Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05
ADDITION TO FLEET
GOVERNMENT VESSEL PoNToN-
TER TO ARRIVE TOMORROW.
Will Attract Attention by Reason Of
Novel Construction-Built
in Sections.

The fleet of government vessels on the
Potomac at Washington will receive an ad-
dition tomorrow in the shape of the new
sectional steamer Pontonier. BY reason Of
its novel construction this vessel will I'M
doubtedly attract unusual attention in 10 cal
shipping circles. This vessel was designed
by eng.ne officers of the army for use in
connection with the army transport service
in foreign waters. The experience of the
army in Cuba, during the Spanish war.
demonstrated the necessity for better facil-
tiles than were then available for the
prompt handling of men, provisions and
munitions Of war; from the Big army trans
ports. where the landing facilities are in
adequate. A craft built in sections. capa-
BILE of easy transportation on large
steamer. and readily assembled when
af1oat, was decided upon, and the contract
for its construction given to the Gas En-
CINE and Power Company and Seabury Il
Co: Of Morris Heights, N. Y. That COM
pany has already constructed several veS-
sells for the navy.
The Pontonier is so feet over all, 10 feet
beam and feet inches draught. She Is
OF steel throughout and has displacement
of q tons. She is built in five sections and
with steel deck each member is water
tight or box-like IN form.
Readily Adjusted.
The vessel has just been put together and
taken apart in an hour and half. and has
shown speed of eleven miles an hour.
The bow section carries derrick and the
anchor equipment, with chain and store
lockers That next to the bow section
serves as hold for cargo and quarters for
the crew. twenty men may be berthed.
The third section carries the boiler, the coal
bunkers and portion Of the water storage.
Her coal capacity is thirteen tons. On the
top Of this third section is a pilot house, but
the vessel "a wit n
The section next after the boiler carries
the driving power, the two engines, their
shafts and propellers. A portion of this
section, eleven feet six inches fore and aft,
is cut off with an inside bulkhead for the
officers quarters. The engines are Of the
double-cylinder. type. with cylinders SIX
inches and twelve inches in diameter by
nine inches stroke. The fifth section COM
used If so decided.
In putting the vessel in commission the
boiler section is first f1oated because of its
weight, which establishes the water line.
The sections are fitted with cones fourteen
inches in diameter. On the deck Of each
section is windlasS with steel cable to
connect the sections. the latter being rein
forced by bolts. With the steam connection
between the engine and the boiler made
and the piping for the water feed to the
boiler connected to the pumps, the boat is
ready for service.
Assigned to Engineer School.
In view of the fact that there is no need
of the vessel in the foreign transport serv-
ice at present, the Pontonier has been as
signed to the Washington station for the
special use of the engineer school of appli-
cation at Washington barracks. 1t is in
tended that the Pontonier shall replace the
tug Kearney on the line between Washing
ton Barracks and Fort Foote, Md, where
the engineers have their engineering drills
and operations. The vessel cost about
$4,000 and is the only craft of the kind in
the service of the government.