A GERMAN NAVAL INVENTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1031, 21 December 1883, Page 4

A GERMAN NAVAL INVENTION.

_, r A trial has just been made of an in -r.sen.ti9n, which, in the opinion the ~-Gerwaninaval and technical authorities nwho'-twitnessed- It, promises-to effect an important change in the propulsion of ? all 'classes. ; The inventor, Dr Emil Flescher, has applied the, principle of hydraulic 'reaction to the propulsion of ships in a manner which is described by officers of the German Imperial Navy like Admirals von Henck and Werner as simple and effective. It is said to remove all risk of accidents,ito rudder or machinery, for there need be no rudder and there is scarcely any machinery; to solve the. problem .of avoiding loss of power thrpugh 'transmission, for there is hardly any transmission ; and finally to reduce 'the perils of the sea: to a minimum, so far as injuries to the machinery are concerned.' -Admiral Werner explains . that s tlte,same immense force that pro- ’ 'pels the vessel ' can at a moment’s * jyptice. be ,used to pump her so effec- < tiy.ely.that she would remain afloat with a considerable leak in her bottom, while in case of fire there . would be no difficulty in quenchingl 'it. The' vessel is named the Hydrometer, is 60 metres long by -7 metres broad, draws o - 6o metres, and --is throughout constructed of iron. The "■ navigation of the Elbe near Dresden presents many obstacles in the shallows and rapids which occur at frequent intervals"; yet on the river this flfirge j ye?sel,; -noiselessly and without ’ any oscillation—after the simple turnTliPg oln ldver by.-the captain on the a brijige -j— commenced , its ; frial trip, stemming the current, and keeping an evebjCootse -under theTicturesque right Bant’-'af~ the i river. The only • noise audible was the rushing of the water from the tubes, fixed a little level of the river, and nearly rin both sides of the vessel. Another turning of the lever and the ■■ action was. reversed. The vessel comes > tda«dead stop in less than her own length! ' By the alternate use of the levlfk may be turned round on an pivot! /The captain handles' the levers on liis bridge, independence.<tf all communication with the Ucfigiafe-rtom.'t It; is rumored that the invention is sootl to be applied on a