The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-14

Borrowed From The Experiments Ol
the United States and Other
Countries.

wv" "'NhlNh w Incorporating IN
prominen, ideas which prevailed Ia III
Russian yacht LlvldiA-
The Llvldia was built In Scotland 10
the Imperial Russian household. A
the prince who was most directly In
terehicd In that craft was easily rsn
dered acaslek. II was ordcrcd that IN
Lvidla should bo built 90 as 10 posses
the maximum degree OF ateadinens
Everything was sacrificed TO comfort.
Tho principal dlmenRiona OF the Livl
dla were. Length, 100 feet, beam. IL
feeL and extrcme draugh,. about /.
feet The hull proper rcsombled az
oval Around this oval was bulk 4
'eoterdam. which was secured 10 N,
"'r' hun After the coffcrdam hat
been placed the whole was inclosed
with Shcathlng.
The kldea of tho Llvidla rose 10 q
height OF twenty fvut above tho water
On the upper deck was built super
structure In salient form, Powerful
engines were lifted. and deapite tho
oval shape Of tho hun the under water
lines had been 10 well laid on that a
speed Of IS knots an hour was actually
obtained
The light draught Of the Llvldla was
assured by tho great beam Of the craft,
supported by the additional fiotation
power Of the ooffcrdam. This Golfer
dam was divided into longitudinal and
athwartahlp compartments and had a
width at the widest part Of fifteen
fcot.
No sIoros or weights OF any kind
were carried In the coffcrdam. The out.
side shell, as II might be termed. serv.
cd wholly TO break the force OF the
waves and TO Tighten and steady the
ship Even with the eofterdam pierced
and with every ccll filled with water,
the draught OF the Lividia II increased
only twenty-five inches. while M the
same time the ship 10 rendered stca-
dler.
The LlvidIa encountered terrible
storm In the Bay OF Biscay while en-
route from BTsst to Ferrol. The
Rtcadlncss, Of the ship was remarkable.
The greatest angle OF roll recorded was
four degrees, and the grcatest angle
pitch Ave degrscs This ls trlnlng
when compared with the thirty degrees
angle OF roll each way from the ver-
tlcRl which has frequently been record
ed on naval ships During the block
adc OF Havana " was n common sight
TO see the small gun vessels during
the prevalence OF fresh trade blow
rolling, many OF them. from twenty 10
thirty degrees from the vertical
In point OF steadinesa and seaworthi-
ness the Iivldla demonstrated that abe
was remarkable craft. The exper-
ienee gained in the Bay OF Biscay storm
taught the value OF the cofferdam ar
rangemcnt. while additional ideas were
CLEANED AZ TO the best methods for .se-
curing to the hull proper the outside
protection.
In the new British battleshlp the de-
signs, II is said, first call for a hull
proper with very pronounced sloping
sides Around this hull will be placed
coTerdam construction. reaching
from well below ;he water to the level
OF the main deck.
The coEerdam Is expected to serve
the same as would pontoons II lashed
alongside, When vessels draught In
to great to permit her crossing a bar
or shallow spot a common recourse Is
10 lash pontoons alongside flied with !
water When firmly secured the pom
1oons are pumped out and the addition
al hotatlon power causes the vessel
to rise In the water
A vessels draught is lessened when
the beam ls increased. In their new
design the British architects have built
vessel proper according to standard
rules, though with perhaps more slope
to the sides than would be the case
were no outside hull provided. The
steadlness Of the ship has been In
creased by building a jog in the under |
water huh on each side. which serves
the same purpose as bilge keels. A
bilge keel, It should be known, acts
as q steadylng power much the same
AZ n balance pole does for the tight
rope walker
In adopting the "break-ln-the-hulr'
feature the English designers have ap-
proprIated an essential American idea
II was Ericsson, the inventor Of the
Monitor, who originally Incorporated
projecting overhang to q hull in or
der to secure greater righting qualities.
Tn the Inflated British warship Captain
lthe English designers attempted a low
vreeboard vessel without an overhang,
Ind with the result that that ship
numbered at sea. Where there Is no
1erhang stability is secured by build
liz high sides.
higb-slded ship, which is further
mae steady by reason OF bilge keels,
possesses the advantage of carrying
her attery well above an ordinary sea.
In allow freeboard vessel of quick
move,ent It might often happen that
the gss could not be worked in even