A REVOLUTION IN STEAM NAVIGATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 45, 21 February 1880, Page 1

A REVOLUTION IN STEAM NAVIGATION.

'"'J3Vew\Fiir& , -HefflM ow ... • ' ■. .iL. „.t.,. „./;(/< ' , , r „| ,%Jji;.-J Professor Edison,, the i celebrated electrician, has just imade a discovery of such vast importance that it is; believed it will cause a complete revolution in navigation, and in a few; years place the magnificent steamers of; the present day as much behind the times; ias the Chinese junk is now. The .great aim Professor Edison has had in view for many years is to discover the manner in which to make the most use, ot electriaity as a motive power, and his ' laborious and patient researches have at last been crowned: with success.

.Last 3rear r '- ! He i f ;oaia'de i 'afidv. c6riipliatep- ; a ! :' 'Wbrkitfg jioaei whioh 'thoroughly |apr " IV ]f/Ared :ll to ;hfeet- -the f!! niost- '^abguibe^ 0 "/^i!^o^iWriW ! ttttf 'oSrißtr^eWK'^ ! The ; 31 FroFes^oV J dfeW designs o hibiself of - a 1 - v -'b'ttftiiif tfl 7 lkun f 6h 'of f ab6ut' ' ?orle h ? uh(ired 7 1 ? Mt f in 'lgng'th^and landed 5 -' Ms -'-p bns' - rib a '^s\bn r ;n*rtti i»f Shipwrights for' /ebniple^iorj. (1 Thb ; little -vessel was :: btail t l bf; wrio'rJ, and sheathed beheeith the 3 . 'water line with very -iheavy-sne'ets of ./"'ltop^rj. .'•A c Vthe | Bame i iMt 'the f: '-vdsiei ■ J "'was in course 1 of ; constVuetion tb c iiSchin'ery fdr the 1 mechanisai /was also '^'rieiEf^. built. In" ; order to 'j^aiojisly " pfeserve, his secret Professor Edjaon r [ ojti aot^iveairhis desrgD& tb f dtie^tD|. ( 3 4jJ HB dreW'th'e-pa'rticula'rß 6t the whole. . :, pt 'the matjhinery in separate part's, and , ; gave' the i Oratige Plbhgli Company the . prepannga pdrtiob, 'Bob-" 7ion Cutlery Gompatiy another "portion, whllstLaird, ©fßirkebbeody ,; ttie. b'aiahco. The hull when completed "' t^as eentFtb the Professor's r residen'ca| on the; banks 6f 'the River, 'and . I'h'br tly* after -he v was 'also in receipt of 1 ihe'machiriery. Edigon, 4itb ihe help I of -lrie ; aseUfant';'Mr O;' VvTendijll, fitted the vessel upind found ithe iariousoontrac'tors^hMd^conipleted'tbeiri , 7 !jv6rk . 'excellently, l and -' thdt with "' ;,i the 'exception of- J a -few 'alttera''/tiuns everything fitted perfectly^ ' and the vessel' generally came up toj his. '■"e'atpectatio'ris 1 / and desires. : ' Profejsso'r. " Edisbo being how practically cbnviqced of the value of his 'invebtiorj,!'dejter- '.. iained to a cefrtaitf -extent to make; bis discovery public and to this cod invited , a numb'er-of distinguished anil scientifio genllenien^to -'-'witness I '^the trial of bis ',1, new launch, which 'was appropriately ! /namei'lhis * Lightning.' Oh ; arriving: by a /l special 'train ! a l the -Professjor'a. mansion, the company proceeded] ,oel board 1 the launch. : Amongst ,: ' those ' ',!'. present We 'noticed ! Mr s Richatd A". :L ' d Proctor, PriofessoWy tfailiy the' $on.' ... iir ; Steward. Senator '"Chase, Profelsaor S. bfthed, Hon. Cnas. I 'M^sghiao, and many other . distinguished 'passengers, 1 In appearance thd i7 ( Lightning' did not "dijffar miteriially froo^' ; the general rub,' Vbf t laun : 6he'B ' ex'bept :i iri : the extreme^ beau^ of hbr. Hues; and ! thiat'ehe ha^., no funnel c or iriggin^. v The sigria for ,'.': atartiug " f WaS; given ;by the "Profaaspr^ S^ho to'uchbd a BmalPivbry knob and? .'.* las'tantly 1 two' iarge'electric bellsi filled „' "-th'a ; air i: .Vith ;ha^ ; aioby; 'All; 'being, : 'ready' the : Professor pressed a' jS/n^jl ".' , ; lever and the bbat slowly r mdved ! a^ad until "clear of, the rocks -about' the r shored r , jrhen ahbther' toUqh' caused 1 the little J " vWei% j Pffßh oahe^0 ahe^a 'Hke/'a racehorse., NewbbrgV'a distßbfc§ of 45 miles, jwas' reached in three 'hours. On the return ".journeV, [the ' Profe';ssbr Showed bow J easily the; 'vis's el Was handled,' for W'i th a .' email 1 lever, u inOfihg it more or lees| one. 7wa'y : or the other, the launch , abead or'aßterDj'eiclwly or at full sp|eed, almost instantlyl ProfEdiaon conrtedußly slip wed. 'our ''reporter bvorthe boat|abd „,- explained tob.ioa.lbb various arraingeV 7"ih.enis. ''In' the * ce'btre of the -viessel. . "Was" a' 1 tank fiiliecl f "with' ; a sdlutiob' of Bulpbu'ric acid and a large numbisr of, . c ?ibi)p|ftteß connected : With wiresj the ":'. 'Opposite "'metal fdr 'completing the" , "battery" was v moi , c"by" connecting with ';. "the cop;per"ehe'athing of thevesael |out- ,, side. ", The, 'mariner in w; ioh this j w.a? done so as to pre'veu't the fliiid passirjg ; off , ' ,Was one of the sicrets of the invenuon.^ ."Oii proceeding' info 'tlie 'eugine-rpom, ,[. ', the sight w'ais "very novel— inateaii "of 7 bejog, raet'by a hot 'oily' smell ; , nothing of 'the sort" was ' e&berien'ced. 2 Tlhere,, , was no beat, no smell, tro dirtrno dily. engineer,, merely a beaurifircle^n little apartment, and in (he centre a number of mysterious bright steel cTankßj and wheeHFwbizzing'-to-and fro or rbun^ rCI ,Bnd round at an ioorediWe speed . The' JJ ''frfesfc Jfi*sifce&Ml! f i- f ukhe? ; motive power was used, namely Rnptional, electricity^ generated partly by ■prk}inSm^*MbmJtbe engine! and.; <by the Vessel o; herself as! she t vo^oiShed 'through v |he liwater* .I'J.'JHoiy'is'' ?"i .innocently vaSked ioujr re-uL^-ofteri^'V^batjisoanother secret,' 1 said ' >'h the^Professorii i The*. vessel's screw was:' - :i-a udoiible -one, 'Working in opposite ■■' fcdireotibnp,. the angle dflilhe fans being '•- 7 *eViereed7 They. we^eu(rcorked(On one ■* v^haf^'Jwhich was hollow, with. ."aEOthei: through tbeieentrej the exterior 7. BhafUiWorkiiigonbrscrewi the interior ■ i Ode. the'9ther.r.>Professor\ Edison win, , ■ a forms us: that his iaventianioiinibe (jap-j 'Jipliedito tbedargeßt vessels .-afloat,! and

aV.only about halfdho Coßfe;of ordicary ( : Jengineß and • boHerflj.-.ando hq>:W(>oldv i !Ruara,ntee: a^peedfOif; frw.entyfijknpts (Bit \ ijeJefat. ::The expenßesaie tflrh ;flinp, as ;^(tbousond-rton, yessei: tojght be rworked::fo^s.ftQ\delkrft!ai^etrji(lea\ ibg.' io,ut?the wages of twoepgine.ere;a.nd the. : chance of fany dcoide.n|s»!i; The/chief e;j;-----i peqaea would vbe-forrpiMfpr therW.prl;i,ng( ;. pa.rte:andj renewing. the ; ssi.PPB., in th,s I . b;ajt(tery.*. -.to.'; .;"■ ;T.'"" ': ■> g".,";/•; \*rv.M