The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1891-01-30
HERE'S A BIG IDEA.
A Proposed Ship 1000 Feet Long ant
o Feet Wide.

Al the recent convention of the Iron
md Steel institute Mt Pittsburg Sir
Nathaniel Barnaby, X. g. b., construc-
;or for the British navy, read a paper
IN '.The Protection of Iron and Steel
ships Against %Foundering from Injury
20 Their Shells: Including the Use Of
Armor." In this he gave expression to
his w theories us to the value OF
armor. He said that we are greatly
worse off in these days of steel and iron
.han when ships were built of oak, teak,
and piue, AS to the pefils arising from
perforation of the shells or hulls Of
ships.
Increased speed and increased mo-
nlenta in collisions had increased the
risks and ut the same time the material
of which the hull is composed submits
so easily to perforatien that he was In
cllned to value the opinion of many
eminent men who are strongly opposed
10 the abandonment of wooden bot
toms, both in commerce and war.
One-iiftieth of the value of the vessels
In the mercantile marine, he said. was
required annually to make good losses
and repairs entniled by collisions alone.
Ale pIoPucsteu tHat flucllCt, pVSScS-
sing nearly one-sixth of all the wooden
sailing ships of 100 tons net and up
ward in the world. would probably
lind it TO her advantage for many years
to come to continue the use of wooden
ships.
In the course of his paperthe essayist
suggested 4 most interesting possibility
in the development of passenger steam
ships. He said:
II have never thought that size was
a disadvantage in merchant ships, sup.
posing they can be worked financially.
On the contrary, the advantages arising
from size in passenger ships seem to
me to be so great that l do not see
where we shall stop.
Il ,.,s consulted some years ago by
a business man, we'll known on both
sides of the Atlantic, as to the possibil-
ity Of building u steel ship which wo aid
not roll, or pitch, or heave in the ava,
and in which, therefore, the bulk OF
passengers would be in il less desperate
hurry to get ashore. He thought fifteen
knots an hour sufficient speed.
ut appeared to me to be perfectly
practicable with n draught of water OF
twenty-siN feet. Ithoughtthe minimum
length and breadth would be 1000 feet
long and 800 feet broad. | estimated
thut with engines of 60, 000-horse power
an ocean speed of fifteen knots could
be obtained.
Two sets of apparent difficulties
had to be overcome, viz, those con-
nected with the building of the ship
atloat and those relating to receiving
and discharging cargo. The shiI
would be Il steel island. incapable Of
entering any docks. The building diff
ticulties soon disappeared. They had
no real existence. To meet tho othel
difficulties | proposed to form shallow,
saltwater harbors or docks within the
ship, entered by gates in the sides, ant
to carry, always alioat there, the
loaded barges and tugs, turning tho
barges out and taking in fresh ones al
ready loaded at the ports of discharge
and shipment.
Such a ship would require to b,
fortified and garrisoned like a town
She could be made absolutely secure
against fatal injury arising from per
foration. The subdivisions required
for this purpose might be made to serv.
effcctually against the spread OF any
local fire. l do firmly believe that W.
shall get the mastery oyer the seas, ant
shall live far more happily in n marin,
residence capable of steaming tifteer
knots an hour than we can live in sea
side toWns,h