The San Francisco call., 1897-01-31
HTS Invention for Rough-Water Paddle-Wheel Steamer.

force of the blades striking the surface of
the water caused an awful iarring all
through the ship, and has been known to
start plate in iron vessels. AS conse-
quence, the paddle-wheel has been prac-
tically abandoned for ocean vessels. al
though the steamers that run from New
Y ork to Boston are built this way. They
are classed among the fastest vessels in
the world, and are said to be very
economical, so that passengers are carried
at astonishingly low rates. But most of
their run is through Long Island Sound,
and they do not get very much rough
water.
1t was a consideration of these fact
that led W. Wright, at present engaged
in mining about eighteen miles from Red
ding, to make some Investigations with
submerged paddle-wheel. He has been
working on it for year or more, and at
present has working model that de-
velops great speed and seems to be free
from the objections of the ordinary
method of paddle propulsion.
MIR. Wright was in the City few DAYS
ago and kindly made drawings and gave
description of his vessel.
''When | began to study the matter"
said Mr.. Wright, II first figured on sub
merging a paddle wheel without any
covering. What was the result2 When it
revolved the upper blades pushed back
equally as the bottom blades pushed for
ward. Consequently there was no force
developed either one way or the other. 1t
was balance.
'Then it struck me that if one half of
the wheel was covered the projecting
blades on being revolved would exert
force in a certain direction sufficient to
move tie covering through the water.
tried this, but met several difficulties.
But think 1 have overcome them all, as
my model will show.
my first work, " Mr.. Wright continued,
twas to make sma II vessel of tin and fit
it with a propeller-wheel operated by a
spring motor. l was. careful in building
the wheels on the most approved lines
and made several until 1 felt sure that
had obtained all the speed the spring
motor would develop this way.
81 then fitted the same tin vessel with
the submerged paddle-wheelsa and operated
them by the same spring motor. had
| four paddles and the connections were
| crude, but on the first trial it developed
twice the speed of the propeller. And as
far as can see there is no reason why the
same result should not be obtained on
| large vessel. There is no more jar to the
model than with the propeIler-wheel and
l found it almost Impossible, by stirring
the water in the tank, to get any of the
paddle out of water. To develop speed in
vessel of certain szeit is only necessary
to displace q certain amount of water in
certain time. 1t makes no difference how
| it is done.
zone of the points of my invention 10
the construction of the paddle-wheel.
When at rest the covering or paddle box
naturally fills with water, and to start the
wheel would naturally cause vacuum to
form and consequently great pressure on
the outside of the box. l have overcome
this by having pipe lead to point above
the water line. Another idea of mine to
have the box free from water so there will
be no waste of power, is to make the
paddles slightly curved and placed at a
| tangent to the arc of the wheel. This
will cause the centrifugal force TO throw
the water from the center. When the
! blade leaves the box and strikes fresh
| solid water in front it is submerged 10 the
! hub, but by the time it is ready to enter
the box again it is almost free of water.
"ln large vessel the paddle wheels
could be cast of single piece of bronze
and the sponsors made the same way.
NY idea is to have them like the half of
one side of a canteen, fastened TO the ves-
sers side so as to cause little resistance.
The shape of the vessel could be the same
as at present, but of course there would
have to be a little difference in the wharf
where she landed, in order to protect her
wheels.
.Of course I only look upon my inven-
ton as an experiment and have not con-
s:dered the style of engines to be used or
the means of coupling them if such is de-
sirable. But do think that have prin-
ciple that can be practically applied to-
ward increasing the speed of ocean steam
ers. l am thinking of constructing a
working model about twenty feet long.
and should that prove successful have
no fear about getting my invention
adopted generally"