The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-09


interior Of the revolving cylinder over
head. Light and air are freely admitted
at the open ends. Only the ends Of the
cradle are, of course, in the least exposed
10 the sea and weather, and the fact that
the bottom of the suspended section OF the
boat Is nigh above the reach Of the fiercest
storm waves is calculated 10 inspire in the
future passengers OF this craft feeling OF
complete security. As there will be no
swaying or pitching motion the inventor
promises entire exemption from sea-sick-
ness. Rocking or swaying spreven;ed by
the perfect equilibrium OF tha suspended
body and the great length of the craft. TO
gether with the fact that it rolls over the
water ''broadside on" allows little oppor-
tunity for end 70 end pitching.
The problem of speed which the roller
boat viii be able 10 show Is an interesting
one. certain to provoke a wide range of
comment from nautical men and engineers.
Regarding this point the inventor says;
eff the freight boat which we shall put
into commission next summer, fer the ore
ald grain traffic of the great lakes. rlakes
no better speed than did my first crude
working model it viii outclass all competi-
ton on the part of the swiftest freighters
now no the inland seas. That model was
10 feet long and - feet in diameter. Load
ed 10 100 tons displacement she revolved
ten and one nalf-times minute on the ap-
plication Of less than twenty-horse power
of steam. This gave her steady speed
Of SIX miles an hour. The roller boat for
ocean traffic will be 500 feet long and 200
feet in diameter. On the basis of what
has already been done with the model in
Toronto Bay. operating under an insight
fcant expenditure of power I think it may
be reasonably granted that adequate en-
gines will be able 10 turn the ocean boats
thirteen times a minute. That means a
speed of one hundred miles an hour.
Il have constantly to meet the objection
that the roller boat cannot make progress
against a gale. This point is raised by en-
gineers who are willing 10 grant that the
boat will be able easily 10 attain speed of
a hundred miles an hour in still water. m
answer to this I have only to say that if
the boat can go mile a minute it can
keep out Of the face of any gale, for storms
travel in the forms of a progressive circle
With such a speed as that under discussion
the boat can so quickly shift her course
as to put the wind at her back and get
where the opposing current Of the gale can
not overtaka her. However. I take the posi-
ton that no wind can ever stop the roller
boat. because the greatest wind resistance
the big ocean roller can possibly encounter
is 800 or coo tons. this cannot have any ap-
probable effect in overcoming the momen-
tum of rolling cylinder weighing 25. 900
tons. The lesser power must give way TO
the greater.
"And right mere some engineers will ex-
claim that this conclusion is contrary TO
'well-est blished scientific principles: that
momentum is not a force not an energy;
that the engines of the boat must exert
sufficient steam power TO overcome the re-
sistance of the wind independent of mo-
mentum. This is answered by simple il
lustration, the basic facts Of which no
well-informed engineer yill dispute. An or
binary locomotive developing a speed of
mile a minute is mounted on Holman
trucks and thereby increase its speed TO
two miles a minute, meeting a wind re-
sistance of more than 5000 horsepower
while actually exerting only 100 horse
power of steam force.
In this operation the engine does not
its piston speed. While ats drivers
are at work at the rate of a mile minute,
the geared trucks increase its actual speed
on the track to two miles minute. This
means a tremendous increase Of wind re-
sistance without any increase of steam
power. Now what force is it that enables
]. 800 horsepower of steam to overcome 1900
horsepower of wind resistance? There is
but one answer: Momentum-the inertia
of motion maintained by the continuity Of
of the initial steam power.
THE broad and really scientific engin-
eer invariably accepts this illustration at
its full face value. II is only the theor-
etical rue-of-thumb man who fails 10 rec
ognize its force. And this observation APP
niles to every principle involved in the con-
struction and operation of the roller boat.
There are two or three simple and funda-
principles which help 10 make clear
the point Of difference between the pre-
sent type of ship and the roller boat. so
far as the problem of speed is concerned.
The present ship is a huge plow. the larg-
est portion of which must be submerged
in order to prevent it from being over
turned It's progress is made by forcing
its way through an incompressible fluid,
the resistance Of which Increases as the
cube Of the velocity up 10 a speed OF
twenty knots an hour. and beyond that the
ratio Of the increase is unknown. II Is
question of brute force of engine power
working against the force Of nature.
ION the other hand the roller boat re-
verses the operation and works with ma
lures forces. Direct water resistance and
skin friction are its friends which help
instead Of hinder its progress. furnishing
the leverage necessary 70 produce the for
ward movement. Without the water resis-
lance which the Trails on the exterior Of
he roller meet the cylinder would simply
roll over and over without any forward
movement. The stronger the resistance
the more easy and rapid its progress
Then the greater the speed OF the roller
me less viii be the drsughe- A. very nigh
speed il viii be practically il The position
q a broad wheel rolling on Level surface
The weight II the big ocean vessel VII
De 1000 tons. and Il Viii require eco t0ns
= cargo 10 put Il twelve fe@t down In the
water. It's displacement as fro. sh,eT VIII
- 50 grea- that when it .s drawing thirty
&c. u water II viii be Carrying 5l.ge tons
y cargo. On the some drsuEht AS The lake
-essels passing through the 500 the rol-
or boat viii carry a cargo three times
greater. Il should re remembered that
he interior circle ~ air-tight compart-
rents in -1e cylinder may Be used f0r
arriving many kinds 81 freight. Ike cosl
rain and ore. - long as the cargo 81
his character IS equally distributed j. VIII
.o- interfere with the proper scti1n % the
-...s-- --.s.l-L III 1910 =. IL tl-res Z.