The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-06
VESSELS PROPELLED by WAVES.
So Long as They Roll in Sea They
VIII Keep Going Ahead.

So Long as They Roll in "a Sea They
VIII Keep Going Ahead.
From the New Orleans Tines Democrat.
An interesting test OF the invention of
a New Orleans man was Witnessed at the
Southern Yacht Club yesterday. The in
ventor is Capt. John S. Waters. His in
vention, which is fully covered by pat
ents In this country and abroad Is sim
pie apparatus for utilizing the force of tho
waves to propel a vessel, and 1t proved
yesterday that 1t is entirely feasible TO
take advantage of this power. The small
boat built by the inventor to demonstrate
his principle was driven in any desired
direction without any other motive power
whatever.
1T Is the fact that a vessel equipped
with this apparatus may be headed in
any direction, Irrespective of the direc-
ton of the wind, which makes 1t partic-
ularly advantageous" said Capt. Wat
tiers yesterday. For a vessel so equipped
will travel directly against the wind, and
thus may be worked on lee shore
where nine-tenths or more OF all sailing
ships come TO grief All nautical men will
fully appreciate the value OF such an in
vention, for a lee shore is veritabls
sailors nightmare. Not only this but
where a light head wind or calm is en-
countered on the ocean, the ocean swell
will enable a sailing vessel to continue on
her course at a fair speed, instead OF
wasting time in lacking or lying dead IN
the water"
Capt. Waters says that the application
Of this invention to vessels rs not at all
complicated nor expensive. 1t is we'll
known that many ships are now provided
with bige keels, the function Of which
Is to steady the ship or retard the roll
ing. Capt. Walters plan is to substitute
for these solid bilge keels others which
contain square apertures, and in each
aperture firmly secure by its forward end
FIN, made Of ANIMATED spring material.
preferably steel ON a steel ship and brass
on a wooden or coppered vessel. These
fms fill up the apertures almost complete
ly, and, when the ship Is steady, offer
very little, II any, more resistance to
headway than such as is due to a plain
bilge keel-merely skin friction. As soon,
however. as the vessel rolls, the pressure
OF the water itself, impinging upon the
fins broadside-on or at right angles to
their length. springs all of the fins out,
and thus defects the water aft, necessar-
lily. by reaction, forcing the vessel ahead.
As she rolls one way, they all spring
out with the water pressure to one side;
as she rolls the other way, they spring
out the other side; returning to their
amidship position as soon as the roll
ceases, which OF course removes the
pressure. 1T Is an application OF the tur-
bine principle virtually" said Capt Wa
tiers yesterday. and it may be best I'M
derstood as being the exact manner In
hich a fish propels itself In fact, il
was from the tail of fish that | con-
ceived the idea"
Capt. Waters believes that the appli-
cation of this apparatus to sailing vessels
win increase their average speed not less
than 20 per cent. and will give even bet
ter results II applied to barges on the
Great Lakes. A tow OF barges so equipped
will virtually be tow in which each
barge has its own motive power and at
such times as the water Is very rough,
where now progress Is particularly slow,
the fms will be doing all the better. he
also believes that II applied to liRhtships
II will not only relieve the great strain
upon their moorings occasioned now by
the Jerks upon the chains when the YES
sci is pitched in heavy sea, but should
the ship break away win AFFORD a means
OF navigating her to port In safety
The speed Of the small boat which was
tested yesterday, when running with the
wind abeam, on which course Il Is OBJ
vious that no force whatever outside OF
the work OF the ms could be driving her
ahead. was about three miles an hour.
On larger boat, out In the ocean, whore
the waves are vastly more powerful than
Ia Lake Pontchartrnin. the Captain said
there was no doubt that greater speed
could easily be obtained.