Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-03-01
RAILWAY SPEED AT SEA,
What the Use of the Propeller Has Made
Possible.

What the Use of the Propeller Has Made
Possible.
Far back in the year 1884, Cap
tain John Ericsson, whom we all re-
member as the builder Of the first
ironclad Monitor" applied for
patent on a screw propeller to be
used in driving ships through the
water. Ten years later the Secretary
of the British Admiralty persuaded
that body to make a trial of the new
machine in the frigate Arrogant"
The device was a success. The
frigate went faster than others Of
her size using sails alone; she could
move about in the water when there
was no wind, and when other ships
were motionless or at anchor; and
although her speed, even with the
wind, was but little increased, and
the sailors grCwled at having the
ships hold filed up with "tea-kettles
and b'ilerS, they had to admit that
she was safer in a gale, and could go
better than before. Popular feeling
was against the propeller, however,
and it was not until 1852 that it
was placed in. the larger ships of
war.
All great inventions have to fight
their way and this was no eXcep-
ton. 1t gradually came into ust
among merchant ships, and when the
naval authorities saw it's advantages
most Of the opposition ceased, and
they decided to try it in the greatest
ship they had. The "WindsOr Cas-
tie" had just been completed at the
Royal Dockyard, Pembroke. She
was 255 feet long, 60 feet wide, and
had three tiers Of port-holes-ro
for 120 guns. She was the result Of
years Of labor, and was then the
greatest warship in the world
1t seemed a pity to desecrate this
noble craft by loads Of coal, tons of
oily machinery, hot boilers, and y
company Of greasy engineers" but
it would never do to have England's
greatest war-ship lacking in anything
that could give her greater speed and
strength. Therefore it was decided
to cut thevessel in two, and lengthen
her SO as to accommodate the ma
chinery. She was sawed directly
through amidships, the stern was
pushed back twenty-three feet, and
the gap built up solid with the rest
of the ship. When she was launched
the machinery was put in. Com
plete, she was 27S feet long, and car
ried twenty more guns.
In making a report Of this great
ship to the French navy, Lieutenant
LabrOusse urged the French also to
adopt the propeller, and wrote that
'the use of the screw as a means of
propulsion is far from diminishing a
ships sailing qualities, 1t is, on the
contrary, capable Of adding to the
certainties Of navigation.
In 1859 we find the Great Eastern"
using the propeller, but only as an
aid to her paddle-wheels. In fact,
for many years thereafter, all the
ocean steamers used paddles only
The warships alone continued to eX-
pertinent with the propellers.
Now, however, everything has
changed in favor Of the screw, and,
except some light river beats draw
by prOpellers. Boats were soon
built with propellers under the keel,
then others used two, one on either
side of the keel, and now three are
being successfully operated.
Then came the days of forced
draft" when the fire-rOOmS were
closed up tight, and air was pumped
in to go roaring up through the chin
neys after tanning the fires into
greater heat. The engines worked
faster, and the ships speed was in
creased; but the increase soon reached
a limit, for the bOiler-rOom became
so hot that the poor firemen could not
stay at their posts for more than f1f
teen minutes at a time. One hun
dred and siXty-fve degrees was the
awful heat they had to work in re-
Concord. The men tainted in front
Of the furnaces, and others were hard
to hire. What was to be done? The
limit Of speed for ships seemed to
be reached, while more speed was
wanted.
Commodore George w. Melville, of
the United States navy, has solved
the puzzle by designing ship wi tn
smokestacks 100 feet high. These
have the same effect as the tall fac
tory chimneys on land. The fire
men do not find this natural draft so
oppressive, and these smokestacks
give a steam power that sends the
great ship, with spinning screws, at
the rate Of twenty-six miles an hour.
And, even at this railway speed, she
will use so little coal that she can
run "a, ZOO miles, or almost around
the world, without renewing her
supply.-St. Nicholas.