The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-26
Mj1I'IIj slgle
A LAND AND WATER BOAT
AN INVENTION INTENDED FOR AFRI-
CAN EXPLORATION.

ONiN -<hi GOiSN wv
A Continuance That Can Navigate Land as
Easily as 1t Does the water-It Lays an
Endless Track and Is Propelled by
Steam-Row the Craft Looks.
The principal difficulty in the way of ARR
can explorations has been the impassibiity OF
the marshes which extend over so large s
portion of the interior. Livingstone and
Stanley both learned to their cost how weari-
some were the efforts necessary to pass the
innumerable streams and deep bays that con-
tinually lay In their course Travelling on
foot, as they were compelled to do, and carry
ing everything on the backs of the natives, it
was impossible to cover a reasonable number
of miles in q day Sinking knee deep into the
boys at every step, the men soon became
Wearied and were obliged TO lay up for rest,
thereby losing valuable time and running the
risk of being attacked by fierce savages.
To W. ?. Shattuck, Of Minneapolis, belongs
the honor Of originating a scheme for over
coming the difficulties Of travel in the wilds
of the dark continent. His attention was at
tracted by the efforts to discover Stanley,
and after devoting a little time to the consid-
Grafton Of the difficulties Of the search he set
to work to invent some sort Of device to as
sist in the search.
A STEAMBOAT FOR TEE DESERT
The result was the draft of a small steamer
which can navigate water, marshes or dry
lard and capable Of proceeding across the
country at the rate Of ten miles an hour.
The steamer, if built, would indeed be a Gu
riosity. 1t would be difficult to imagine a
more novel sight than that Of a steamboat
vending its way across the country, up hill
and down dale, over lands, fats and Marshes
scrosS rivers and lakes, at the rate Of ten
miles an hour.
In detail the description Of the craft is as
follows: The keel is in no place straight but
shapes upward with equal curvature toward
either end. Each end Of the boat is semi-cir-
rular, with the convex side outward, and the
upper side is fat The length over all is
about % feet, the width about 10 feet and the
height about 10 feet. The popularity Of the
craft lies in the fact that it has a self laying
track. This is composed of series of air tight
sections covered with iron plate and joined
together in such manner as to form an end
less belt surrounding the boat and forming
the self laying track. This belt rests on anti
friction rollers, which in turn rest upon the
top, bottom and ends of the boat.
In the hull is placed a pair of upright twin
engines, each Of which can be operated indie
pendently Of the other. The power is COM
municated by a larger wheel which works in
series Of cogs on the inner side of the end
less belt. The revolution of the cog wheel
causes the belt 10 revolve, and the track is
thus laid down and taken up as rapidly as
desired, thereby forcing the boat forward.
The sections Of track are convex, giving
surface that is curved both toward the ends
and the sides, thereby enabling the craft to
be easily turned on land. The boat when on
dry land practically rests on point, and
slight pressure on the ruddsr will turn it from
one side to the other.
IT IS 4 DOUBLE DECKER
Ehe steering apparatus is an ingenious de-
vice conducted On a plan iniIor 10 the roll
Ing coulters of a plow. 1t consists of two
large circular steel plates, one at each end of
the boat, capable of being raised or lowered
20 any desired height, or of being moved from
side to side. These rotary rudders are con
nected by ropes with the steering wheel in the
pilot house, and are under easy control of the
man at the wheel. They operate together,
thereby having twice the effect that a single
rudder would have.
The craft is practically double decker
y
hull, as noted above. The endless belt carry
ing the track OF course passes over the ceiling
of the huh and around the ends, making it
necessary to enter this part of the boat from
the side. From the top it is, of course, inac-
cessible. The smokestacks must of necessity
pass out of the sides, and form a right angle,
20 clear theself laying track. The upper deck
is supported on beams entering from the sides
Just below the track as it passes over the cell
Ing of the hull. This deck Is placed far
enough above the track to clearit in its revo-
buttons.
IT GOES ABOUT TEN MILES AN HOUR.
Stairs are built on the outside of the hull
to afford means Of access therefrom TO the
upper deck Che deck supports pilot house
and is covered with a canopy Movable iron
plates can be placed in position to serve as
ermor to ward OFF the arrows, spears or bull
lets of hostile natives. Movable projections,
somewhat resembling the bottom board of an
ordinary sail boat, are attached to the under
side Of each &C the sections Of the self laying
track when the craft is on the water They
act as paddles 10 propel the craft forward
when ID the water. On land or in marshes
these are unnecessary and can easily be de-
tached.
The rate OF speed OF the craft necessarily
depends TO a considerable extent upon the ma
ture of the coiIntry and the slope Of the hills.
An average q ten miles an hour is not far
out of the wag. Small guns could be carried
for defensive purposes. Manned with tTusty
force Of experienced men, its sides covered
with the p:ateS OF armor and with guns
breathing forth deadly fire from their mouths,
the craft could pursue its way across the
wilds and tqrough the jungies of Africa,
frightening the natives by its strange appear
nnce and scattering death and destruction in
its path. A hundred miles a day could easily
be covered, thereby accomplishing in few
hours 4 distance which now requires days or
Weeks.-MiDneapoliS Tribune.
SIN Painting. Of I-i-n, .u-AA--nn