with
equal force to the Suez canal, as the Red sea
can only be navieated by steamers but thai this
has not prevented the success of the SueZ route
both as a commercial highway and also as
profitable investment for its stockholders.