The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-17
A VOYAGE BY ELECTRICITY.
Description of the Volta's Perform
ance in the English Channel.

Dover (Eng.) Despatch to N. Y Herald.
have just finished a trip to and from Cal
ais on the electric boat Volta, built by Ste
phens, Smith & Co., of Millwall, from &C.
signs by A. Reckenzann, well known cleo
trical engineer. The party on the trip con-
sisted of seven, but a larger party, consisting
of many engineers, scientific people and
newspaper correspondents, came intending
to join, but after shaking their heads dubi-
ously and looking at the craft, took the mail
boat, intending to meet US at Calais.
Seen from the pier the Volta bore the ap-
pearance of half finished pleasure launch
entirely open fore and aft, seats fitted all
around the boat, accommodating forty pas
sengers. She is thirty-seyen feet long, has
seven feet of beam, and is three and half
feet deep.
The Volta is built of galvanized steel
sixty-one accumulators, each eight inches
square, which were placed as ballast under
the floor, with pair of Reckenzann's electro
motors. The accumulators were charged on
| Saturday night from dynamo worked by a
small steam engine in carpenter shop fac
ing the harbOr, the connection to the boat
DtluS ny SlOIb SGCbiUuo VI IL CdUlt
The manner of working the Volta is of al
most childlike simplicity. One man only is
required. He sits in the stern and has a
large iron handle where the ordinary rudder
handle is fixed. and by turning this to the
right or the left he steers. At his side are
two small brass candles, one for turning the
boat ahead or astern, the other for causing
her to stop, to go at half or full speed.
During small portion of the trip took
his place, and found the management of the
cali f ha hnfb cit11rll In md On nt
Tom was delighted with the action while
crossing. | interviewed ReckenZann, who is
well known for his Berlin tramcars and for
his electric locomotives at work in the coal
mines of South Wales.
What" asked him, "are the advantages
of the Volta?"
He replied "Total absence of noise and
simplicity of management 1t has greater
capacity for passengers than boat filled
with boilers, engines and coal bins. No
smoke can betray her. Then there is her
great adaptability for laying torpedoes and
for all purposes requiring secrecy.
But how about the cost?' queried.
GHn ne rePea Of ee ssaigg
neers, stokers, coal carriers and fuel. This
saving alone .equalizes the cost of electricity
with steam"
but Them ventured to suggest, there
is the replenishment of electricity stores?"
"Yes," he went on, 'but it is the same in a
pleasure launch in regard to Goals. pro-
pose to have electric stations up the Thames.
In America they might run along the Hud-
son river at distances of twelve miles apart,
say for pleasure yacht"
sat what cost would the boat replenish it.
self?''
Say at cost of half crown, or sixty
cents, for each stop. The whole cost of the
electricity under our feet is eight shillings,
or two dollars, and this is sufficient for our
twenty-four miles trip to Calais. The Volta
can be reversed instantly. When the wealth
er was fair the Volta could, if it were neces-
essary to save electric power, use sails.
When the wind was contrary, she could, by
combining tacks and power, make good head
way. The same engines which supply the
yachts electric lights serve to charge the ac-
cumulators of the launch, SO that the cost OF
working the latter is reduced to mini
num-"
/ found the motion only slightly sugges-
tive of NAL de mer-the going otherwise
seemed fairy-like. We reached Calais at
half past 2 p. m. took on electricity, and
reached here on the return journey little
after o'clock. During the whole voyage
the current of electricity yielded by the &C
cumulators gave an average of forty revolu-
tons of the motor per minute. At Calais
the reporter of the London Times concluded
to take sail back. The electricians on board
were,completely satisfied with the workings
of the vessel each way.
One OF the passengers assured me he came
as doubter so far as the motive power was
concerned but he has now satisfied himself
at least of the capacity for driving small
craft, perhaps even tugs