IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING SHIPS, AND FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES ON BOARD SAME
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Wells at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
-
June 1870. A communication from abroad by Edward Kirk
Horn, of Adelaide, South Australia.
"
I, GEORGE WELLS, of 12, North Street, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR VENTILATING SHIPS, AND FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES ON BOARD SAME (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Edward Kirk Horn, of Adelaide,
South Australia), to be as follows :—
First. For Ventilation.-A small iron tube is placed along each side
of the ship sufficiently above the lower deck to be free from any litter
of live stock, and from about abreast of the break of the top-gallant
forecastle running up round the bow, and gradually increasing in size,
and coming up through the forecastle deck near the knight heads,
forming a sort of large upper hawser hole of about 3 feet in diameter
for a ship of 1,000 tons on each side of the stem, and the same aft from
about abreast of the mizzen channels, running up round the wings and
coming up through the poop deck, meeting the under side of the

page_text: taffrail; this in either case would be no disfigurement to the ship. The
whole of the straight tubing between decks is perforated towards the
inner part of the vessel to admit of a free discharge of the air forced
down, and from this upper tube a branch is led down into the lower
hold, the straight part of which is perforated towards the ship's outer
planking. These tubes need not of necessity be circular, but for con-
venience and for the economy of space may in the body of the ship be
elliptical, and let in against the timbers as in an air course.
Stop valves near each extremity of each tube are introduced to be
turned off or on by hand for the purpose of shutting off the draught from
either or both holds, as occasion may require, as, for example, in light
winds with a ship crowded with passengers to shut off the draught from
the lower hold that the whole of the ventilation may be thrown into
the "tween decks," but in gales and stormy winds the lower hold tubes
should be open so that a strong blast of pure fresh air will be forced
down into the bottom of the ship, freely circulating among the timbers,
sweetening the hold and cargo, and preserving the frame of the ship
from decay. Even in a calm a current of air would be constantly
passing along these tubes, but with a breeze of wind either before or
abaft the beam a current of fresh air would be forced down sufficient for
all purposes of comfort and ventilation for passengers, and would be
of particular advantage to a ship riding head to wind in a hot climate.
Iron caps should also be provided to ship and unship at the ex-
tremities of the tubes, so that in case of accident from fire all draught
may be prevented.
Second. For Extinguishing Fires at Sea.-About the midship part of
the ship and on both sides are placed connecting tubes between the
tubes of the upper and lower holds and from the tubes in the 'tween
decks;
other short tubes are placed on both sides of the deck running
up the side through the covering board over the water ways, these short
tubes not being perforated. The tube has a brass screw cap just above
the covering board, the tube in the 'tween decks not running through
these short tubes, so as to admit of a valve being drawn out when the
steam connecting pipes (hereafter explained) are fixed, the valve having
a small spear or rod running up the upper vertical tube, and nearly
meeting the screw cap for the convenience of drawing it out.
The ship's donkey engine, or a small boiler and furnace made for the
purpose, is secured on deck in some convenient place, and short arms

page_text: with stop valves that can be removed when steam is up are placed on
each side of the upper part of the boiler for the connecting of small
steam pipes from the boiler with the open ventical pipes, and im-
mediately on the alarm or suspicion of fire the valve is drawn out, for
connecting pipes between the boiler and the upper vertical pipes fixed,
steam got up, and as soon as it has reached high pressure the stop valves
of the boiler removed. By this means steam would be immediately
forced down throughout the length and breadth of the ship, and unless
in unusually sudden and extreme cases would effectually check and
destroy the fire. As soon as the boiler is relieved, and the steam
slackened, the stop valves of the boiler are closed to get the steam up
to high pressure again, and this is repeated until all apprehension and
anxiety had ceased.
It is evident that the usual and necessary precautions would also be
taken, of closing the hatches and every other opening to prevent any
draught getting down below, and the iron caps for the extremities of
the tubing would be carefully shipped. As the boiler would necessarily
be small it would be well to have it of extra strength, and proved up to
great power.