Trial of Electric Launches.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4944, 13 November 1884, Page 2

Trial of Electric Launches.

The electric launch, the Australia, which has just been completed and launched from the wharf of the Electrical Power .Storage Company at Millwall, made a trial trip on the Thames on Sept. 20. The hull of the Australia is of mahogany, and has been built for an Australian firm. It is 25f1. long, with a beam of sft. 7in. The motive power is derived from 50 electrical power storage accumulators which, placed in the bottom of the boat as ballast, supply the current toaKeckenzaun electro motor, which drives a twobladed gun-metai screw of 18in. diameter. The motor weighs 3801b5., and consumes a current of only 37 amperes, but the eiec* tromotive force is 100 volts, practically giving an energy at the rate of fire electrical horse-power. The trial was a competitive one, and took place from Millwall to Charing Cross Pier and back to Greenwich, the competing boat being no other than the well known Electricity, the property of the Electrical Power Storage Company. Several gentlemen, eminent in the electrical world, were present. The two launches started from the Millwall Wharf at fifty-two minutes past one, arriving in mid river at 1.57, when the race began. It may be said that the Electricity is a larger boat, and was builfe to travel at a greater rate than the Australia, having sufficient motor power on board to travel at a speed of 8| knots an. hoar, whereas the Australia is only iatended to travel 7 knots an hour For three and a-haif hours, after which the accumulators require being recharged by a dynamo machine. The motoc power of the Electricity, therefore, was reduced to that of the Australia, and on these lines the latter succeeded in reaching Charing Cross Pier a little in advance, the time of arrival being 2h. 35m. Both launches then swung round, and, in the presence of many spectators, the return journey was commenced. Waterloo va.i reached by 2 41. At London Bridge the Australia met with a small mishap, the staffing bos, having been packed a little too cightly caught on fire. This, however,, *as soon remedied, and once more ths little craft shot forward, and successfully completed her trip at Greenwich Pier By 12 minutes past four. One leading feature was the total absence of noise of any kind, whilst there is ao unpleasant jarring, such as is. experienced on steam launches. The propeller, too, is half the size of thatrequisite for a steam launch of|equal tonnage, in consequence of which there is very little. swell, a detail which would be very significant for the upper river. After the trial visitors adjourned to the ship, where Mr Courtenay, in proposing the toast of the Australia, hoped 4here would soon be quite a fleet of such bandy and useful boats afloat, as thers was no knowing into what the Auatsallia might develop. He ventured fca aay that electric boats would be built upon a much larger scale, and he believed that, owing to their noise-' leaaness and rapidity in movement,, they | would soon be used for torpedo boats. Mt f Eeckenzaun responded. Upon the whole the trial was very successful, and all pre;^nt expressed their entire satisfaction with th« behaviour of tbe Australia* —Anglo New