Mr Redfield on American Steam-Boats. 57 



usually at five in the evening, and accomplish the passage in 

 nearly the same time. Passengers in the former may enjoy airy 

 accommodations, and the interesting scenery of the Hudson, to- 

 gether with their accustomed repose at night ; and by means of 

 the latter, men of active and provident habits are able to trans- 

 act their daily business at will, either in our commercial metro- 

 polis, or in one of the flourishing cities at the head of naviga- 

 tion ; the intervening space of 150 miles being passed over du- 

 ring the hours of relaxation and repose, with no other discom- 

 fort than attends the occupation of a good mattrass with clean 

 linen, in a steam-boat usually loaded with passengers. The 

 price of passage is commonly fixed at three dollars. 



Most of these boats have undergone a material change in 

 their size, form, and general outfit, since their first construction, 

 in order to maintain a successful competition for the business of 

 this noble river. It will not be necessary to give an account of 

 the various efforts of professional skill, by means of which these 

 boats have attained to their present degree of perfection and 

 efficiency, but a general, and somewhat definite description of 

 one of the number may prove acceptable to the readers of the 

 Journal. 



The De Wit Clinton having been twice enlarged, is now of 

 the following dimensions, viz. entire length on deck 233 feet, 

 breadth of the hull at the water-hne 28 feet ; projection of the 

 deck or wheel-guards on each side, 18 feet; maximum width of 

 deck, including guards, 64 feet; depth of hold JO fe^U height 

 of the upper deck 11 feet; length of the great cabin 175 feet ; 

 draft of water, not exceeding 4 feet 6 inches ; diameter of the 

 water-wheels 22 feet ; length of the same, measured on the 

 buckets, each wheel 15 feet; depth of the bucket or paddles 

 37 inches; diameter of the iron water-wheel shafts 14 inches; 

 length of the crank 5 feet ; length of the stroke made by the 

 piston 10 feet; diameter of the piston QQ inches, its superficies 

 being equal to 3421 square inches. The gross length of the 

 working cylinder, which is placed in a vertical position, is 11 

 feet 10 inches ; its lateral apertures, by which the steam is re- 

 ceived and discharged, are 42 by 10 and f th inches. The engine 

 is worked by means of four circular receiving-valves, each of 

 17 inches diameter (two at either end of the cylinder), and 



