The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-05

Barrier by Powerful Engines, nnt
Their Weight brushes It-steamins
Through Mixed Ice Twenty-Five Fee
Thick--An Amer lean idea.
At this season of the year there is put
In commission the most remarkable
feet of vessels in the world, for now
pn the great lakes in America, in the
Baltic sea and on Lake Baikal, in Sibe-
ria, the great ice breakers begin their
annual winter battle to keep oper
paths of commerce through the frozen
seas. The thorough test which VIII be
made of the ice erusher in Lake Baikal
Is of unusual Importance. Half way
across Siberia, right in the path of the
trans-Siberian railway, lies the lake
which has presented SO many problems
to the Russian engineers. To build the
railway around the lower end Of the
lake would necessitate a detour of ane
hundred and fifty miles through such
difficult country that the cost would
be enormous. So, temporarily at least,
the Russians decided upon a ferry
across the lake. But the lake freezes
til the end of April, so no ordinary fer
ryboat would do for winter traffic. 1t
was first proposed to lay rails across
the ice for the winter traffic, but, TAX
Ing leaf from the experience OF the
Americans on the Great Lakes, and
awaiting themselves Of the ideas in
shipbuilding which have proved so sue
cessful In ice fighting on our great in
land seas, 1T was finally decided to build
a ferryboat that could defy the ele-
ments and run all the year around So
the great steam ice crushing ferryboat
BailSal was built at Newcastle-on-Tyne
carried out to Siberia in sections, put
together on the shores of the lake. and
there launched.
The Baikal is built on the principle
Of the ice crushers of the Great Lakes.
1t does not try to batter it's way
through the frozen mass, but climbs up
ON it and brushes it through sheer
weight This work is made easier for
1t by a screw under it's shelving bow,
which screw, revolving in a reverse d.
rection from the stern screws which
push it ahead sucks out the water from
under the ice and weakens it's support.
This is purely Yankee idea. The first
time boat was ever built on this prin-
ciple was when, some years ago, the
Algoma was built to run in the winter
time across the straits of Mackinac.
These straits separate the two PENN
sulas which form the state of Michigan,
and in summer their waters laugh In
the sunshine to the delight of the tour
LIST, but in winter the nine miles of wa
ter between the two peninsulas be-
com bridged over with ice, sometimes
six feet thick, which occasionally piles
up in great "winrows."
The Algoma was the result of a study
Of the difficulties to be overcome and of
the demonstrated fact that the old style
of ice breaking, by ramming the frozen
surface of the water with sharp-bowed
ships was failure. A railroad has
been built coming down to the shore on
either side of the Straits of Macknnac,
and the two sections Of that railroad
must be Joined together So Yankee
ingenuity stepped in and Joined them
by building the Algoma, the first vessel
Of it's kind ever launched and the pro-
totype of all the ice crushers both in
this country and in Europe and Asia.
It's bows were cut away, giving it an
enormous overhang forward in proper
ton to it's size, and two screws were
placed in it's stern for driving it. The
mendous engine power for so small
boat was given to It. Probably no
boat of it's size at the time it was built
had such great engine power. AL
though the Algoma was too small to do
the work for which 1t had been built, it
demonstrated that it was built on the
proper principles and larger boats were
constructed to take it's place, and in
them was placed the toward screw.
The Algoma was of only five hum
bred tons burden, and it's engines de-
veloped two thousand horse power.
The great Baikal, which this winter
will crash through the ice of the lake
from which 1t is named, is of four thou
sand tons burden, and it's engines are
of $3.50 horse power 1t is of great
weight itself and carries a passenger
train and two freight trains upon it's
deck So 1t will be seen that at least
1t does not possess the defect of the
first vessel Of its kind, the Algoma, in
being too light Though the Baikal has
been tested to some extent, this winter |
will be it's real trial, and if it is sue
cess another similar boat will be built. !
Otherwise the breaking down of the |
Baikal would stop all traffic on the |
Trans-Siberian railway beyond the
lake. Just now, when Russia has a
great army In China, on the Chinese |
border and in Manchuria it is of es-
pecial Importance to her that the !
Trans Siberian railroad should BE- kept |
open. Therefore the Baikal looms into |
an added Importance It's success or
failure will decide whether it will be
necessary to build the long and expen-
sive branch south of the lake or not,
and upon its accomplishing the work |
assigned to it this winter and not |
breaking down will depend largely the
question of Russia being able to reen-
force her troops in the east should ne
ceesity arise for doing so, and the facil-
ity with which she can supply those al
ready there with food ammunition, |
clothing &c. A good deal depends
upon the giant son of the old Algoma
this winter. A reason for being hope
full Of the success of the Baikal is found
in the success of the Russian Ice crush
ing steamer Ermack, built by the same
which built the Baikal, and
in it's hull the same princi-
pies of construction When the ice
fleet of the Great Lakes built
on the Algoma principle, became an as
sured success, Russian naval officers
wore ot opoe sent over here TO study