An Improved Steam Passenger and Freight Boat.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Steam Passenger and Freight Boat.
I ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL, a Citizen of the United States, and residing at
Duluth, in the County of St. Louis, and State of Minnesota, one of the United
States of America, Ship-builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings
The improved vessel consists generally of a long metallic hull, having straight
(or approximately straight) sides, with a spoon shaped bow and a cutaway or
"skeaged" stern, and with a long cabin, supported lengthwise above the hull, on
three rows of cylindrical turrets, or on a single row of turrets, with supporting
pipes or braces at each side. The vessel forming the subject of my present
invention, is intended principally for the transportation of passengers, but the hull
or hold of the vessel may be used for carrying freight or for carrying the baggage
and other appurtenances of passengers. The principal object which I seek to
attain by my invention, is to provide a passenger vessel having large commodious
and airy cabins, and which will be very fast under steam and will have much les
motion when at sea, than other vessels.
For a better comprehension of my improved steam passenger and freight boat
attention is directed to the drawings in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vessel.
Figure 2 a longitudinal view, in section.
Figure 3 a plan view of the hull with the cabin removed.
Figure 4, a front elevation.
Figure 5, a cross sectional view, and
Figure 6, a modified form.
In all of the above views corresponding parts are designated by the same letters
of reference.
A, is the hull of the vessel. This hull is made with a curved top or deck,
straight sides and curved bottom, with a long spoon shaped bow, and a cutaway
and "skeaged" stern. This hull is to be made preferably of metal plates, riveted
or otherwise secured to transverse ribs. This hull is provided with longitudinal
bulkheads a, a, so as to divide the vessel into preferably three longitudinal
sections. It will be understood however that any number of longitudinal bulkheads
may be provided, and that the vessel may be divided into any number of longi-
tudinal sections, or these bulkheads may be dispensed with entirely if desired.
The vessel is also provided with cross bulkheads b, b, which may be of any
appropriate number. This vessel is provided with a water bottom B, having a
heavy metallic top e, which forms a false bottom for the vessel.
The bulkheads extend from this metallic top e, directly to the top of the hull, so
as to divide the hull into a number of air-tight chambers. I am aware that it is
not new to provide a vessel with both longitudinal aud cross bulkheads, but these
bulkheads have heretofore extended only from the bottom of the vessel to a
point adjacent to the water line, so that if the vessel is damaged so as to fill at one
side, or in case of a collision, is rolled a considerable distance to one side, the
water will be allowed to flow over the top of the bulkheads so as to fill the hull.
By providing the hull with bulkheads which extend directly from the top to the
bottom of the hull, no water will be allowed to enter the hull, in case the vessel is
thrown out of its equilibrium. A very desirable arrangement of these bulkheads
is to provide the hull with two longitudinal bulkheads a, a, running along the main
portion of the hull, from the extreme forward bulkhead, to the extreme rear
bulkhead, so as to divide the hull into three portions at its main part, and to
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page_text: provide a single longitudinal bulkhead running from the extreme cross bulkhends,.
to the bow and stern, so as to divide these portions into two parts. d, represents a
horizontal deck, situated some distance beneath the top of the vessel, and
extending preferably, from one extreme cross bulkhead to the other extreme cross
bulkhead, except at the boiler and engine rooms, but it should be understood that
this deck may extend a shorter distance or that it may extend from one end of the
vessel to the other.
C. D. are the engine and boiler rooms. The engines and boilers may be of any
approved construction, and may be of any number. I prefer however to place an
engine in each longitudinal compartment, so that three screws may be operated.
In the drawings, I have shown only one screw or propeller as indicated in
Figure 1, and if need be, only one or two screws may be used. At the forward
part of the vessel the cross bulkheads b, b, extend from the false bottom c, to the
top of the hull as shown. It will be understood that these cross bulkheads may
extend at all points, the entire depth of the hull, or that they may extend from the
false hottom c, to the deck d. The boat is provided at its extreme bow with a
collision chamber e, so that in case the bow is damaged, so as to admit water, the
collision chamber only will be filled. Near the bow and stern are placed two large
metallic turrets E, E, which are firmly riveted or otherwise secured to the top of
the hull or upper deck. The forward turret E, is preferably of an oval shape and
the after turret E, is preferably of an elliptical shape, but these turrets may be of
any other shape. Small turrets F, F, are centrally located in line with the
turrets E, E, and extend along the top of the hull, as shown on Figure 3.
Extending from the forward turret E, to the rear turret E, and firmly secured
to the intermediate turrets F, is a heavy metallic deck G as shown in Figure 2.
This deck is supported at its outer edges upon the heavy pipes H, H, which, are
arranged in pairs between the turrets E and F.
Instead of this arrangement, the deck G, may be supported on a central line of
turrets, and by two outer rows of turrets which take the place of the metal
pipes H, H. It will be seen that the deck G, acis in precisely the same way as
the chord of an ordinary truss so that the hull will be effectively protected against
lateral strains. Secured to the top of this metallic deck G, are the cabins I and J
which are to be of any suitable arrangement. Secured to the top of the cabin J,
is a pilot house K, within which is placed the usual steering gear. Smoke
stacks L, L, from the boilers pass up through the central turrets F, F, so as to be
protected from the action of the waves which sometimes pass over the vessel.
The pipes H, in addition to supporting the deck G, act as ventilating pipes,
and they are provided with cowls at their upper ends and which are used for
admitting air to the interior of the hull, so that the second class cabins, and the
boiler and engine rooms will always be kept cool and well ventilated. The hull is
reached from the cabin. I, through suitable staircases within the turrets. The
turrets E and F, are provided at their sides, with hinged doors, leading out to the
top of the hull, so that when necessary egress to the rounded deck may be had.
In order to prevent leakage through these doors, they are to be suitably packed
with rubber packing, so as to prevent the entrance of water when they are closed.
It will be observed from an inspection of Figure 5, that the top of the boat and the
deck d, constitute an arch or truss, which will render the upper part of the vessel
very strong; and that the bottom of the vessel and false bottom, constitute another
arch which will strengthen the bottom of the vessel. It will also be seen from
Figure 2 that the top of the vessel, in a longitudinal direction, and the deck G,
constitute an arch or truss which strengthens the vessel longitudinally.
Instead of arranging the cabin as I have above described, extending from one
end of the hull to the other, the arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 may be adopted,
wherein the cabin extends from a point near the stern, to a point midway between
the bow and stern. In this modified form of boat, the cabins are supported on turrets, or
on turrets and pipes, in precisely the same manner as I have above described. By
shortening the cabins in this way, a greater freight carrying space is afforded, so

page_text: that the vessel becomes more properly a passenger and freight boat. Such a
passenger and freight vessel as I have invented is especially adapted to use for the
purpose intended, for the reason that all pitching and rolling is practically done
away with, and consequently I overcome, in a measure, the tendency to sea-sickness
among the passengers. The scientific cause, whereby this important result is
effected can be briefly stated. I have discovered that the principal cause of the
pitching of a vessel, are (1) the high bow and stern are buffeted by the waves, and
are moved bodily up and down (2) when the bow or stern, is submerged, an air or
buoyant space, is forced beneath the water, which tends to rise and move the boat
at an angle to its water line, with the bow elevated, and (3) when the bow or
stern, is elevated, the lifted mass tends to fall, and carry the boat at an angle to its
water line with the bow submerged. By means of the shape of hull which I have
adopted, I reduce the pitching to a great-extent, since (1) there is no high bow or
storn, to be buffeted by the waves, (2) when either the bow or stern is submerged,
water flows up thereon, which by its weight, tends to counteract the rapid rise of
the submerged portion, so that the hull reaches its normal water line slowly, and
seldom passes it, and (3) should either the bow or stern be elevated, the elevated
mass would be small, and the height of elevation slight, owing to the high load
water line. I have discovered the cause of the rolling of a vessel to be the fact,
that waves strike the high sides and bulwarks and tend to throw the boat bodily
over, and when once started the vessel continues to oscillate back and forth like a
pendulum. There can be little or no rolling of my improved hull, since (1) the only
surface which is exposed to the action of the waves, is of a curved character, so that
the wave force has but little effect and (2) should a wave start to roll my
improved hull, it would be immediately counteracted by its own weight, and its
friction in rolling off.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
:-
First. A hull for a vessel, having an arched top and an arched bottom, with a
deck , forming the chord of the arched top and with a false bottom c, forming the
chord of the arched bottom.
Second. In a vessel the combination of a hull, and deck G, mounted above the
hull, upon turrets, and extending from a point near the stern to a point near the bow,.
so as to form a truss for the hull.
Third. A hull for a vessel having longitudinal bulkheads a, a, extending from the
extreme top of the hull to the false bottom c, and with cross bulkheads b, b.
Fourth. In a vessel the combination with the hull, of the deck G, supported upon.
turrets and extending from a point near the extreme bow, to a point near the
extreme stern, and cabins I and J, secured to said deck G.
Dated this 27th day of January 1892
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.