The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-03-06
WHALEBA CKS As WAR VESSELS.
I-auirie- Into the Possibilities Of the whale.
back Steamer. for Naval Purposes.

I-auirie- Iato the PossIbiutie, Of the whale
back Steamers for Naval Purposes.
WASHINGTON. March q Tho recent appoint
ment by Secretary Herbert OF Lieutenant
Commander Charles \. Sperry. Assistant
Naval Constructor Hlbbs and Assistant En-
gineer White as Commission to ex-
anime and report upon the vessels OF the
whaleback type. Is due no doubt to the
interest felt In this principle OF construction
which. as applied to vessels In use upon the
lakes and also upon the ocean. has already sx-
cited much attention. The invention OF the
whaleback steamer is commonly credited to
Capt. Alexander McDougall. a Scotchman. In
u papsr read before the Institution OF Naval
Engineers by Mr.. Goodall an English enRi-
neer. the writer held that our lake whaleback.
OF the type represented by the Wetmore. is not
suitable or efficient for commercial purposes
on the high seas. But the same authority saw
no reason why adequate i'm DIT ovemsnts should
not be made. which would enable such vessels
TO be as useful for ocean as for lake nAyiga-
ton. and he expected the time to come when
the whalsIark steamer thus improved for sea
voyages will be Englands great cargo boat
The Wetmore thus referred to. is the vessel
that created a sensation by q voyage to Eng
land aud back. She reached that country after
a rough summer passage loaded with grain to
her full capacity of 5000 tons. All her coal.
amounting to U;IO tons. was carried on deck.
and her average consumption was only about
twelve tons day
Cur naval authorities take good care to In
form themselves Of what is going on In the
mercantile marine. and to get such hints IS
may be OF value to war vessels, OF course. II
is not expected that the whaleback system
will supersede ordinary construction for war
purposes. any more than 1t is expected that
monitors will dlsplacs battle ships OF higher
fresboard. But, perhaps. they might have .
value for specia requirements, as monitors
have n our naval system Indeed. tho parallel
between the monitor and the whAleGack ideas
has Usen effectively nointsd out,
one mnrked dlsadvnntaGe OF this type OF
construction Is It's very small surplus buoy
HneY. az course. with greater reserve OF
things being equal. lt>would appear, also.
that in the Whalei ack, aS In the monitor. there
voyage and OF course that Is an important
consideration, lnasmuch as SO large pant OF
= war vessels career, ordinarily speaking. 10
in time Of peace. Nhen the Wetmors went to
England the critics were wondering how the
crow could get to their sleeping quarters In
heaVI gale having 10 c, oss distance OF about
2u0 feet where there was u cieAn sweep
except for a light wire rail There is no DOUBT
that the ordinary type OF vessel gives far
more comfortable sea quarters. As Ia the
laeE oi lnasts ant sails, that T. no logger an
W by nigh ireehOard hath. ships.
The Advantages claimed fer the whalebacE
steamer were lescIiLsd 10y the authoTity az
increased STABILITY aud Tedlees the danger OF
the cargo shifting to a minimum. The saving
In weight ut material ~ apparent. and whale
back steamers 81 given dead weight capacity
may be built With considerably lighter scAnt-
llnRs than he tramp steamer OF the present
day. Inc whIleuUck steamers present less
surface 70 the water. are generally very easy
at sea, and the waves seldom break over them
Another very great advantage il that the en-
ginss are invariably placed att thus re-
leasing the portion Of the vessel best
gain is also made in speed b.
reducing the air surface above the water. and
there Is much less wave resistance" OF course
some OF those advantages are TO be considered
only in reference 10 commercial YesselA On
the other hand. such matters mounting a
heavy battery on whaleback aud using il in a
sea way though Of prime consequence 10 the
war vessel are Of none at all 10 the freighting
steamer Que IustltlcGtiOh Of the inquiries
maas ~ the Ommissio may he found in the
possibilities OF turning tho lake whalebAek
steamers into auxiliary war yesAels In time OF
need. IL IS understood that this. in fact Is u
leading point IN the present inquiry. noted
builder Of WhAlebaeks has consulted with Sec
TstATy Herbert on the subject II 10 Also
thought POSSIBLE that the principle would Be
Of value for coast defence. As such vessels can
be built quickly aud At comparatively small
cost and might be Of value IS rams while with
their denseted sldss thsy would present 4
more dinieult tsrast fer hostile khet.