Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-27
THE WHALEBACK's DIMENSIONS.
Official Figures of the Strange Vessel
Now at the Pusey 8 Jones Yards.

The official figures giving the dimen-
sions of the whaleback steamer Wet
more, now at the Pusey & Jones yards,
are as follows: Length, 265 feet; beam
amidships, 3S feet; hold, "a feet; gross
tonnage, 400; net registered tonnage,
1,075; draft when fully loaded, 164 feet.
The propelling power consists of a fore
and aft compound surface condensing
engine, with cylinders 26 and so inches
diameter by 42-inch stroke, built by
Samuel F. Hodge & Co., Detroit, Mich,
and two steel boilers, III feet long and
l3o inches diameter to carry 1876 pounds
Of steam, constructed by Hammond &
Coon, Buffalo, N. Y. The full load line
draft is Is feet There are two forward
bulkheads and three aft bulkheads for
holding the water ballast $500 tons) and
coal. There are powerful steam pumps
on board, and the tanks can be filled so
as to submerge the ship to any required
depth.
The American Ship6ui1der says there
is not 3,O00-ton capacity steamship
afioat that would be allowed to go TO
sea with only four sailors and three
firemen, yet that is all the Wetmore
carries.
| Among the special advantages claimed
for this novel vessel are an economy of
4O per cent in the cost of construction;
a saving at the same rate of speed of
nearly 40 per cent in horse power, 800
horse power and two boilers doing the
work at present done by 5000 horse
power and six boilers, and all the result
ing economy in space for coal, &C.;
almost entire freedom from rolling or
pitching in stormy seas; great carving
capacity with light displacement.
Other peculiarties Of the vessel are
the heels Of the four jury masts do not
go down through the iron back to the
bottom. They rest on the deck of the
vessel. There is no keel. Her con-
sumption of coal on the voyage from
Liverpool was only IL tons day as
against 300 tons of the fastest ocean
racers.
The Sh,p5uilder adds: The crew of
the Wetmore consists of master, first
officer, second mate, two engineers, two
oilers, three coal passers, three firemen,
four sailors, cook and steward. The
wages paid is as follows, the sum given
after each number corresponds with the
position named above: First, $120;
second, $50; third, $780, fourth, 800;
fifth. $50; sixth, S25; seventh, $25;
eighth, 800; ninth, $40; tenth, $50;
eleventh, $50; twelfth, $50; thirteenth,
$40; fourteenth: :s1s, fifthteenth, Sls;.six-
teenth, SIS; seventeenth, $l8; eighteenth,
$50; nineteenth, $50. Where is there
an American ocean steamship of 5000
tons carrying capacity that can be run
with 10 men and manned for $725
month?
Through the courtesy of the officials
at the Pusey and Jones yards hundreds
of citizens enjoyed the pleasure of a
visit on Friday to the novel steamer
Wetmore.
The propriety of the name whale
back is viyidly realized at first view of
the immense conical cylinder of steel as
she was seen lying prone at low tide
alongside the wharf yesterday. She
suggests the idea more of some modern
naval engine than cargo vessel.
Another point that strikes the visitor
as he chambers up upon her great arched
sides is the great simplicity of the archi-
lecture of the monster. Standing at the
mouth of the main hold entrance and
peering down into its cavernous depths
what is comprehended is an immense
SJiiituiiSdl bOA Wltu HOinllE Ill tlle way
to obstruct an almost unlimited storage
of cargo. Speaking of the mouth of
the hold, however, it would be mislead-
ing to fail to explain that there is really
speaking no such entrance way, in the
usual understanding of the term. All
the upper part of the vessel between the
two deck houses at stern and bow is
equivalent simply to series of sliding
box covers moved back and forth as the
exigencies of cargo lading may require.
All the heavy motive machinery IS To-
Gated below near the stern.
F. E. Dwight, the newspaper CORE
spondent aboard the Wetmore, who has
been on her since her launching, re-
ceived the representatives of the press
and most courteously escorted them all
over the novel vessel.
He has not the slightest fears as to
her complete seaworthiness, and, as to
the whaleback's cargo carrying capacity
and inferentially as a commercial sue
cess, that he considers question already
settled.
The officers state rooms are luxurious
apartments located in the stern deck
house. When questioned as to his idea
of the safety and security of the deck
house should the whaleback be met by
heavy seas Mr.. Dwight pointed out the
stout iron pillars and stancheons which
fasten II to the ship structure and also
to the opening between either end of the
the stern deck house which would allow
the heavy seas to wash through.
The most critical experience of the
visitors was to the engine room and fur
nace's quarters. This was veritable
descent into the darkest Erebus that the
local press had any experience of
hitherto. Down several dark passage
ways, by two or three series Of stairs
where the procession had to feel rather
than to see its way, and then into the
furnace room.
"Now gentlemen" Mr.. Dwight pleas
antly remarked, as the party stood in
the dim, ruddy twilight of the banked
furnaces, "you can take Turkish bath
all for nothing" The representatives
of the press were already perspiring
under an atmosphere which the ther- |
mometer indicated to be 1921
The visitors did not stay long, but
gladly followed their cicerone back |
through the circuitous passageways,
dark and close, more like the shafts of |
a coal mine than the exit from the hull |
of modern steamship. Reaching the |
opening to the second deck Mr.. Dwight's |
party were saluted with a draug6t of |
cold air and dazzling sunshine, the COM
bined effects of which made them blink |
like knats and almost shiver with cold. |
But 1t is not necessary to add that the |
deck Thermometer sho we'd almost 90o.
But the visitors had just emerged from
a temperature of 1922 and chasm of |
darkness where eyesight was almost
useless.