THE LARGEST PERRY-BOAT IN THE WORLD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 91, 15 July 1881, Page 4

THE LARGEST PERRY-BOAT IN THE WORLD.

There is now plying at the mouth of the Sacramento, in California, a steam ferry-boat, which is probably the largest in the world. The local ity is in the Bay of Carquinex, which penetrates deeply into the interior, forming a prolongation of the two united bays of San Paolo and San Francisco. The steamer, which is named the Solaao, carries over trains to the Grand Central Pacific Railway from Benicia to Fort Costa, on the j most direct line lroin Sacramento to San Francisco. She can carry several traim at once, without detachment of locomotives. On the deck are four lines of railway abreast, and these are capable of receiving fortyeight goods-waggons with their locomotives, or twenty-four passenger-cars of the American type (each supported on two joined trucks). The length of the deck is stated by La Nature to be 129.23 metres ; the width of the platform, 33.35 metres. The draught of water (with load) is about two metres, and tonnage 3600. These dimensions are considerably above those of the railway ferry-boat of the Lake of Constance, which is the largest in Europe (it is 70 metres long by 12 metres wide). The Solano has two paddle-wheels 9.14 metres in diameter. They are independent of each other, and each is actuated by a vertical beam-engine .of 2000 horse* power. These engines are placed one behind the other in the lorjgitudinal axis of the wheel, so as to give, on either side, the space necessary for t.vo lines. The vessel is steered either was by means of four balanced rudders, worked by hydraulic apparatus, which is actuated by independent steam engines. This system is said to work with perfect regularity.

The editor of the Canteraville Express says: — "There is a little browreyed, enthusiastic, high spirited lady, who, after ■he has cooked breakfast, cleared ihe things away, set the house to rights, attended the call of the bread wagon, and milked the cow, dona her hat and cloak, mines into this office, yanks as ont of the editorial chair, poonces on the exchange amputates every item of interests, stacks them on thedjjw hook, grabs up a Faber, travels it 4^Kjt quire of editor's manuscript papwWpnovea her snowy white apron, shove^nptJier sleeve*, grabs a stick and mle, and sets it all into type, read* the proof and corrects every error. That's f orwife, andeho'llgetherreward in heaven."