The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-05
IS EQUAL To FLYING.
A STEAMSHIP - 'Ht g THE Al.
IANfIC IN TuWrt DAYS.
A BATTERY Of ProprIlrrs -MnIeI shown
Thluy-Eight Hauticni Miles An
Hour-Euel.

The model of a steamship de-
signed to make thirty eight niuti-
cal miles an hour and to cross the
Atlantic in three days was exhibit
ed in the Maritime Exchange by
Richard painto'', the iIv,ntor of
the system of propulsion. 1t is
thus described in his own words.
my object in exhibiting here is
to form a stock company with a
paid in-capital of 5000, 900. The
model represents a vessel 636 feet
long, capable of carrying $500 pas
sengers, 400 officers and sailors,
5000 tons of coal, 400 tons of
freight, 400 tons of food for the
passengers and 800 tons Of food for
the crew.
81 gave the model a successful
trial before the board of naval CON
structors and engineers at Philadel-
phia, and l have the assurance of
Chief Engineer Melville OF the
Navy that my system of distrbut-
ing power and my patent propellers
will revolutionize the construction
of ocean going vessels. | will ex-
hibit the model before the House of
Representatives and the Senate
when Congress convenes in Deccm-
Der, and | will endeavor to have an
appropriation bill passed to build a
cruiser that will be superior TO any
thing that the naval powers Of the
world can show. The distribution
of power is the whole secret. We
have series Of from fourteen to
twenty propellers, four at the stern,
four at the bow aud from four to
eight on each side of the vessel.
They are all worked by independ-
ent motors, and vessel could be
propelled by any one of them.
Again the distribution of power
permits vessel to turn OH its own
axis. The engines are worked like
ordinary stationary engines ashore
The shafts that work the propellers
are from twelve to twenty feet in
length, and weigh from five to ten
tons each. AT present the shafts
of all ocean steamship are sixty
five feet long and weigh about sixty
tons. The four propellers on the
bows have two-fold duty. In the
first place they help to propel the
ship either forward, backward or
sideways, and in the second place
they keep the bow steady in rough
weather and save the strain on the
stern propellers. The motors are
not connected with each other.
They have capacity Of six and
one-eighth horse power, and can
work the propellers at an average
speed Of 1880 revolutions a minute.
Under the system the ship would
average thirty-eight knots an hour.
"a vessel propelled by such a
system would save fully 90 per
cent. in coal. Should some Of the
propellers become disabled, the
passengers would no, he subjected
to any worry or discomfort, as was
the case on La Gascogne last win
ter. / estimate the cost of passen-
ger steamer at about 81, 500, 600.
This would cover the st OF every
modern convenience.
THE secret of the alternating
propeller is this: The blades are
constructed like fish's tail. When
the blades strike the water they
present a great surface PERSISTENCE,
and when recovering they present
surface akin TO the edge of knife,
and by having two propellers in
succession the other takes up the
work that the first one cannot ac-
complish. No power is lost, and
no wash results from the whole SET
les of propellers.
THE whole system of propeliers
is worked by switchboard, which
is operated in the charthouse. Any
propeller can be run or stopped at
will, and in this way the captain is
independent of his officers or crew."
Go TO the Womapis EXchangc III