New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-28

CATAMARAN OF THE KEARSARGE.
TO the service Of the catamaran at the Huron dis
aster, and quoted from his superior officer, VINO
said: Admiral Ammen did more than any one
else to have the catamaran on men -of-war, and
IL Is due TO him that the other half of the crew of
the Kearsarge was saved
In reply to this letter Admiral Ammen gives
history of this life-saving float He says:
1T may interest you. and perhaps the public to
know how the catamaran came into the Navy. In
December 1864. the Navy called upon to aid
in landing soldiers, guns and ammunition north or
Fort Fisher. The was rough. and In landing
600 men, more less, forty boats belonging 10
the Navy capsized. and thrown upon the
beach, ammunition wet and men manned. Some
weeks later the Mohican, then under my command.
was sent to Ossabaw Sound. In the interval l
had designed what should De known officially as the
'Ammen balsa' to land men. field artillery. etc.
under such conditions would be impossible with
the boats carried BY vessels OF On Ossabaw
Island | cut down trees. took the logs on board,
whipsawed them into planks. and built the first
balsa Of dimensions and floating capacity not much
less than the one which was found so usefu! on
board OF the Kearsarge Those of twelve feet in
length would serve admirably for yachts. pilot
boats ard for saving life at bathing places. II
made of aluminium and the ends drop-forged. they
would be light and should be inexpensive Those
built for the Navy, and in use for a number or
wears were hoped casks eighteen feet long. with
| water tight scuttles. which allowed ammunition
to be put into them. They were yoked In pairs and
a platform put over them. They pulled as well
as ordinary boats Owing to the dislike of officers
TO have ANYTHING on board ship that could be dis
pensed with as the elder officers were retired. the
balsas frequently put on shore before the
vessel went to sea. even after they were butt OF
the small size of the board OF the kearsarge.
! which would only support the dead weight of eight
| ar was Invaluable
| In the hour of need. In correspondence with the
| Navy Department more than quarter OF a century
! ayo | waived royalty on the condition that IL
| should be known officially az the Anmen balsa'-
which has passed into dsuse. as they are known
| as 'catamarans.
| six years ago ! designed much lighter one In
proportion It's displacement. suitable for ocean
| messenger steamers. II is made of metal, and re-
sembles two-decked canoes bearing PATRON
capable OF seating sixty persons. 1t has notation
capable OF seating sixty and carrying 100 IN an ex-
| tremlty. Provisions can be carried within the
floats II n vessel had to be abandoned at sea such
| RATS could be launched over the stern on n
| trough designed by me: within II Is chute, not
unlike n London fire-escape. by means of which the
| passengers could be 'chuted on TO the RAFT
offered the use OF this balsa to the Navy Depart
| ment without royalty upon the condition that II
| would have one built proposed by me. This was
| done after too long a delay TO serve the purpose
! | -
| tried at sea before the converting OF the Maritime
| Conference in Washington, in october. 1883. The
| floats are OF Tobin bronze. twenty-four feet IN
! length. with a major diameter amdships OF three
/ feet This raft was completed folr years ago AZ
| The Portsmouth "a H. Navy Yard and has never
been tried at sea- but probably VIII be the coming
| THE weight OF "A balsa OF these dimensions; II
! made with aluminium floats and having cool plai-
sixtv persons need not exceed 500 pounds Atlantic
passenger steamers could carry sullceht nun I
! weight than in the so-caed hfeboats which they
carry. These boats cannot be lowered IN a sea- sea-
tseetV G lowered even in the srnoSthest OF weather
1t is recognized fact TOO that even wefg Td
| OF a full passenger list. The cost OF aluminium
floats If the ends Were mae e,a gy IN humber
| TO float every one on board and carry lVo pouhus
- rrovisons each should cost less than the boats
NJ now carried inadequate in tation and actually
| uncomfortable In the hour OF need one cannon
r s,aamer going down under conditions when her
boats would serve purpose whatever IN sa W.
| or no loss OF NE were the steamer supplied with
| RATS instead Of boats ,, o,.,, -,
rats as compared TO boats ana recallng tne ,a',
that they cannot swamp as p sc h M, , hc lash
ings OF liferafts be cast adrft speedily IN case
Of Disaster and should the vessel sink suuuani i
| through collision or other cause the raits Wouu
nor he carried down in the vortex as would be the
| fate of boats. on the sinking OF the battiesship
ho stS'I We're ayaed Of Had she supplied with
| inst Of
seems probable that much larger number OF neI
| crew would have been saved: when me V ,TI
settled rapidly by the head liferafts on her decks
| would have foated when the vessel went down, II
not caught in the rigging Boats uhdrr wn,,id
| conditions would have topp'eu over anu "''''
rherc are certainly great probabilities OF saving
| ton of RATS be substituted for the inefficient and
insufficient so-called lifeboats The many FIRST
class steamers that have disappeared at sea leaving
not a soul TO tell the tale show the w4r'hiesshrsS
| ~ tho boats as means of rescue. IL II an IN
.L,,.
was the Kearsarge and that others VIII go d9wn on
| ~ bIgh seas most frequently from collisions.
In either extremity boats will not enectlvey serve
| The purpose OF rescue. as IN the kearsaree uis,
s,ar an anparently very Indifferent means served
10 rescue the crew. 50. too ii,eraLts po.,'as
e co1ast,velv on the high seas.
"IIaving the pleasure of The ascanaintance or OK
| Senator George c. Perkins. OF California anu re-
| sem a,rg him as an exnerienced seaman. who has
| large interests in vessels on the PACING toas, /
| Ell The above beforc him as an expert In smch
.aat e He was good enough TO write me- The
| fo,lowine extracts are taken from MS letter;
AT 5eht OF gratitude is the lifesavng raft known
as the Ammen balsa: which has been ins.t
IN BY Constructing the cylinders OF alumni
| Nun al n moderate cost. II Will undouD,r.diN pe W
adopted by all rstcnss tb ebe Of Your Inclined
! chute or launching trough Tor slions t"e "a "a :
mi hat II will prove to be practical success
| WHEN a sailor boy, | have often seen schooleI
in heavy lower boat ron IN W., wa,sr whe
shin In the same sea lowering boat from her sde
davts almost sure 70 swamp rnf h Ice OF
~ ~ wesseI Every nautical or seagoing man under
stands the difficulty and danger attending t h NT s
Snat davis OF the vessel when she Is aboring In
the trough Of TIE possiby some slight improve
ments will in n great measure Overcome tn al,
danger II it does you Will WIN ne sra''uue Vi al
who take passage on the ocean,
no,r p,r,srD WITH TIE NEW TARIFF.