Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-09-17
OUR FIRST War STEAMER.
Building tho Original Screw Propeller
story of an Ego Witness.

Story Of an Ego Witness.
I witnessed at the Philadelphia navy
yard in the summer of 1S43, tho
launching of the United States war
vessel Princeton, says a writer to the
Chicago Herald. which was the first
vessel of any magnitude, beyond a
steam launch, to be propelled by
screw wheel. Up to that time only
experimental crafts Of diminutive
lengths had been built by various
parties from 1925 to 1887. each Of
whom was striving to provide some
thing better than paddle wheels as
means OF propulsion for ocean steam
ers. All of these tests were made in
England. One of the most successful
being that Of Captain John Ericsson
of Monitor fame; at least. it most in
terested Commodore Stockton of tho
United States navy, who became so in
fatuated, as il were. with the Ericsson
idea that he induced the government
to allow him to build the Princeton, as
the rumor was then. at his own ex-
pense. in case of failure, and at tho
governments if his venture proved the
sOundness of his judgment as to the
practicability Of the screw wheel. The
largest boat built up to the date of
laying the Princeton's keel was the
forty-foot launch of Ericsson's built in
1887 to test his invention. which was
that adopted by Stockton. and which
may DO said to be adhered to. with
some minor mo lifications. in 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 indentures or chambers II
the side 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 it
will be perceived the twin propeller
idea has not evolved from the single, "
but that naval engineers and archi-
tects are returning to its first prin-
ciples.
But. as the French say. let us return
to our mutton. The war vessel Prince
ton was built from designs of COmmo-
! dore Stockton, who personally over
saw her construction from laying OF
keel to finish. She was of beautiful
line, and throughout of such harmO-
NOUS proportion as to command tho
| admiration Of all maritime powers OF
earth. as the commodore had the
pleasure OF exhibiting her at the prln-
! cipal seaports in a permitted voyage
around the world. AS a 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 propell-
or steamship. Her length of hull
over all was l64 feet-a little over hall
the length of the Virginia and hardly
more than third the length of some
of the great ocean steamers. The
breadth of beam was 80 feet. depth OF
| hold % feet 5 inches. draft OF water
| II feet 6 inches. She was rated at
| 700 pounds burthen. Her propeller
| wheel was fourteen feet in diameter
and six bladed. and driven by her 400.
| horse power engine made from thirty
two to thirty-tour revolutions minute.
giving her under suspicious circum-
stances a logged speed Of fourteen
miles an hour Such proportions and
such rate of speed may be laughed
at to-day in the light of ocean nam
moths rolling their five and Odd hun
dred miles day, but in the light that
it took the first steamship to cross the
ocean from England to America just
twenty days. it has the significance Of
| prophecy of the present and coming
| ocean racers.