The Portland daily press., 1891-10-08
The whaIeback steamsnIp,

1t Is claimed, and on sufficient grounds
that American ingenuity has produced
formidable rival to the British tramp steam
ers which have so long preyed upon our
commerce, and which, although their meth
DDS are peaceful. are regarded as little If any
better than pirates. The Whaleback steam
ship Is said to be the coming craft; indeed
has already come. the Charles W. Wetmore,
the pioneer of her class. having made sue
/ cessful voyage from West Superior and On.
luth to Liverpool with grain. The Wetmore
not long ago loaded at Wilmington, Del, with
shipbuilding machinery for Puget Sound.
The three cardinal principals of the con-
struction of these whaleback steamships are
as follows:
They can be built for less than half the
cost of an ordinary freight steamer.
Their dead weight capacity per ton far
exceeds that of any other vessel.
They can be run for half the cost of an
ordinary freighter.
These are strong points, but 1t is claimed
they have been substantiated by practical
tests. The cost of these steamers is roughly
stated as averaging $40 to S45 per ton. and IL
Is claimed that they will carry 81 tons Of
-~Ss6Hss&eA oNOhJ WI VI mdt6Ilhl IN their
displacement. while the barges built upon
the same principle have freight capacity four
times greater than their weight. The Wet
more went from Montreal to Liverpool. 3.O33
nautical miles, on fuel consumption Of 195
tons or less. Coming from Liverpool TO New
York, In Is days, the coal consumption was
lSo tons. She came across the Atlantic with
ont pound II her hold and $50 tons Of fuel
ness. She answers her helm readily, steers
easily. and without driving makes about
eleven knots an hour. and has logged four
teen knots
"a detailed description of this craft will
Interest many of our readers. The steam
ship Charles W. Wetmore was built by the
American Steel Barge Co.. at West Superior,
wisconsin, or ct the western end of Lake
Superior. the most northerly and the. most
western OF the great ''unsalted seas" She
was built for coast service, and not as has
been enormously stated. for transatlantic
trade. Sheis 265 feet in length. 3S feet
breadth and "a feet depth of hold, with
gross tonnage of ], 1899. So and net tonnage
OF 1,075 tons, draws 153 feet of water loaded.
and has dead weight capacity of 5000 TONS
Her hull Is formed Of steel plates, stiffened
by angle-iron ribs and struts. just abaft of
the forward house Is a transverse bulkhead
similar one being placed forward of the
engine and boiler compartments in the stern.
The space intervening Is unencumbered and
forms the hold or freight-carrying compart-
what may be called this central compart-
ment are matches, through which the load Is
introduced. When once loaded these are
oattened down and the cargo perfectly pro-
should the waves wash completely over the
deck: This forms practically a sealed hull
Tor the reception of freight of any descrip-
ton. Extending across the bottom of the
boat Is a compartment for water ballast
measuring feet inches In height In the
center. and which really serves as a double
hull. The forward house protects the wheel
and the companIon-way leading to the COM
partment in the bow. The most forward of
the structures at the stern protects the smoke
stack. the second one Is occupied by the COM
pound engines driving the screw. the third
Delng the companion-way. Above are the
dlningToom and cabins. The vessel on her
voyage from Liverpool experienced consid-
cradle rough weather, and although she had
an unusually light load and.rolIed considera- |
Oily she behaved well, and very fully met the
expectations of her builders. Motive power
Is furnished by compound engine of $50 in |
OF cylinders and 423 inches stroke, built nv
Samuel F. Hodge &c Co., Of Detroit. Mich.
Inc boilers. OF the regular marine type, were
I Gui,5 az the Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffa-
and the same 10 length, and are intended to
carry 125 pounds OF steam. The boat when |
burning one-half ton OF coal per hour has a
speed OF about IA knots an hour.
Seab0ard In concluding an article on "The |
Evolution of the Whaleback," SAYS: "Inas- |
much as the whaleback style OF structure is |
protected by patents, the sight of the Brit
lsh building freight vessels of American de- |
sign ana paying to an American company a |
royalty on construction will be a sight fit for
the gods. We have better sight In store.
however. when ships built In America. of
American design, having in view the sup
planting OF foreign ships in the transporta-
ed . OF americas commerce, will be effect