The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-28
The Experimental Eureka.
From the New York Herald.

From the New York Herald
The new "Secor" vessel Eureka
will be launched from the yard of
MeSSrs. G. d r.. PoilI0n within few
days, and her trial trip will take
place in less than three weeks. This
experimental craft has created much
Interest in marine and commercial
circles, If the motor proposed to be
used proves success. it will likely
SuperSede the present mode of pro-
puIsinn on the water. Steam" il
Is SAID, land the marine engines of
the day will be as the numbering old
stage coach Of IA century ago to the
locomotive of to-day" The expert.
mental vessel is 100 feet long, u feat
wide amidships, feet 6 inches deep,
and will draw about 4 feet 6 inches.
she is as sharp as-a-knife at the stem.
and has a prettfly F0ufFittf STERN
with but little overhang. The prn-
cipIe upOn which it is hoped this YES
sci can he propelled is the eXplO.iOn
of dydro-carhOn by means of an
automatic engine direct upon the
water. The impacts upon the water
will he made in rapid succession,
through strong steel square ports
placed on each side of the hull, about
eight feet forward of the stern post
and two feet apart. These ports are
covered by an apron, the apron OF
the after port opening toward the
| stern and the other toward the bow.
The inventors say that hr tf ect of
these explosions or impacts upon the
water may be repeated from 80 to 60
1 times minute. They are under ab
! sOlute control and will drive the YES
sci through the water at speed and
at much less expense than has yet
eyer been realized. The machinery
will only occupy about 80 per cent Of
| the space of the vessel bet Ween decks,
and thus will be saved the largest
part of the ship for passengers and
freight.
Mesrs. A. w. WhippIe and J. l..
Pairaga, of New York, who were in.
strumental in bringing the new mo
tor before the commercial world, are
very sanguine of its success. There
will be no paddle wheels, no shafts
no propellerS, nor any of the devices
of steam vessel" they say cxhauIt-
ingly, land the only fuel required
will be very small amount to work
the machinery. In case Of need a
VI SSel of this kind can be pushed
through the water at velocity
hitherto deemed impossible. The
power IS compressed air, and the au-
tomato machinery is an air pump,
which is driven by donkey boiler.
The compressed air is forced into a
reservoir, into which spray of pc
troleum is also injected, and the
whole is ignited by a spark of cleo
tricity.
eff the experiments with the Eu-
reka are successful we shall be able
to go to Newport and back Just as
fast as we want to, and the expense
for fuel will be less than 81. The
Eureka is large enough To- expert
ment with. 1t will show Us what can
be done, and we think that it will
work Just as well in a ye,-al of 5000
tons as in one of 70 tons. Should this
be found to he so, Il revolution in the
mode of propulsion of all passenger
and freight steamers is only ques-
tion of time. Some of the most
wealthy and successful merchants in
this city and in the country are in
terested financially in the project, as
| they are looking forward to the ad-
vancement of commercial pursuits.
a vessel of the Secor type could cross
and recross the Atlantic many times
without being compelled to add to
her stock of fuel, and it is pretty GER
tain that aTvessel of this kind would
go around the world without touch
ing at port for fuel. And then the
reduced cost in running a craft of
this kind in comparison with the
great expense attending the trips of
an ocean steamer now on regular
routes will be something extraordi.
dairy"