60 Mr Redfield on American Steam- Boats. 



The Albany is 207 feet in length, 26 feet beam, and has one 

 engine of Q5 inches cylinder, and 9 feet stroke. The Ohio is 

 192 feet in length, 30 feet beam, and has one engine, with 

 cylinder of 60 inches diameter, and 9 feet stroke. The New 

 Philadelphia is 170 feet in length, 24 in breadth, and car- 

 ries one engine of 55 inches cylinder, and 10 feet stroke. The 

 Constitution is 145 feet in length, 27 feet beam, and has one 

 engine of 42 inch cylinder, and 9 feet stroke. The Constel- 

 lation is about 149 feet in length, 27 feet beam, and car- 

 ries one engine of 44 inches cylinder, and 10 feet stroke. 

 The Novelty is about 220 feet in length, 25 feet beam, and 

 has two engines, with cylinders of 30 inches in diameter, 

 and 6 feet stroke, working horizontally, using steam of higher 

 elasticity, and dispensing also with the use of a condenser and 

 air-pump. Most of the above steam-boats carry their boilers 

 on the wheel-guards, entirely without the body of the boat. 

 The Erie and Champlain carry each four boilers, and the same 

 number of chimney pipes. The Novelty has four sets of boil- 

 ers, of about forty inches in diameter, three in each set, and 

 carries also four chimneys. 



Little apprehension in regard to personal safety is now enter- 

 tained by persons travelling in steam-boats. At a former pe- 

 riod, two commodious safety barges were employed on the 

 Hudson, which, in order to obviate all danger arising from this 

 source, were devoted exclusively to passengers, and towed at 

 the stern of a steam-boat. These barges, which were run during 

 the summer season from 1825 to 1829, had attained to a speed 

 of eight to nine miles per hour ; but the increase which, during 

 the same period, was given to the speed and size of the steam- 

 boats, tended to discourage this mode of conveyance, and it has 

 since been discontinued, to the regret of those who love quiet 

 enjoyment, and whose nerves have not been inured to confusion 

 by frequent proximity with the moving power. 



It has been frequently remarked, that the exposure to fatal 

 accidents on board of steam-boats, is much less than attends the 

 use of the ordinary means of conveyance, either by land or wa- 

 ter ; and it has been suggested, that the average loss of life by 

 steam-boat explosions, is even less than is annually occasioned 

 by lightning. In order to test the accuracy of this suggestion. 



