Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-11-24
New Style Of Steamers.
THE WHALEBACkS.

| The voyage of the whaleback steamer C.
W. Wetmore, from Duluth to Liverpool,
has occasioned lively discussion in Brit
ish maritime circles as to the possibility of
vessels of this type driving the ordinary
| freight steamers of the ocean. English
conservatism is inclined to regard the
whalebacks as clever Yankee devices, in-
| teresting In themselves but not at all to be
dreaded by British ship owners. To the
English conservative critic they are SIM
| ply the latest thing in barge building. The
Army and Nary Journal replies to this
English incredulity by pointing out tina,
the whaebacks are akin to the monitorss
which were at first ridiculed as expedientr
by English designers, good enough fot
| American waters and special purposes, but
not adapted to general use, but which
proved by the voyage of the Miantonomah
across the Atlantic that English wisdom
was at fault. There was American pro-
fessional hostility to the monitors as well
as English incredulty for them to over
come and that hostility is far from extinct.
The editor of the Army and Nary journal
as the friend and literary executor of John
Ericsson. Is champion of the monitor
type and halls the whalebacks as new de-
monstratlons of the soundness of the prn-
ciples of ocean navigation that great In
Journal says
Capital and commercial interests are
now enlisted in behalf of the ideas, and
professional prejudices will prove power
less in the face of the new arguments IN
support of the monitor system thus fur
nished. Abundant capStal is invested in
this whaleback enterprise. Among those
interested are the all-powerful Rocka:ei-
lers, Henry Willard and others we might
name. They will not waste their money
on an impracticable idea. Thus far they
have found nothing but encouragement in
this new application of the principle EriCS-
son declared was certain to triumph,
though its triumph might be delayed for .
century. The c. W Wetmore, repeating
the experience of the monitor Monadnock,
is to make voyage around Cape Horn tO
the north Pacific coast and has already
started on her way, after having been
thrown open for a few days to the iuSpec-
tiOn of curious visitors. The
motion of the original monitor was de-
scrioed as so easy and quiet that glass
inkstand stood upon polished mahogany
case on the table in the captains cabin
during the entire voyage without slipping
At the same time the sea washed over the
deck in the most terrific manner The
Monadnock showed in her successful voy-
age of over fourteen thousand miles around
Cape Horn to California that she was
much better able to take care of herself in
a heavy sea than her ConvOys. The Wet
more crossed the Atlantic without pound
of coal in her hold and six hundred and
thirty tons on deck. Her dead weight ra-
pacity is three thousand tons, and her
average consumption of coal was twely,
tons a day-one hundred and eighty for "a
fifteen days voyage. She was loaded with
grain, and so easily did she ride the seas
that when her matches were open the
tracks of the grain trimmerS were plainly
seen by six men who made atiilsviL to the
fact. The simple truth is that tht&e
has been such an amount of interested and
prejudiced misstatemrnts concerning the
monitor, or low freeboard type of vessel,
that the resi- facts have never been under-
stood as they promise TO be ere long"
1t may be added for the benefit of the
curious, that the Wetmore has a gross
tonnage of l399,s5; net registered ton
mage, 1876 load line draught, Is feet; bu.
draws when fully loaded with &Gu ton.
dead weight, only lG ! , feet America
has always led in the development of
steam navigation. The first practicable
river steamboat was American, the his.
ocean steamer was American, the first YES
sci ever equipped with the screw propeller
was an American war ship. Unfortunately
the destiny of the United States hereto
fore has been to lose the lead 1t was lir~,
to obtain. Let US hope that if the whale
backs are to revolullpniLe steam navlga-
tion the United States will this time hold
its lead.-BostoH Ir1Hscrjpt.