The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-21


FIeetest Of Ferryboats.
The Harlan and Hollingsworth Com
,any has built another boat which has
an era in modern shlp. build
ng. The ferryboat Fearless, built for
he Gloucester Ferry Company, ts the
ieetest boat of her class on the Della
ware River, and in all probabilities the
fastest double propelled ferryboat
lfloat.
The Philadelphia Record of yester-
lay speaks OF the new boat thus:
1.-THE Fearless lie the brand new addl-
ton to the fleet Of the Gloucester
Ferry Company, and her builders say
she ls destined to revolutonize the.
ferry business on the Delaware. She
Phllad elphia Saturday.
Everybody wac Interested in the
speed of the boat, as she swept
through the water. but 1t was with
even deeper interest that the riyarmen
saw that scarce q trace .of swell dis.
turbed the surface OF the river as the
big boat hurried along. This is due
principally to her hull, which in splen-
did in Its lines and almost reproduce
ton of that of the Vigilant. and the
yacht which many believe Will be the
cup defender against the Valkyrie, the
crack OF Brltian's viii te-wlnged flyers.
The Fearless goes through the water
like swan, and as she speeds ahead
the water runs quickly of her sides.
Then her two propeliors, one at each
end of the boat, are deep in the water,
and, instead of churning up tn o water
like the surface of O mael6trom, as
ordinary screws do, they suck the
current downward.
/ This novel feature was striking
and most curious one to tho crowd OF
guests who were aboard the Fearless,
and they were delighted when they
found that the new craft could hustle
along at the rate Of 10 miles an hour.
The Fearless was greeted with salutes
OF all the crafts IN the river as she
sped on her trial trip. This boat was
designed by Il. jackson Shaw, who
was aboard her on the trip. He said
, lie wanted it to run between Philodel.
phia and Gloucester In 10 minutes.
She is 100 feet over rudder posts and
ITS feet over all, with 81 feet over
guard. Sine has a 3S.feet beam; her
depth of hold is Is feet 8 inches, and
the draught is 0 feet. Yellow pine
covers her steel decks. Her engines
are novelty In ferryboat. They arc
double compound. The high-pressure
which Is greatest in ferlybont IN
J these waters by five inches, The low
a pressure cylinders arc 80 inches III dl.
ameter. exceeding by eight inches any
: low-pressure cylinder on the Delaware
The stroke Is % inches. Tho Fearless
, has an independent air pump and con
denser OF tho Morthlngton type, ant
has Independent feed pumps. These
| are new features, as is the specia
t steam pumps for fire service.
:. They arc not for use on the Fearless
alone, but the big ferryboat can serv'
= as iireboat in the harbor.
: SIDE wHEELERs MUST GO.
The most important new fea turo Il
0 the two screw propellers for use In
9 stead of the big, lumbering paddl
wheels. 1nerels one on each end o
:. the boat. and thoy are feet. 0 inche
t in diameter. and have IL feet q inche
v pitch. Both work at the same time
:. While one is pulling the boat forwart
the other is pushing. The two screw
/ enable her to stop in almost her owl
s length. She has steam SCANNING gear
When the ordinary ferry boat make
passage across the river her stem
is generally exhausted. and she need,
d the rest in the slip to make steam
o again.
Tue Fearless has two return ilue tu
bular steel boilers, which are SO cor
Il structed that she will always have L.
" pounds of steam. Each boiler has tw
4 furnaces, Duiltfora safe.working pref
!, sure OF l2j pounds. An Independent
w donkey boiler can be used in case c
= trouble with the big boilers. An electri
t, light engine ana dynamos supply tn
A Fearless with the white light in u
parts OF tho boat. There Is systel
Is OF oil lamps for use should an acc
ry dent happen to the electric plant. II
n cabins, which are on the side of Il
p, lower deck. airs teautiful, roomy an
void of the various passages arouE
" whe ii houses.
A. A superb stairway on each side leaC
,.v to the upper saloons and cabine.
- the interior is finished in hard woe
sc and decorated in drab, silver and bras
i'll The layatories equal those OF frs
Mt class hotels. and the Fearless has tN
big life boats and plenty of cor
O. life perseryers. Tue boat cost Sl0C
In zoo. ......
yn The Fearless is as fine u model
-. over came out of yard said j.
~ DeKinders. her designer, who supt
all vised tho construction OF the machi
OF cry and boilers. I'm 10 years the
oh will not be side-wheel ferryboat
~. the Delaware.
Ia" The double propeller ferryboa
Owned by the Pennsylvania Railro
wcro frequently the only ferrybot
,u that could get into their slips on t
- North River last winter. The paddl
ia get clogged with the ice. but the ST
merged propellers work under 1t. L
front propeller gathers the ice q
shoves it back, whiie the rear propel
,ad Is pushing the boat ahead. No mat
.ial how heavily loaded on ono side t
for Fearless will not list. She will DO Al
go to run through the heaviest ice in
for Delaware.p