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ON AMERICAN STEAM-BOATS. By Mr C. ReDFIELD of 



New York. 



'The increase in the number of steani-boals in the waters of 

 the United States within the last fifteen years, which has not 

 failed to excite both surprise and gratulation, is hardly greater 

 than the improvements which have been made in their structure 

 and efficiency. Before the commencement of the period alluded 

 to, the steam-engine had been brought nearly to the maximum 

 of its efficiency as a moving power, and the adaptation of its 

 energies to the purposes of navigation, though less advanced, 

 was- supposed to have nearly reached the same stage of perfec- 

 tion. About ten years since, the steam-boats which navigated 

 the river Hudson, and which were doubtless superior to any 

 others of that period, performed the passage between New York 

 and Albany in from eighteen to thirty hours, according to the 

 favour of circumstances : five years later, and from one to four 

 deeply laden vessels, each of more than two hundred tons' bur- 

 then, were towed through the same route, by a single steam- 

 boat, in an equal range of time. 



The power and speed of the Hudson River steam-boats, as 

 well as those employed on the Mississippi and elsewhere, have 

 continued to be annually increased up to the present time. In 

 the year 1827, the passage between New York and Albany, 

 which is supposed to be equal to 150 statute miles*, had been 

 performed under favourable circumstances, in about twelve 

 hours. In 1829 this passage had been accomplished in ten 

 hours and thirty minutes, and in 1831 in ten hours and fif- 

 teen minutes, all the stoppages on the river being included in 

 these statements. But the giant offi»pring of science and the 

 arts had not yet attained its full strength and maturity, and 

 during the present season (1832) the passage has been perform- 

 ed in nine hours and eighteen minutes, including the time spent 

 at the different landings. Claims to this rate of speed have also 

 been set up by more than one competitor. It appears highly 



• The distance between the two points by the river-road is reputed to be 

 equal to 1G2 miles. The direction or course of the channel of the river, 

 though generally favourable, ranges betiveen south-west and north-east. 



O 



