John Hepworth

Ship Builders and Steam Engine Boiler Makers, of the Isle of Dogs

Connected with the design and construction of the Great Eastern steamship.

1866 Built the Ross Winans, a 'cigar ship' 256ft long and 16ft in diameter for Winans . Patented by Ross Winans.

1866 'LAUNCH OF THE ROSS WINANS CIGAR-SHIP.
On Monday last the remarkable structure known to travellers up and down the Thames as the cigar-ship was launched from the yard of Mr. Hepworth, at Cubitt Town. This singular-looking craft has been built for Messrs. T. and W. L. Winans, from designs for which they are the patentees, being the fourth which they have constructed upon tho same principle. One was built several years since for them at Baltimore, and from this, which was propelled by a large screw in the centre of the ship, they obtained a speed of fifteen knots per hour. Two smaller ones, each about 70 feet in length and 8 feet in breadth and height, have lately been launched at St. Petersburg and Havre. The present ship is 256 feet in length and 16 feet in breadth, being of the same breadth as that built in America, and 26ft. longer. Her shape along the sides and bottom is that of two arcs of a circle, the screw shaft running from end to end along the centre, being the chord of both arcs, and she floats exactly up to her centre in the water, as was proved on her being launched. Up to the water line she is constructed of the finest iron plates 5/8 in. thick; and above this she is of steel plates 5-16in. in thickness. She is divided into twenty water-tight compartments, and 18ft. at each end is fixed to the screw shaft and revolves with it. This shaft is 7 1/2in. in thickness in the centre, but near the screws is 15in. thick. It is worked by three upright cylinder high-pressure condensing engines, supplied with superheated steam by four boilers, of a construction similar to those of locomotive engines. A fourth cylinder is added, whose work is to shift 20 tons of lead to counteract the tendency to roll from the motion of the screw. The engine-room is in the centre of the vessel, and the boiler-room and furnaces are below — the first being 20ft. in length and the other 25ft. In front of the engine-room is a smoking saloon, handsomely fitted up beside, 12ft. in length, and behind which are sundry state rooms, with berths, &c. Further forward is the cook's galley, and yet further is the forecastle, where are the berths of the firemen and engineers. Abaft the engine-room are the saloon, 26ft. in length, and several state rooms. There is accommodation on board for 30 passengers. Proceeding further aft you come to the sleeping apartments of the crew, where is the windlass, a long crank to worked by hand, and here are the anchors, which are like two great clock weights suspended in a couple of canisters, which rise from the bottom of the ship, and are open below. Through these tubes the anchors, weighing a ton each, are lowered, and are supposed to be quite strong enough to hold a vessel giving so little resistance to the water as this vessel is expected to offer. The engines are in all of about 230-horse power, nominal, but it is intended to work theta to from 1,500 to 1,800-horse power. The screws will protrude beyond the widest part of the vessel 3ft. on each side, being 22ft. in diameter, and are constructed with 9 blades. Near the screws and 6ft, in towards the centre of the ship are the rudders, which are worked by machinery placed between the funnels. The deck is 130 ft. in length by 10 1/2ft. in width, and from it rise two telescope masts. She was launched just at 4 o'clock yesterday, and being built level on the cradle she went into the water so that the centre of the vessel touched the water first. Mrs. W. L. Winans broke the bottle on her point, for it can hardly be called a bow, and naming her the Ross Winans wished her success. The idea of her inventors is that such vessels would be of the utmost value for carrying mails and passengers; would travel with great speed and steadiness ; and that were such vessels employed, we might have daily mails to America. However events may justify these gentlemen's expectations, they have so far commenced an experiment upon an almost unexampled scale, and with an amount of spirit and judgment worthy of American citizens, and which will insure them the hearty good wishes of all.' . See also T. and L. Winans.

See Also

Loading...