Year: 1873

A gentleman in Greenpoint, last Saturday
afternoon, exhibited to few invited guests
model boat propelled by contrivance
entirely new, at least untried hitherto in
its application to steamboat propulsion.


The model was about two feet long, shaped


like craft intended rather for carrying
freight than for speed, resembling in its
lines and proportions an ordinary coal


barge The propelling contrivance simply
an elongated rudder, made of two flexible
slabs, which, for practical use will be made
of short and narrow pieces Of wood, fitting
closely together and swung from straight
piece that forms the top edge Of the rud-
der. leaving the lower part to be acted up


on BY splnally curved rod that revolves
inside Of the rudder, imparting to its fexi-


BILE sides the serpentine or eel like motion


that drives the boat through the water, by


principle Of resistance similar TO that OF


the ordinary screw propeller. In the


model with which the experiment was


made on Saturday afternoon the rudder or
propeller was constructed of pieces of bvsss
wire working clese together and hanging
from the spine or top edge. The fact that


the rudder is also the propeller does not
interfere in the least with its Office a. n


sterring apparatus in fact, the combina-
! ton appears to be an advantageous one,


and although the flexible sides we're not


submerged to over ons-fourth their depth,


a very satisfactory rate Of speed was at


tanned. The power IL applied in eAactly
the same manner as in the screw propeller,


viz. by longitudinal shaft, which in this
contrivance extends beyond the stern Of
4 - - -


of the rudder, that part inclosed between
the two flexible sides OF the rudder being,


as before stated, spirslly bent. In the


model, the machinery consisted Of simply


the barrel and fuse, spring and chain Of .


brass clock, the SHAT being connected by


means of inter wheels. The inventor
feels certain that very high rste of speed


for boats can be attained with this propel-


Ter. He disclaims any designs on the ca
nails, simply aiming at q principle for nav


igatinc shallow waters. The motion of


the little two-foot vessel through the water


was stately and very easy, Just like that of
a large vessel, and with sufficient velocity


to demonstrate efectually the success Of


the feel motion"-as the inventor calls it
for driving bOats-at least on q small


scale-at fair rate of speed through the


water. The only objection presented BY


the experiment was the length Of the rud-


der, which is required to obtain the wave


motion. This same fault accompanied tbs


first idea of the screw propeller, but it was


found by an accident, and much to the sur
prise of the inventor, that this great length
was superfuous, and that the screw, wher
reduced to single helix, answered the pur
pose better than when it projected Ion,
distance behind 50 it may turn out tha
short rudder win answer az well a. lon,
: one. This ia the FIRST time that the Zee
: motion" has ever been scientifically ap
Piled to the propulsion Of boats. 1t has il
its favor the fact that the jarring creates
by the paddle wheel and the screw pro
propeller is entirely dispensed with, a


there il no heating ON the water TO cause
, Whether the 'seefmotion" will be o sue
cess as applied TO large vessels remains b


be Nesc York Times.