THE SAMUEL PLIMSOLL.

Evening Star, Issue 3402, 16 January 1874, Page 2

THE SAMUEL PLIMSOLL.

’ "The excitement cmsequent.upon the holidays,' arid the' various-circumstances' connected wijth the ! visit of his Excellency the Governor; have prevented oUr giving that prominency to the model : of the f-aninel Flimsoll that so beautiful a work of arb deseryes. As amomnfuntty we are now settling to our usual prsictidfil l habits, and thcrefoib greater .attention is likely to.be given to the morA enduring claims of art and scienbd-tbriii to pleasure. Considered in a'variety of aspects the, Samuel Piimsoll is worthy of special'notice. • Were it merely tbat’ ih her may be seen a finished and perfect model ori a small- Scale of a highly scientific coriception, there would be much tri interest. Tfambearity of the workmanship, in which all the complicated details of a well appointed vessel are provided in miniature, weMdiof itself; eiititle it to notice. - But there is much more chan this'the Value of do not:pretend to determine, -nor perhaps are we -riFto] gether able efficiently to describe. First, as to the model ifcs : a'few words regarding it may lead to greater public interest in it than can possibly.be feifc by unprofessional readers] wh>;j without'sriffie few hints as to desig-' may look upon it at as a "mere curiosity] Gome idea .may be formed of the amazing amount of yrork involved in this model when we mention it is the embodimeut of the work of thirteen yearg. ( It is merely ; a beau-; txfril plaything or a copy of some one’s design. Every lino has been subjected to mipute cbn] sideration is 'designed for a sailing vessel of between 701 and 800 tons burthen. Many* different'descriptions^.of Wood-have' been useiPin the 1 model, in which there'rire 98 distinct frames, 'floors''are of ebohy ; the first, second; of Engli-h-----•Psfe the top timbers of hickofy. L'he longitudinals stringers, are EngLsh and ironbark t dfce brpasthooks are xti oak and ironbark, too 1 of oak, add the'* knees 'and pbilttehj of - tick and 1 hickory. It was found mse different kinds ofniyobd, Vtb kvbid, distortion of the mo.iel through wappidg Tne upper works, above .the writer line, are beautauily: polished, and bee mac of the diffiiulty of ijiriving brass bolts intm the* < Peeking,, eachholt is scfewedi The hum-! bar ,of Jifepse' minute'' screws necessary is onormouß. ; ...T 1

- All 9 B . ,and nbw for, the dosigu intended to J?e dwewpjated. In! speaking- of- it xve shall give thp dimensions of j the vessel of 760 tOuSi' /fOr Which" the drawings were, -made; *c oVIc.,AVe icb’s pnrpoßQ__is to combine speed with stability ; aud . to„, gain ; _ fhe . greavest possible .• sail power with? , the. .dy^ B fi I ;:,p.os»ible,; weight; of- spars and riggipg. The tine eutrance and! rtimspll,,. cqmbined with! her breadth of bsam, appear well adabted -io eepujrbthe first,; and in order’ to be'able to ,«pf®ad fl l area of canvas,- Mr Welch has adopted; Whaij' be fibhomiuates the' “'coins bined : ” style 6f digging; that is, he com-; bines the square-nails of the sguare-rigged shipi with the fore- ahd-aft sails of a schooner. Mr : Welch claims that by this arrangement jhp condehfc’rates the driving power of the canvas above the heaviest weight of Ship add eargo,| Haying only two roasts instead of three, bothTore and.fmainmast care hearer itbe centre 'of the ship ; the foremast , bring ,placed some-! what further aft, and. the maiamaatdufther forWard than'ii| three-masted vessels. Both! masts are of the samp/height .aud .similarly Sparred, and both have■thesgine slight rake.The cross-trees, are. ,at the dowermasti bead, and by sending the tog rims down., aud. the yards, itha weasel is at once con-' Verted into a' fore-and-aft schooner. ~ It ,will;bp hvident,. therefore, to’ naubical ihen! that by arrangement a vessel couldj be worked yiitb the-square and- fore-: and-aft sail# combined, p.r they could'beiiid'ed| separately as best sujted pirpgmetances. Mr We ch estimates that one third ni.ofh cShyds! can thus be spread, if necessary,, jthapi by ahy! other known method of rigging a ship. ’ Tbe' two lower mast Spars are lOOfc in length, the'i lower yards 82ft, the lower masts 100 ft, ahd : the topmasts 60ft. Top-galiant masts are dispensed with. The angles of the sails are alike on both masts. The mainmast is 35im through at the;partners with a taper of two ; inches to tho ar-ma. On-deck are four hatches! two between the masts; one forward, and: one aft. The largest is 14ft by 12ft. Above! each is a hatch-house. These four hatch houses, .beipg da section-, can be taken toi pieces and stowed .into the, rjqn. The deck would then be clear for IGpfc, yvith a beam, of 32 ft, inside measure. The arrangements are such that Newcastle crane? can be "used! for loaddng-and discharging cargo without! : disturbuig the rigging. ;

Amongst the.useful and original appliances Mr WqJcH is a Merit, the °f. 4 whioh-i ; consist of p anks to form a gangway for, 'reefing. Ndisebarging and, whett'pti’. port, its is 4]>ft by 15£ ft. Itas-’secured by sister clamps totheldeck. the!clamps are arid the Fait! is firmly bounti. together-for.launch• give- it Jmoyanoy, three poutophs are (attached, w.hich are divided -'into fhir-water-kightr compaitin'ents i * and provisions, sails, signal Sockets or limelights may be stowed in 'be always ready for an emergency. Under the lee of such a raft, Mr Welch considers boats could ride with great safety. When in position , on. board the, ship, it. forms .a .hurricane deck for reefing. We have only nailed a few striking features out of that could be described, for there ;is_ijuite:;.enmigh. that. is.original. for...a„few hours’ careful examination. The mode of hanging the boats on'’the davits, the provi-j sxon the'vesselVside,' the samsda-post fop securing haters while towing or hauling out, and the forecastld gun, with the contrivances for elevating, dei pressing and pointing it, as well as the inge! niouS method -foifdesfsembg IKei recoil on being fired, are all worthy of carei ful examination. -We leave it to experts to pronounce a judgment upon the advantages or disadvantages bf.theplans.' > In the course of years of scientific progress iii naval architecture,dMr Welch has in some things been forestalled, andin some minute matters pernapa surpassed ; but it seems to us there is much in the' principles he has illustrated that is worthy of careful investigation and aiioptidih d-d ATi -j