The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-02-17
1T TRAVELS ON LAND.
A QUEER STEAMER TO BE
FOUND IN DENMARK.
Il Runs on Two Lakes and tho Isthmus
netween Passengers DO not Dlsen-
bark Principle OF the Boat--Two
Illustrations.

Strand Magazine: This might be called
the crocodile Of boats. for she seems as
much at home on land as In water. She
comes mp out Of the water. as shown In
the first Illustration, crosses narrow
strip OF land on a little railway. and
descends into the wafer again with at
most grace OF notion During her
short career Of three summers. she has
safely carried over forty thousand peo-
pie, most Of whom have been intensely
attracted by the novelty OF the thing
For the Swan is. ! believe. the only
boat Of her kind in the world.
To see her. you must go TO Denmark.
a half-hour by rail- northward from Co
penhagen will bring YOU 10 little Wiz
lage named Lyngby, which lies on the
edge Of one Of three beautiful lakes.
These are greatly beloved hy the ca.
pcnhagonitos, who use them Tor recrcl-
ton. The likeness Is even more evil
dent after you have boarded one Of the
| little steam launches which ply from
Lyngby 10 Frederiksdal across Lake
Lyngby for this launch. sometimes
with two or three crowded and stocky
harges IN tow. soon enters a pretty lit
tie creek which winds and twists like
the upper reaches OF the Thames The
trip TO Frederlksdal takes about half
an hour and costs half kroner
slightly more than sixpcncc As the
amphlbious boat lies by the landing.
stage AZ Fredcriksdal ready 10 take her
passengers on board. she looks much
the same as other boats. H. for a mo-
ment, We may call attention 10 the
Swan dlscharglng her passengers at
Froderiksdal We may note this SINH
larity, except that the Swan Is slightly
broader with her lines full fore and
aft. In order 20 allow a framework for
tho wheels Wheols2 Yes. most GER
tainly, Tor how else could she 90 over
the rails on the Fiskcbaok. ont Of the
water and In again? u ls In regard to
the double Use Of wheels and propeller
that the Swan Is unique. and n little
technical language is pardoned, the
construction may be- easily explained
There II plenty Of time to do H.. for the
boat o. now on her way across Lake
Fure- or. as the Danish call Il. the
Fure So and Il will be over an hour
before she rides on the railway al
Fiskebaek The boat. then. % iG feet
long. 3 feet inches beam. ana draws
feet to "a feet Of water. according
20 the load Seventy passengers can
be comfortably carried. and. az pinch.
she will take eighty-four. with a full
load she weighs % tons. and when emp
~ III tons Parallel with the pro.
peller shaft is another shaft. one end Of
which runs 20 within 10 feet OF the bow
and these two shafts are connected
with each other by chain gearing. like
the two wheels OF a bicycle. The end
Of the second shaft Is connected near
the bow hy beyel gears. 20 little shaft
At right angles. and on this shaft are
keyed the two little wheels which carry
the boat across the rails. Another pair
D
lance from the stern, but these are not
driven. These are used 10 keep the
boat on the rails. and. with the help Of
a brake. from going into the water too
quickly. The wheels are about IS
inches In diameter, and carry two
nanges. the bearing surface being q llt-
de wider than the rails upon which they
run. So much for the heavy dcscrip-
ton. Il Is, however. always necessary
although I daresay that two-ihIrds ri
the 10000 people who have sailed In
the swan have thought oi little else
except the mere fact that they we're
sailing In a boat on wheels The In
terest OF tho passengers In this more
fact" is always shown as the Swan ap-
proaches the end 81 her trip across tho
Fure So. They crowd 10 the bow. cx-
pecting every moment 10 see the bow
rising out Of the water. as II % we're a
whale that had suddenly decided N
come 10 the surface but the trick Is
not done with sky-rocket quickness
Instead. the boat gradually noars the
shore. where a little dock has been con-
structcd OF piles ammod down into the
mus u Is a N-shaped arrangement
tapcrcd down until % b only two inches
wider than the boat az its widest part.
/ That is 20 say. there remains but one
inch on each side Of the parallel cleats
or fillets which run along the side OF
the boat As the boat 0ts tightly. there
Is no chance for 10 % wobhle. and pas
sengors are much safer on 10 than they
would be- on bus or an electric car.
When the narrowcst part ~ this V
shaped dock Is reached. the swan en-
tors a small parallel dock Of equal
width. and moves onward slowly until
the front wheels on the keel touch the
rails, which, for this purpose. have been
extended some distance az a gradient ~
/ / To- go below the water Al th..
time, Of course the propeller has beer
at work showing the boat onward. AM
% keeps throwing ont q circular column
Of beautiful spray until the boat 70
completely ont Of the water. aud bas
begun Dos trip across thD Fiskobaek
TO see thc screw whiting around iu tbt
air like "a Holland windmill always
uckles The crowd on board, who. az The
risk OF losing their precious noses. pat
their heads over the stern of The boa,
20 see the circus underneath The rear
wheels End their way naturally TO tho
rails aud the Swan rests as steadily
and prcltily ON the land as q real swan
rests on water