Evening star., 1905-10-28
PROBLEMS OF sHIPBUILDING.
How Their Solution Is Worked Out In
University Of Michigan's Ship Canal.

From the Pilgrim.
The twenty-odd thousand dollars in
vested in this canal Is a shrewd specula-
ton in new educational methods. Just at
the time when the United States govern
ment is employing subsidies in order to
revive the shipbuilding industry the Uni
versity of Michigan has constructed a
model canal. perhaps one OF the best COM
petitive weapons by which the English
now maintain maritime supremacy. This
basin has been thrown open to every
American shipbuilder. Though having the
only available canal in this country, the
university offers its use practically free,
and, Furthermore, permits builder TO
keep his own discoveries a secret. Stu
dents will be taught this work as a pro-
fession, in spite OF the fact that no de-
mand for such men now exists Michf-
gan's regents believe that the dominant
commercial principle Of margins, the
increased security which the canal offers
of knowing beforehand the exact per-
formance of the completed steamer, the
opportunity to surpass by little COM
petitor's boat by demonstrating the feasi-
bility OF a speed in excess Of anything
yet attempted, will create demand for
this profession.
Remotely the new canal Is connected
with the United States navy. The first
marine work done at Michigan began in
1851 under an act of Congress which au-
the navy to teach marine engineering and
iron shipbuilding in the technical schools.
Prof. NJ e. Cooley. then of the navy, was
one of the first men detailed under this
law, and is still at the university as head
of this department. From present indica-
tions young officers of the navy are
likely, before long. to travel 1,b00 miles
| inland to finish their sea training at
The gentleman In direct charge of ma
rine work at Michigan is Prof. Herbert
| c. Sadler. He exemplifies the power Of an
| idea to crystalliZe into great undertake
ings. When Michigan planned new en-
gineering building four years ago such
a thing as ship canal had not been con-
ceived. 1t was urheard of to build a ship
canal 1000 miles inland. and unorthodox
| to foist 1t upon college curriculums. Prof.
Sadler was a young man, who had Just
come from working In the Clyde model
canals of Scotland, and who knew their
value to the merchant marine Even his
brother professors called the canal pro-
ject a dream. But. nevertheless. assisted
| by~Prof. Cooley, he appeared before the
regents. broke the astonishing PROPOSE
| ton to them. and. with pencil and paper,
sketched unique ship canal which capti-
waited the unbelieyers and fnangurated
| the first shipbuilders' course.
The successful projecting of million
dollar ships months before the keel Is
| laid hinges on a short equation in mathe-
| matics. discovered about three decades
ago by the English Neptune. William
1 f1OuQ6. k1Eleuy IL 10. 1adt bWp fcS5oiS
moving at corresponding speeds will
have wave-making resistances proper
tional to the cube of their linear dimen-
| sions. This rule is highly accurate with
models only lsss-thirtieth to one-fortieth
OF the ships real size. The little boats
In Michigan's canal run from 90 to 500
feet q minute. speeds which correspond
on q steamship 600 feet long to from three
and half knots an hour to ffty-six
knots.
This wax meet win serve for moro than
] merely building ships. It viii test many