The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-11
(Ey Hartley NJ. Phelps.)

(Ey Hartley NJ. Phelps.)
The near approach of the
ton of steam navigation authorities
and others interested in present and
past eraS in transportation, held in
Philadelphia, beginning last Friday,
makes this brief survey of the most
important improvements in steam
boat construction and motive power
since Robert fulton's day most time
~. The strides made in engine build
ing. i'll particular. witiin the last 30
Years have been immense: from the
archaic machinery of the Clermont of
1907 n tho New Orleans of ISL to
the magniticcnt specimens OF marine
architecture ON HE inland waters of
the United States TODAY. In the de-
sign of the boat itself there has been
little change: for the western steamer
was perfected in this respect before
the civil war. when steam boat traf-
Tic on the Mississippi and Ohio attain-
cd its palmiest state.
Fulton used the single upright en-
ginc of the low-pressurc type. and
with stationary cylinder. 1t was "a
horsepower. with tho cylinder above
deck and the beam above the piston
rod. 1t was designed by himself and
built at the famous Soho works of
Matt& Roulton, in England. AS in
stalled on the Claremont it was open
L" View. 1t is scarcely necessary to
stat" that this celebrated steam boat.
the first commercially practical craft
even propelled by steam, was l'ulton's
invention, and that it made it's epochal
"Trip from New Iork ia Albany up the
hudson river M August 1, 1907.
Costly Copper Boilers.
The machinery of the Clcrmont was
crude indeed compared to the highly
developed mechanism of our day. The
boiler was 1; mere copper pot or ves-
sci. oncascd in masonry. and the CON
dcnScl Was set in a ciStcrn of cold WA
ter. AS copper was then worth about
81 cents Il pound and the boiler weigh
ed i.i99 pounds, the Investment in
this n itcm was considerable. In
fact, the expense of hoilcrs-before
one of the heaviest single OUTLAWS in
VOWED in carly steamboat construc-
ton. Tubular boilers did not make
their appearance until about 1880: the
steamer Novelty, a Hudson river boat,
being the first in which they We're us
ed.
Some of the most important inn
pr"Ncments in steamboat engines. as
we'll as boat design in general. were
founder of Shreveport, La. and in
ventor of the %snagboat. His steamer.
the Washington. built after his ideas.
created Il revolution in inland river
navigation. Ii made its maiden trip
I" New Orleans from Louisville in
September. 1916. and on it's second
voyage the following March it over
ed the distance from the Crescent City
To the Kentucky port. up stream. in -
dayS-H notable feat for that pioneer
era. From this second trip dates the
nCRlnnlnC OF Steam nJNlS3tinn i'm tho
Mississippi valley. Forty years later
the time WAS cut to four days nine
hours.
Shreve used double direct-actine,
hish-pressurc engines of a horizontal
tNpe instead of the vertical. such as
Fulton employed. Ever since horizon
tai engines nave been used ON western
river steamers. The vibrations were
given To the pitman in Shrcve's en-
gines and the rranks were set AT right
angle. David Prentice had used ann
Wheels TO work the valves of the cylin-
dor; but Shrcve added his great inven-
ton nf tho cam CUTOFF to- expand The
steam: also adding tines to the boilers,
thus saving thrcc-fifths in fuel. The
boilers were placed on the deck in
stead of in the hull, as had hitherto
been The case. In those days wood
WAS used for fuel-gcncrally dry white
pine such as Fulton u~tiliZed-hut
about 1910 anthracite coal began to
he made use of. The wood took up
nearly all the room there WAS on deck.
II is said hat Captain j. II. Coylc in
vented Il blower to make the use of
coal practical.
Worry With Ono Engine.
Until the middl" Of tho '1hirtics"
single engines were used on western
river boats. They We're set i'm the mid
die of the craft; the big tly-whecl eX-
tcndin" down into the hull and up
above the deck. where it was covered
or rooted ovcr. The carly boats were
sido-Wheclcrs. With a single engine
they would 'rntch on ccnter." as the
rivcrmcn said; and it caused untold
extra work and annoyance. Follow
inG this type of inotiNe-powcr two en-
ainos We're used and the strrn-whcel
boat substituted for the side-whccler
as il WAS proved the former turned
with greater easc--this being made
largely possible by improved ruddors.
of the engines used M to 1898 or
sn the s~lidc-valve. lover and clipper
We're common. two cylinders being
utilized SO as to use steam With dull-
blc-oXpanSion.
The engines now in use are v~ario,ls
In kind. There arc the lever and
pumping valve or balance double
valve type. used for heavy work: the
piSton-valve with puppct CUTOFF: the
pist"n-Nalve with piston cutoff ON top
in separate chamber. and the piston
compound and tandem compound en-
so used. One of the most important