The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-05
WATER BRAKE FOR
FAST STEAMSHIPS.
Danger of Collision Les<ened by steel
Fins " hich stop Roadway
mt Once.

New York. July i.-Vhenever two bis
ships loom up suddenly out Of a dense fog
head-on collision is practically inevitable.
An! power that will interpose instant re-
sistance to such bodies. whose sides would
crumbie to pieces like eggshelis under the
headway that is gained, will be hailed as
a benefit to hurna nifty.
Just such a contribution to the humani-
tartan devices Of the age. 1t is claimed. is
Mr. Louis Laccste's remarkable folding fin
for breaking the speed of ships. A vessel
equipped with one of these machines can
defy all the most dangerous terrors Of the
water. The simplicity Of the continuance
is It's strongest reconn endation.
The water brake. for such 1t is. when
thrown open stops the ship at once. and
collision is averted. With one brake opened
and the other closed, a vessel can turn
within her own length. which Is another ad-
vantage worthy of consideration. These inns.
board side OF the ship. when not in operation
close like great steel blinds or shutters,
fitting snusly to the vessels SIDES hke iaps.
speed. When opened the interior OF the
vessel Is not thrown into any Infusion and
there are no jarsins ELS. Results
that vessel thus equipped may be prousnt
to a sudden stop in mere fraction of the
same effect by reversing the engines.
The advantage of such achievement In
averting collisions and other disasters Is
readily recognized. but heretofore the Idea
has been generally considered impracticable
by marine authorities. Conventional ensin-
GERS declared that the force OF the water
opened out at right angles to the ship either
they would be ripped from their hinges or
the sides of the vessel would be torn out
Experienced sailors have not hesitated to
prophesy that IL neither OF these things
happened the impact would be SO great
that people standing on the vessel YOU'D
Mr.. Lacoste entered upon the solution or
the important problem Of a marine brake
about four years , ago; Upon s ins erneris
ments he found that in most of the other
models. the fins were made to extend quite
a distance out from the ship and with 8
comparatively little depth When thrown
suddenly back from their supports By tina
rush of water they were either broken In
This defect he renedied in two ways. by
Ing It the full depth Of the hull below the
dr a.sn hn cy.nde a ~ Havns Experimental
with miniature boats carefully and scientf-
ically. Mr. Lacoste succeeded In obtaining
what he believed to be a satisfactory model
Having taken the necessary steps to secure
patent rights. he laid his plans before the
Israel Taf!s sss tnsh
to allow him the use Of the government
steamer Eureka for experimental purposes
land as some e ten Years ago. ice feet in length
p feet beam. with tonnage Of 200 feet She
draws 12l1 feet Of water. and is capable OF
was put in position at Cantin's dock; at
| Montreal. and the inventor proceeded to
equip her with the newly eontrtyed mec nan
were made of three-eighth-inch steel boiler
plate. Each was hung on six heavy hinges.
and each the r fa ed With vi Ve %
| cylinders, with a resistance Of thirty tons
| apiece. These permitted the I'm to open
| it rested on a si1-inch water cushion: The
| free end of the fin is locked to the vessels
side by row Of steel pronEs;s or nn ag.,,I.
wheelhouse, throw the fin out eight inches
from the side, Of the boat. where the water
| The manipulation Of the mechanism IS
simple in the extreme. The whole Is con-
within easy reach Of the helrnsman. By
| pulling either of the outer ones he can open
| one or the other; port or starooard: OF the
more quickly than would be possible BY the
| use Of the rudder. The fitting up OF the
is- Ta o 6a at in
the canal. thorough trial was made IN the
harbor. The results Of the tests were con.
| the rate of eleven miles an hour. py open
| ing the fins and stopping the engines. the
| Roadway Of the vessel was checked IN ns
! own length and, when the engines we're re-
| versed In even less Yet not the slightest
| lar was felt by persons standing on the ves-
| sol. When only one fin was opened the YES
sei rvuns around almost on its axis. . feat
| which would be most valuable where a boat
| was about to run on rock or into another
| craft.
| As collisions are often question OF sec
onds this device is most important one.
In the wreck of the Scotsman. several Years
minutes elapsed between the time the Cap
tair saw the breakers ahead and the mo.
! rrlent the vessel struck. AS a matter OF
fact an ocean liner can scarcely be stopped.
ii is said by the methods now in use IN less
than one or two miles. whereas there IN rea
son to believe that with fin brake II could
be stopped within its own length. The de-
| vice ought also to be most valuable one
in the nnaneuyering OF men-of-war, and II
Could be so placed as to be flush with the
aide of the vessel when closed and thus all
extra friction would be avoided