Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-12
AN UP-TO-DATE LIGHTSHIP,
To BE Used on the Wild Waters on IN e
North Pacific Coast.

FROM the Morning Oregonan.
When completed, which will be early
next fall, there will not be a Iightship in
the world, that we know of, that will COM
pare with No. Ga, the one now building in
this city in John Steffens yards"
The foregoing was the summary Of a talk
given by Experimenting Engineer Walfrid
Sylven of the United States light house
service, who is here to superintend the con-
struction of the boat. Mr. Sylven is a
graduate from the Royal Naval College Of
Sweden. and. has been employed by the
United States government since 1885.
This ship will lie more complete than
any yet built" he continued, embracing
the latest modern devices and improve
ments, and it will not be surpassed in point
of general construction. details, safety, eff
cheney and comfort to officers and crew She
will be ll2 feet long by 2Sl5 beam, while her
draught will be from L. 10 13 feet. She
will be what is called a composite-that is
TO say, steel and wood. The frame, the
keelplate, the sheerstrake and bilge are
constructed of steel plates; the plating is
connected by diagonal plates running out
side of the frame proper and riyeted there
to. The deck framing is also steel with
! steel stringers and steel tie plates This
construction provides the necessary.
strength required to withstand the longi-
tudinal, thu transverse and the twisting
| movements to which a ship is subjected
When all this is done, it remains only
to so cover This steel construction as TO
make the ship water-tight. If this were
done by means of iron or steel plates, the
consequence would be that her bottom
would soon foul and a corrosion of her
steel plating would commence. This would
necessitate frequent docking. and the con-
seQuent absence of The ship from her sta
ton, to say nothing of the cost consequent
TO her removal, docking, painting, &c To
avoid all this, the vessel will be covered
over by planking, which will afterWard be
coppered. This is rendered necessary from
the fact that a combination of copper, iron
or steel and salt water will set up an eN-
tremely powerful galvanizing action by
which the iron will be destroyed and re-
duced to a substance not unlike a sponge
This planking is built in the following
manner: First, there is an inner planking
of four inches fastened to the steel huh nv
galvanized bolts and washers. These bolts
are sunk into the four-inch planking and
plugged over. A layer of felt will then be
put on top of the four-inch planking, and
outside of this there will be another layer
of oak planking IL inches in thickness.
this latter being fastened to the inside
planking by composite nails, and this oak
planking is then sheeted with copper plates
OF about thirty Eight ounces to the square
foot Thus it will be seen that while the
hull can be effectually protected by the
copper from all fouling, yet the galvanic
action has become an impossibility.
THE vessel will be fitted with a propeller
engine capable of driving her at a speed of
nine miles an hour. Thus fitted, when at
her station on Umatilla reef, il will be
possible in heavy seas or storms for her TO
reneVe the immense strain on her anchor
chains by starting her engines and going
ahead slowly. Now, should it ever become
necessary for her to abandon her station
by reason of the extreme severity of a
storm, by means of her powerful steam
windlass she will be able to take I'D her
5,op-round anchor and chain in less than
half an hour, and proceed on her own
steam for the nearest port, ready to go
back to her station as soon as the weather
viii permit. She will, therefore not need
a steamer to tow her either to her station
or back, and she will be in condition TO
take care Of herself under all circum-
stances.
Her fog signal Will he feature 1t will
be Pinch whistle Of the chime class
giving the first, third and fifth notes In the
scale. This whistle will be adjusted so as
to blow either by steam or compressed air
and the plants for this purpose will be du-
plicated.-
Another pleasing feature will be that
the living quarters will be located on the
| main deck, instead of below as usual
which will give light and airy rooms for
| officers and crew, who will number about
fourteen men,"