Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-06-29
A 1000 FOOT STEAMSHIP.
Inventor Davidson Claims That Her Speed
Will Be 80 M lies an Hour.

Will Be 80 NJ lies an Hour.
Darius Davidson, a naval architect of
New York, has recently embodied the re-
suit of years Of study in the plans of a
novel ocean steamship of great size and
designed for high speed. Mr.. Davidson
has named his model the Leviathan,
which is wholly appropriate, for the ship
of which it is the miniature is to be 1000
feet long. The novel feature of Mr.. Day.
idson's scheme is the long, pointed ends
of the vessel. The deck, which is Enclosed
in an oval, is to be zoo feet long, the re-
naming 300 feet to be divided equally be-
tween the bow and stern. Mr.. Davidson's
idea in thus planning his ship is to fol-
low as closely as possible the lines of a
fish. The advantages of this model are
that the long, tapering bow easily cuts a
clean channel through the water, and
that the equally long and tapering stern
allows this channel to close, after the
ship has passed through, quite as easily.
One of the great drawbacks of the pres
ent steamship model is that the square
stern causes drag" or suction, in the
water as it passes. All marine architects
have long realized that this retarded the
speed of their vessels, but Mr.. Davidson
claims that his scheme will overcome it
entirely.
Other dimensions of Mr.. Davidson's
great ship are: Beam (molded), 80 feet;
length in center of vessel, 20 feet; dis
placement when fully loaded, 45. 900 tons
free floating capacity for freight and pas
sengers, 10000 tons. The projecting bow
and stern are not to be used for carrying.
They are to be made up of watertight
compartments, and are to furnish much
buoyancy for the rest of the vessel.
The upper deck is arched upward
through its entire length, so that the deep
est point of the hull is directly under the
highest point of the deck. This gives
great strength amidships, where most of
the strain will come.
The great length of the Davidson ship
will insure its resting on not less than
three swells, which will almost wholly
prevent pitching. The long bow and
stern made up of small watertight COM
partments will avoid danger in case of
collision. Still another advantage which
Mr.. Davidson claims for his model over
those now in use is that there is
no topheavy or unsupported part at bow
or stern. He argues that the ''overhangs"
at present SO common are detrimental to
both speed and strength.
Mr.. Davidson did not stop when he
perfected his novel model. He has also
invented machinery which has quite as
many new features. He claims that by
his processes (Which have been practi-
cally demonstrated to the satisfaction of
several engineers of high standing) that
he will be able to obtain $4,000 horse
power with the same amount of coal now
required for 10000 horse power, thus
saving space and weight now given to
coal, to be used for cargo and passengers,
and enabling his ship to attain the enor-
nous speed Of thirty miles an hour. The
Leviathan is to have four propellers in
stead of two, and is to be provided with
two steam geared rudders. Mr.. David
son is now negotiating with capitalists
for the construction of his first ship.
He has for thirty-ive years been close
student Of marine architectural prob
lens, several of the most important i'm
provements in ship construction during
recent years having originated with him.
He is hale and hearty old man of 65,
full Of vitality and quite ready to under
take to solve any problem that presents
itself. During the war he was frequent
ly in communication with Secretary of
the Navy Gideon Welles and had begun
negotiations for the building of naval
warship, when the close of the war made
further operations in that line unneces-
SarV.