A TRIPLE-HULLLED STEAMER.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1333, 24 July 1883, Page 2

A TRIPLE-HULLLED STEAMER.

A new style of ocean steamer, which is a novelty in its way, has been designed by Captain William Coffin, of London. His models, which have, we believe, been on exhibition, show a compound ship composed of three ships’ hulls united as one .vessel, the two outer. buJU Wdtf'lQDtfeX' th’ad the central hull, and the whole being decked over. The outer hulls are of narrow beam and of equal lengthfand a hqlj.much shorter is placed in thft bentrd space between the two longer vessels The three hulls are rigidly connected by iron or steel, bulkheads, irdri or steel decks o? fraihes, and so as to leave considerable extra spaces between the ships. The centre ship is to carry the engines, and is provided with a propkUer at eUh e?d. . ; .AU; Ahj<w.. hulls are tapered from the centre, but vertically and longitudinally, and come to a rounded point at both entfe, sb m to enter the wave and reduce tho pitching motion to a minimum, the rolling motion being d«ne awa,y with by the extent of water spaces between the ships. The platforms or decks extend to about three-fiftha (more or Ipse) of the whole length of the outside ships In the centre, and the remaining portion of the ends, for* ward and aft, are covered over for passing through the waves ; but the. space between is not decked over, In construotinr Yot smooth water or river. purposes the decks may be earned the entire length of the out» side shins nearly horizontal, and in these esses the vessel may bp propelled by either a screw or paddle wheels. Stability, safety, and speed are claimed for this system.