A History of the Growth of the Steam-engine by Robert Henry Thurston

Author:Robert Henry Thurston
Language: eng
Format: epub

Meantime, the War of 1813 was in progress, and Fulton designed a steam vessel-of-war, which was then considered a wonderfully formldahle craft. His plans were submitted to a commiMion of experienced naval officers, among whom were Commodores Decatur and Perry, Captain John Paul Jones, Captiun Evans, and others whose names are still familiar, and were favourably commended. Fulton proposed to build a steam-vessel capable of carrying a heavy battery, and of steaming four miles an honr. The ship was to be fitted with furnaces for red-hot shot. Some of her guns were to be discharged below the water-line. The estimated cost was $330,000.

The construction of the vessel was authorized by Coq> gress in March, 1814 ; the keel was laid June 30, 1814, and the vessel was launched October 3ftth of the same year.

The " Fulton the First," as she was called, was considered an enormous vessel at that time. The hull was double, 156 feet long, 66 feet wide, and 30 feet deep, measuring 3,475 tons. In the followiag May the ship was ready for her engine, and in July was so far completed as to steam, on a trial-trip, to the ocean at Sandy Hook and back—53 miles —in 8 hours and 30 minutes. In September of the same

year, witli armament and stores on board, the same ronte was traversed again, tlie vessel making 6j miles an hour. The vessel, as thus completed, had a double hull, each about 30 feet longer than the Clermont, and separated by a space 15 feet acro^. Her engine, having a steam-cylinder

Pie, Ei.— LhohcIi of the Folton Ibe Eirat, i30«.

48 inches in diameter and of 5 feet stroke of piston, was furnished with steam by a copper boiler 22 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 8 feet high, and turned a wheel between the two hulls which was 16 feet in dianLeter, and carried " floats " or " buckets " 14 feet long, and with a dip of 4 feet. The engine waa in one of the two hulls, and the boiler in the other. The sides, at the gun-deck, were 4 feet 10 inches thick, and her spar-deck was surrounded by heavy musket-proof bulwarks. The armament consisted of 30 32-pounders, which were intended to discharge red-hot shot. There was one heavy mast for each hull, fitted with large latteen sails. Each end of each hull was fitted with a mdder. Large pumps were carried, which were intended to throw heavy atreama of water upon the decks of the enemy, with a view to disabling the foe by wetting his ordnance and ammunition. A submarine gun was to have been carried at each bow, to disobai^ shot weighing 100 pounds, at a depth of 10 feet below the water-line.

TMb vsb tlie first application of the steam-engine to naval purposes, and, for the time, it was an exceedingly creditable one, Tnlton, however, did not live to see the ship completed. He was engaged in a contest with Livingston, who was then endeavonring

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.