John Ericsson: Steam Boat 'Novelty'

Note: This is a Sub-section of John Ericsson

1838 Newspaper article :-
'STEAMING ON THE CANALS.
In an article under this head on Saturday last, we noticed the first down voyage from this town from London, through the canals, of a steam boat named the Novelty. Before entering into some further particulars respecting this boat we are desirous to correct an error into which we were led by an informant, and which not having ourselves witnessed the speed of the boat on the canal, we had no means of setting right at the time. We there stated her speed to be at the rate of nearly eight miles an hour : but so far from this being the case on the canals we understand that, all that is sought is to attain, as a regular speed, a rate of six miles an hour; and this speed has been maintained in even the first trial through the canals, in the most satisfactory manner. The speed of “nearly eight miles an hour” has been attained by the boat, but not on the canals : it was run a during trial on the Thames, under circumstances much more favourable to steaming than are to be obtained in canal navigation.

'We have already stated, that the Novelty is the hull of canal boat. Her form, to those unacquainted with the build of these boats, will be better understood when we state that her length is about seventy-four feet, with seven feet six inch beam ; she is heavy constructed, and, when loaded, draws about two feet water. We noticed that her engine was high pressure and of four horses’ power, supplied by steam by a small locomotive boiler.

'The boat is fitted with a species of paddles, already described, but perhaps better known as “Ericsson’s propellers,” in substitution of the side paddles of the old steamers — which are constructed to propel without raising a surge injurious to canal banks, and to pass through the narrow locks with ease and safety — objects hitherto unattained, and deemed impracticable. The main peculiarity of this invention is the construction of the paddle, so as to secure an action resembling that of a fish’s tail, or of perpetual sculling through the water. The difference between the operation of these propellers and that of the fish or double scull, is that instead of the force being alternate from to side, the propellors’ strokes upon the water are simultaneous. We before explained the construction of the paddle boards, and the fact of their revolving in opposite directions. This is effected by the wheels or rings being fixed one to a hollow shaft and the other to a solid shaft, revolving within the hollow one ; so that although they move in opposite directions, they turn upon the same centre : each opponent paddleboard striking the water at the same time. The power from the engine is communicated by a crank at the end the solid shaft ; a cog-wheel attached to the crank shaft works in gear with another cog-wheel immediately under it, and the reversed action of the other propeller is obtained by gearing and an endless chain. As these propellers work with the greatest effect when submerged, no waste of power is incurred, and a shaking motion is communicated to the boat. When in motion with its propellors submerged, there little to distinguish the Novelty from other canal boats, the old wooden funnel being retained; there being little smoke as coke is the fuel consumed; the engine and boiler being out of sight, and the only variation in her form being the elongation and widening of the stern, about 14 inches, with the addition of a slight stage for the helmsman.

'We noticed the fact of an experimental trip having been made by the boat on Monday week, upon the Duke of Bridgewater’s Canal. The party on board consisted of some of the principal canal proprietors and water carriers in this town and neighbourhood, and their friends. They started from the Manchester end of the canal, about six minutes, before one o’clock ; passed the Worsley branch twenty minutes past one o’clock ; and reached the wharf at Altrincham at half past two o’clock, having performed the eight miles in one hour and thirty-six minutes. The speed of the boat, and the fact of no towing horses being visible caused no small astonishment to various rustics on the canal banks; and some of the more cunning of these people, hearing the panting of the engine and seeing the bubbling of the water in her wake at length, decided that there was “summut aloive at her tail.” The voyagers, much delighted with their trip, proceeded to the Stamford Arms, Altrincham, where “Success to the undertaking” was toasted; and, amongst other healths given were those of Lord Francis Egerton. the representative and successor of the Duke of Bridgewater; of Messrs. Robins, Mills, and Co. the proprietors of the boat, and projectors of the experiment of steam propulsion on the canals ; and of their friend Mr. Williams, who steamed down in the Novelty, and kept her log.

'At twenty minutes before five o’clock, the boat started on her return from Altrincham bridge, and on her way came up with the Wellington fly boat, which having just before been freshly horsed, kept ahead for about two miles, but was then obliged to yield with a bad grace, his horses being half killed under the unwonted exertion. The Novelty passed “his grace” in fine style, and arrived at Messrs. Robins, Mills, and Co.’s wharf, at ten minutes after six o’clock.

'Owing to the construction and form of the boat, to the propellers being only partially immersed, to the engine being out of repair, and to the utter disregard of her “trim” during the experiment, it was observed that the propellers had not a fair chance; nor could the boat attain that highest rate of speed which her due emergence from the water must have produced. Her greatest emergence was to three-quarters an inch,—about 1-36th part of her draught: and it was observed that there was no sensible increase of her speed when the engine, from 70, increased to 84 revolutions per minute. Increase speed under such circumstances must have resulted, had the boat been of such a form to have allowed her to rise out of the water, and to keep her in trim. During the trial trip, no injurious ripple was produced by the propellers; but where the water was shallow, a ripple caused by the displacement of water by the boat, followed midway, and considerably impeded her progress. With deeper water her speed accelerated, and on the Thames she is said to have attained a rate varying from eight to nine, and even up to and exceeding ten miles per hour.

'We understand that the American government, ever on the alert has at once availed itself of this invention. An iron steam-boat built by Mr. John Laird, of North Birkenhead (under the inspection of Mr. F. B. Ogden, the United States consul at Liverpool) and fitted with these propellers, was launched on the 7th inst. She is at present waiting for her boilers, and it is expected will be tried on the Mersey in the course of next week. She is intended to be worked as a steam-tug, to tow ships upon the Delaware and Raritan canal (New Jersey,) which was completed in 1834, and is 42 miles in length. Her machinery is said to be of a new and improved construction and not a tenth part of the weight of the machinery in general use, of equal power.

'It is, perhaps premature to speculate on the great revolution which the success of this experiment, and the consequent adoption of steam power on canals, would occasion in canal navigation. Some of the earliest and most obvious results would be — the necessity of deepening the canals, or keeping more water in them: the avoidance of that delay now much complained of, boats waiting, very often for several days together, for turns, at the looks; an increased traffic in lighter goods means fewer boats than are at present employed on the canals. All these advantages, however, are of course contingent on the success of the mechanical invention, its application to canals, and on the degree of cordiality with which canal proprietors approve of a change, which some of them may imagine (whether justly not we do not affirm) will cause greater wear and tear of their property than that to which the ordinary mode of horse-towing at present subjects them — Manchester Guardian.

'According to the old theory of the resistance of water, to attempt increased speed was pure folly, as it had been demonstrated impracticable. A celebrated engineer, within these ten years, proved, before a parliamentary committee, that four miles and a half per hour was the greatest speed at which a vessel ought be moved, “otherwise the boats would drive the water out of the canal.” Now, on Monday week, the Novelty steamed about six miles per hour on a canal, and the water actually followed it, far from having been frightened out of the canal.
The old law was, “that the resistance offered by water to a boat increases as the squares of the velocity;” that is true as to the lower rates of speed ; but experiment proved, that when the velocity has attained a certain point (six miles per hour, and upwards,) the boat gradually rises out of the water ; and it has been found in practice, that at the higher rate of speed, the power necessary for traction is actually reduced. On numerous canals, a speed equal to that of the mail coach is regularly kept up, and horses are daily doing 750 per cent. more than Mr. Wood, the railway engineer, calculated upon. It will observed, that the emergence of the boat, at the higher rates of spend, lessens the transverse section of the boat previously immersed, and it glides along without creating any injurious disturbance of the water.— Courier.'

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