The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-19
Ships of Wonderful speed.

DdItll0re Witnessed the launching or
steamship few days ago which bids fair to
completely change modern methods of ship
building as well as ocean traffic. She is
called the Howard Cassard in honor of the
president Of the Monumental Construction
| Company, ner owners
She is strictly a passenger sea-going
steamer, with no arrangements whatever
for carrying freight. 1t is claimed for her
| that she is unburnable, unsuitable, ard
| cannot be foundered, and that should
| storm at sea turn her bottom upward she
would right herself and come up like the
lively little duck known as the water witch.
She possesses this last property of righting
herself IN high degree because she has
| four pounds weight under the water line
| for every one pound above the water line.
The keel, which weighs 6S, 900 pounds,
acts not only as ballast, but as a center
board, inasmuch as nearly half of its
depth protrudes through the hull into the
water. On account of its extraordinary
| rigidity the keel makes infinitely better en-
| CINE aud shaft bearings than the old method
OF shipbuilding. The difference between
the safety compartments of the Cassard and
those of the old system is that the Cassard
has air as well as water-tight compart-
m nts, while the old systems have only
water-tight compartments. These safety
compartments on the Cassard number
about ITO, of which 1856 are on either side of
the heart of'the ship. thus forming practi-
cally three ships in one.
The motive power is an improved COM
pound engine, calculated to develop 1000
horse lower, or an average speed of twenty
five miles an hour, with only ton of coal
consumed. The valve gear is so perfected
that the valves may be opened and closed
in the twentieth of a second thus giving
double the power for the Same size engine.
The steering gear is improved hydraulic,
with air cushion combinations The labor
saving appliances about the ship and the
low temperature of firerooms are said to
be superior to the every day steamship.
The Cassard is 222 feet long over ALL is 300
feet between perpendiculars, has 10 feet
breadth of beam and Is feet depth of hold.
The vessel is made of rolled iron plates and
constructed on the cellular system. An ordi-
| nary steamer, it is said, would break in half
| If taken from the water and only supported
at each end, while the Cassard, like a tubu-
lar bridge with hull on it, would support
several times its own weight if 80 tried
The Cassard is only two-fifths the proposed
dimensions Of the standard steamers to be
built. The full-size steamers will allow the
introduction of many improvements. In
| the large steamers every stateroom will
have its bath tubs, toilet and other conven-
| fences.
After the Cassard has been sufficiently
tested, a companion boat will be built and
they will ply between Baltimore and Ha-
vana, carrying passengers, mail and express.
| Later regular ocean steamers will be
started. 1t is claimed that the Cassard will
revolutionize shipbuilding, and that in the
future, instead of mixed service on the
ocean. there will be passenger steamships
and freight steamships just as on land
there are passenger and freight trains
There will be no engine smell, no ship
smell, no kitchen smell, as the decks are air
and water tight. The snip vibration is
minimized on account of the great interlac-
ing of Structure, the power all beiog located
beneath the deck on the rigid keel. Boats
run by this system will, it is said, be able to
double their earning capacity, as no delay
will be caused by freight loading and un-
loading.
Coming off the ways she was accidentally
capsized, but Immediately righted herself,
thus verifying all expectations as to her
buoyancy. Now if she can make the twenty
five miles an hour expected of her she will
prove the marvel she is described to be and
revolutionizs water transportation. Her
success is ia the interest of civilization and
advancement. and therefore greatly to be
desired.