The morning call., 1891-07-27
UNCLE SANS FIRST wAR-sHIP.
How the Original Screw Propeller Was
Rnilt-Tla nf Witness.

"
How the Original Screw Propeller Was
Built-The Story of an Eye Witness.
The Herald's description of the new
Goodrich steamship Virginia brought
wildly to my minds eye scene that be-
held at the Philadelphia navy-yard in the
summer of 1S43 namely, the launching of
the United States war vessel Princeton.
which was the first vessel of any magni-
tudp, beyond a steam launch, to be pro-
PEELED by screw wheel. says writer in
the Chicago Herald. Up to that time only
experimental craft of diminutive lengths
had been built by various parties from
1925 to 1887, each of whom was striving to
provide something better than paddle
wheels as a means of propulsion for ocean
steamers. All of these tests were made IN
England. one of the most successful being
that of Captain John Ericsson of NJ oni-
tor fame; at least it most inter
ested Commodore Stockton of the
United States navy, who became so
infatuated with the Ericsson idea
that he induced the Government to
allow him to build the Princeton, as the
rumor was then, at his own expense in case
of failure, and at the Governments if his
venture proved the soundness of his iudg-
ment as TO the practicability of the screw
wheel. The largest boat built up to the date
of laying the PTlncetOn's keel was the forty
foot launch of EriCSSOn's built in 1887 to
test his invention, hich was that adopted
by Stockton, and which may be said to be
adhered to, with some minor notifications,
i'll America to-day. Prior to this forty-foot
launch of EricssOn's all the inventors held
to the idea of putting their propeller wheels
in iDdentures or chambers at the sides of
vessels. With this forty-foot launch they
were placed at the stern, just where they are
located on vessels now the world over
hence 1t Will be perceived the "tWin-prO-
peller' idea has not evolved from the
single" but that naval engineers and
architects are returning To first principles.
But, as the French say, let lis return to
our mutton. The war vessel Princeton was
! built from designs of Commodore Stockton,
| who personally oyerSaw her construction
! from laying of keel to finish. She was of
| beautiful lines, and throughout of such
| harmonious proportions as to command the
admiration of all maritime powers of earth,
| as the Commodore had the pleasure of ex-
| hibitIng her at the principal srapOrts III a
| permitted voyage around the world AS
! means of comparison with the steamships
Of the present time it will be interesting to
| know something of the dimensions, etc, of
| this first actual screw propeller SteamS ship.
! Her length of hull over all was 164 feet
| little over half the length of the Virginia
ana hardly more than a third the length of
some of the great ocean steamers. The
| breadth of beam was so feet, depth of
| hold y feet inches, draft of water II feet
| inches. She was rated at 100 tons burden.
| Her propeller-wheel was ii feet in diameter
and six-baded, and driven by her 400-horSe
power engine made from thirty two to
tbirty-four revolutions minute, giving her
| under auspicious circumstances a logged
! speed OF II miles an hour. Such proper
! tons and such a rate of speed may be
| laughed at to-day in the light of ocean man.
moths rolling their five and odd hundred
miles day, but in the light that it took the
first steamship TO cross the ocean from En-
| gland TO America just twenty days, 1t has
the significance of a prophecy Of the present
and coming ocean racers.
AprOpos of the above 1t may not be
alHss TO relate, in connection with the
PrlncetOn's siX-bladed wheel, that the ex-
periITents of the first inventors were made
with two and three bladed screws, so that
| the modern screw, as the twin-wheel idea,
Is not SO far away from first conceptions as
many NAV suppose,