LAUNCH OF THE BESSEMER.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1999, 4 January 1875, Page 4

LAUNCH OF THE BESSEMER.

We are glad to announce that the " T3es-i semer 'steanief was 1 - -successfully launched yesterday., afternoon at ..Miill ■froro'ttie yarcf of Earle's Shipbuilding and; Engineering Company. (Limited^. The Bessemer saloon 'steamer, as she now, lies moore.d in ,the Humber, ( has very ( muicn J the appVarancW of a 1 breastwoVic'tur-ret-ship. Sheis -shaped alike at bow and stern, and' for 48f fc." f roni each end, she has a, free ,1? oard of about, 3Ct. 0n1y., . . He^ total ' length' atibiwater line is~"3sof t, ; and'the raised central portion, rising Bft above the .1 low, bow and; stern,. is.,, 2s4f,t long, and, ex- -. jendp ; th,e whole widtli.pf > . the^yessejj . '60ft t iPjVer all. '•,; ; The deck; ,, of each : of , .the',; cjgar;>Bhapedjencis ,of ; ,the, .vessel, carries., one 'of .(Messra.fßrpwn's ,, (Edinburgh) .capstans, ..forked. by hydraulic, ypdw errand a.'.Ajar/.tin's. paten t;-andbTor,: and jthe forward .deck triwillalso, be. fitted;, wsh :syp>air/ of blydraujic [■{crapes' for/ swingipg^tlie .large', "crates .', in 0 /which; the; ■ luggage;. will jbe\ packed .; f rpin ;:ithe ; pier4ntp the hold, and ,mca,ycrsa. The v famous swinging, saloon, 70ft long,i.e "in ;Hhe «entre; rand -the..- engines: and., boilers .which drive ; the,twp,pair of .p'addler- wheels r. are stowed ; in.thelipldj^either, .end pf the ;: (raised .portion, of- the vessel..,: ]A series .of deck-houses for private parties,, refreshment bars, &c, is carried fore-and-aft of ;fth&. paddle ; .. boxes upon , the ..breastwork ,r : d,eck,,apid > ;there isi a. sheltered -walk between fhese and the, windowed; sides >,of the swinging saloon, which rises some Tfle.Veh;oc weight "'feet- through; ; th;e '[breastwork deck, its. flat roof,, pierced by two companion haich'es, for'ning a steady promenade for the delicate sailors of the ' saloon. v ' It .will, be] curious to' see Lwhat j .'will be the effect 'iipqnsuch passengers ' of '- standing upon 1 a level deck in 'the' midst of ■ a rolling'ship ahd^ isea ; ibiit' should the' unwonted:t contrast cause _>thetn any discomfort, they have only to keep the'r eyes ; shut. Th'qugh ; the ;: ends'Pf the vessel have '"Precisely the same 'appearance, and are '^each fitted with a' rudder, the. steering •; being done^ith .Brown's patent hydraulic : ' .apparat^s^'the Bcrewing pn ; of the 1 paddle- ' floats necessarily, determines ..a', true bow :; and>stern., ; | The, Bessemer,, as, the steamer • is named, will be able to steam leither. way; with facility, the foremost rudder being locked,:but to;;goiat.hef';best ■ speed she v will prpbably r have to jgiye f preference to 1 the end "which has ' been named' ' as her bow. Besides ,tbe saloon j .the greatest wonder of its kind 'since the hanging gar.[dens of Babylpn,: there/- ; are ion .the same deck cabins for ladies andiamilies, and on the deck below a second-class saloon 52ft ; long.; : The? whole of the machinery i s o n board, and the ■■ after-pair of 'engines are completely* fitted:' 1 The ' riornin'al horse-.' power is 750/' working' 1 up to ; 4600,' sufficient, it is estimated to drive the vessel 18 pr 20,nules'an hour. ' The pair of paddle.•wheels^are placed 106 ft apart from the . r.c^ntresj- and ,; each wheel is 27ft lO* 11 ; in diameter, and,' fitted ;Jwith 12' feathering floats. The engines are fitted with Brown's hydraulic* starting gears i telegraphic gear leads;from :the ; bridges \ {to i/the,. enginerooms, and there-are various other handy. ■:i '1 and ingenious r contrivances ■ ton facilitate' . /the working of the engines ' ' too numerous r; The swinging saloon.is en~'tered! from" 'two broad staircases 'leading to . . a landing^ connected with .the. r salopn by j a ' c '' z ' ? flexible flooring: '■• i ,TKe"salppn i itseH l 'is up'■■''held 'on its 1 axis by four, steel !l 'sup / p*oits, ,„! oneja^eack'endj.and^p'.do^e/t^^^ in ,"^. n thej'. .middle. central supports is hollow^and serves ,'as; a — part of the . powerful hydraulic machinery . VJ which .Wjill,, regulate.^the. motions of the ' 1 Witndnt^/eii^ering 'ih'to^a^iong technical explanation, it is enough to say Q ;that lyEr.i Bessemer has constructedr some machinery which; 'w.ill;;cause the vaitves, the opening, and ! shutting!, of; which "will adjust: the' saldon, to i^vork« automatically. The motive-power of the delicate valve ::i lWachinery is obtained feom'-fhe ! clisiri6lina-'''itioh'-bf '?, rapidly-revolving piece of m4lal, v1 ' ! i6i'a flat,' 'circular phape, : to stir out? 'of a r . .given. ..plane, . ( Tfri£ s j "* * r j^y anp*d^tafj>i<s -^ . .l^i^yvo';j,',men£." M jit,^^w f( ,c4^4j., i ',yiif j : y§i:y'' i ;'much lessen the "manual^^ conraot '.'w!hicn \^ould i; .jjotih^r.wisejhave;, ; t.9,be, exercised.', pjrer the ! /nhydrauliQ niachineijy ,,,w.hiph A . hpfds., ){ ithe saloon, but' tjierejf wiltstiil jiaye^tOjiber, an. ;. r ; :attendantj;,who..*ili^tan'd!!jin 7 a! .sort of small pew at the central supports. .Which risefthrdu'gfritie floor of the saloon. He .^wiUKeep his eye on a spirit-level, and' watch the action of the^yrqscope on* the : r valves;* -interior '• of ! -ttie» 'swinging saloon measures 70ffc long 35ft wideband 20ft high. A retiring-room for super- . .jdeli^ate persons wlipse feeling aresjiill too many tor them,' and % ladies' ''cabin,' 'are also included in thte swinging portion of the vessel.T h e furni'fcure* of the great • saloon' is ; 'n6^t ! ylet one flaw , little s mpre than t the Eikin redpaintedironi^ b^utit"^ intende'd :i to make ,it. iv.cry s,umptuous ? .drawing-ror)m ) ornamented witli carved* panels aiicl' furnished with luxuripus;r upholstery. It will be* well lighted through large ground glass* windows^ and-, .ventilated and warmed to ••perfection by a system of fans and tubes. In addition to the two great funnels - !w|iich tower^ wideiajfart, abo'f e;thef deck, the steamer is fitted at either end with! a light mast, to whjch a jib may b e hoisted, to 'dssißt- th'e 1 Be'ssemeT^ id"' 't«irn' round^ Kitchens built on the fore sponsons are capable of serving up^a hot dinner ; and excellent entrance ports or gangways, aco ommodation for the crew, stowage space

for luggage, four boats and two of Chris€e^s life rafts are" other features of the Beisenier/iteamer.s.Thereiia a' great deal yet to be done on board, and though the paddle-boxes are already painted a cream color and portions of the polished woodwork fitted, it will probably be a couple of months before the steamer can be brought round to the Thames and made ready for her trial trip, which will then be at a time of. year in which she may be pretty sure /of a rough day to test her capabilities.; \< • v !

Considered apart from theihopes which enterprising capitalists and sea-sick passengers stake upon her success, the Bessemer ship is -beyond doubt one of the most i novel and interesting attempts in naval architecture which have been made in this generation. In the first place, ■it must be remembered that the main characteristics of the vessel have been determined exclusively by her' primary object — that of carrying the pivoted saloon. She is the production of two ■min.ds, the salfo\i %n& all tlJe^apjpliances'forl working it having been designed by Mr Bessemer, one of the most eminent engineers and inventors of the day, while the vessel itself, and all the propelling and.- working arrangements, have been designed by Mr Beed, whose services as a naval constructor seem just now in request with all the mau?f ime Pq,\prgiin jthe world except our t o win. -L Some minors? parts of f the design, such as the working out of the paddleengines and boilers (entrusted to Earle's company) and the- hydraulic arrangements for. steering the vessel and working the 'luggage ! cra f neki ; (the patent of: Messrs Brown, hydraulic engineers^ of London anft &lasgo^)j(jhave, beenj^undertaken: ;by . others, but the plans for every part of tjhe vessel, including even the saloon and its machinery, have passed through Mr ReedVUondoh officey a ! nd ; have :beeri car---ried out more or less under the inspection of his staff of overseers.' '-'•'" •■'■-■• • The tirst,cpnditipn required by Mr Bes- , seiilerwiir show how 'differently from all others this ship has hadto be constructed The inventor demanded the whole central portion o'f 'the ship, for' a length of no less than 70ft. for thepurpose of his swinging saloon, and this is precisely the space 'in jvhibb th^ engines;and!bpilers are placed in any ordinary; la^ge, passenger steamer propelled by paddle-wheels. The necessity of surrendering this space in order that the saloon might be in the centre of the vessel, where there is least motion, threw upon Mr Reed the responsibility of adopt-, ing some different disposition of the engine and boiler power. Very high speed.- w;as required, and great power had to be provided. The plan adopted is that of dividing the engine ! and boiler power into two equal portions, and giving ; to ; each portion af separate >p air off pad die- wheels^ i the! centres of which are 106 ft. apart. This arrangement, of course, involved the necessity of working one set of wheels in . the " race " of the other set, which some per•spns; cq;i.side ( u will!yery.m\iph; diminish the value ' of the after-pair; of paddles,, and which no . doubt ha'd f its disadvantages. But it, is. npt easy to see how any other arxangehfent could have been adopted ; for, ; although i' m a sea-gning ; ship carrying *larae- : Supplies of seastores' cargo, or other weichts to balance ;the engine and. boilers, a different method might be devised, in a ship like the Bessemer, which has but few other weights oi board of any moment b£sides c the^engjnes and boilers, and which -mifstcp'erf ores. float ;a"t a light and uniform : -draught of- water.from one end to the other it seems impossible to have concentrated, ■eli^eri^ieyirS^hts or thepropellipg wheels tat F eft|er|.;end^ especially when. .regard is fiaotd'ihS next important feature of the ship.

The next feature consists in her having both ends alike, and each fitted to act either as?a bow; or a stern as required. The necessity for /this arise .ivcm the impracticability of turning a ship as large as the Bessemer in the French harbours. It lisikbsolutelyjliecessary.to take. the : ship in and out J without reversing her. This form of ship with rudders at both ends, is less -unc'omm^rikthin ships with" duplicated sets of paddle-wlieels, : but it-is one requiring much care on the part of the designer, in order /to,;make it thoroughly successful.- . |J 'Th'e'circunistance' : of : the ehicls ; of' the ship being on a different level from the main central portion gave rise to serious structual difficulties, since it is now well known that a ship may be viewed as a huge longitudinal girder, ,of which the. top /which is cut away in the' case of the ''BWseirier) and ; bottom are the most important parts. Mr Reed met this difficulty by a device which. we JS believe, , .to. be perfectly novel iri'shipbuilding. 1 He Has continued down the principal ,upper ; strakes of plating known as the" deck stringers " and the " sheer strakes, " at a considerable inclination from the upper deck to the lower, connecting them throughout by large angle irons, and terminating them in the form of a " skin plating " on the. cur-: ved sides of the lower ends. - By\ this, simple means very great strength' is secured with a small quantity of well-disposed plating, and the longitudinal strain of j the ship, whether upwards or downward, will no doubt be sustained with perfect effi-' ciency. ;--.;'{ 7 .-■'.' ; ;.;. :'.:.' •; i : ;' ;

Returning to the saloon itself it is ne-, cessary to sweep entirely away at the very outset all ideas of this saloon ;being a mere •' pendulous" cabin. It is not pendulous in any true sense, for instead-of beiny swung loosely upon centres it is placed under the control of enormous hydraulic engines, which will have it, it is hoped,. unde_r^ absolute, command. ,It is gEffe|thatHfe isfiftountedupon 'sfeel cen tre'sf -three in number, one at each end, and one in the ce'ntfe,ibu't;nis also laid ;h6ld : pf at; the sides by the hydraulic machinery, , whichjwill impart-tp it'Buch.r,otary : mption as may be found necessary. As the saloon and the machinery are all to be carried in the rolling ship — for it must be presumed that neither her size nor all her designer's precautions will prevent the ship itself from rolling in heavy weather — it is c^^pfas^fcßit if "the:; occupants of the'< saloon are to be relieveil of "the rolling motion, the saloon must itself • have 'motions the reverse of those of the ship imparted to it. And this is precisely- what is proposed, viz., to roll the saloon within the ship just as much as the-lship', rpjls,,: ■jbut in jihejapposi-te, .directiqn, so. that jthe.. the Csaloon.may . feel nolrolK-.. ing motion at all. Another way qf r viewing thg matter is that of considering the ship to roll around the saloon, the object of all the-machinery being to prevent We |hip.frotn carrying the saloon round with St. i Jtgsmownece^s|,ryitPi sjiysmpre upon. ifckjfl.pojht' a^pjjeie'nl^ ibeckusejth.ej proper^ occasion for describing the saloon ma- [ chinery more fully w,ill be the trial of this machinery in ap^^^twhj^hlsWlllbl made', before very long.