Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-29
TWENTY YEARS esAlNo rHs TlME

SO Thinks the liverpool Mercury of the
whaleback steamer, Charles II Wet
more, Now &C Tnis city.
The Liverpool Mercury maintains that
the whaleback steamer Charles a Wet
more is totally unfit for transatlantic
service. II says.
The construction Of the Wetmore was
cheap with some ideas of strength In t.
There were two weak points in the
vessel-the absence of water. tight bulk
heads and the presence Of the TIVE super
structures. the lesser of which contains
the anchor winch, and the other the
officers apartments, a portion OF the
machinery, and the steering apparatus.
The vessel would never stand an Atlantic
gale suck as would have to be eneoun-
tered IL any regularity Of passage were
kept up An Atlantic trader must not.
like pleasure steamer, sail twaathar
and other circumstances permitting, but
must go on her journey with the pMnctual-
ity Of clockwork Taking a very allow
able supposition that engines should
break down. contingency which Ia not
unlikely when their construction is con
sidered-of what value are four iury
masts with mutton chop sails. which
can be stepped" in case Of emergency.
when the vessel is carrying a cargo OF
3, 900 tons2
To return to the subject Of the super
structure for a moment. Those who have
come over in the vessel seem confident
that there Is no wave big enough 10
sweep 1t away, But surely waves that
will sweep the captains bridge Of an
Atlantic liner out OF sight, and will
efectually clear the deck of no less YES
sci than the Germanic itself. though
they be some twenty or thirty feet
above the level OF the water. will also
take away this fat deck, which is sui r
ported on three turrsts aud q few steel
tubes
Then look at the consequences OF such
disaster. Your engine room is laid bare,
your smokestRck carried away, your Off
GERS swept overheard, and your steering
geer taken with them. That portion OF
the crew whish may be fortunate enough
to be in their hunks forward at the time
must roll about on the ocean without any
means OF guiding In vessel whish san
hardly De seen by passing ship Then
collisions are Of frequent occurrence, and
there is no reason for supposing that the
Wetmore is safe from them.
Ii the vessel we're struck amidships
the hole alone is quite large enough to
take In enough water to sink her at once,
and the build of the whalebaek Is 30
light that very slight collision would
be sufficient TO make hole in her Then,
again, go into the machine room. There
the arrangements are very bad-''sruel,
IN fact The engines are OF a most
primitive character and of very rough
construction. Everything in day time
is, Ia this department of the boat. in
semi-darkness. The boilers are as print
tive rs the engines. The whole thing is
20 years behind the time
Taking the commercial capacities of
the boat into consideration, 1t was found
that grain is the only cargo which this
vessel can bring over to the United
Kingdom. There are no appliances on
deck for the discharge OF any cargo other
than grain No steam winches, no der
ricks, or osher arrangements which are
absolutely necessary for the safe dis
charge of cargo in English ports Aud,
again, the speedi not great enough to
insure the success Of the boat These
two items alone are sufficient to reduce
the value Of such ship to the CONNER
cial world, and its seagolng carrying
The difficulty which has met us in
this ease has been the extraordinary
amount Of misrepresentation which has
been made with regard to the Wetmore
and its capabilities. The public have
been informed in the first place that the
whaleback has averaged nine or ten knots
an hour during her passage from Sydney,
Cape Breton, to the Fastnet. This
passage, they say. took the boat twelve
days to complete. Now the distance is
little under 2 600 miles. The rate OF
progression therefore could not exceed
seven knots The only piece o.
absolutely reliable information on board
is the official register of the dimensions
and other particulars No doubt the YES
sci has crossed the Atlantic, bat during
the most favorable months OF the year.
the passage being really no test of any
great Importance of the capabilities which
the inventor and those on board claim
for the Wetmore. To conclude, IL the
shape Of the vessel will guarantee an in
dependence of sailing power an immunity
from danger, how is ii that our great
shipbuilders have not discovered the
secret before now2