188 REPORT—1857. 
On the Philosophy of the Wave-Line System of Ship-building. By T. Moy. 
The purport of this paper was to explain the mode of forming the wave-line ; the reas 
son why the wave-line is the best form for vessels ; and to show how speeds equal to fifty 
miles an hour and upwards may be attained by using the wave form in its integrity. 
The mode of forming the wave-line was shown in the drawing exhibited. ! 
Treating water as subject to the same laws as solid bodies in motion, it was urged 
that the best motion for one atom of the column of water in trayelling its 20 feet from 
the cutwater to the extent of the midship section, is that which the piston of a steam- 
engine would receive if connected with a crank of the length of 10 feet, the connecting 
rod being supposed to be infinite. The wave-curve imparts this motion to each atom, 
and therefore to the whole column of water; and any attempt to make this line either 
fuller or sharper will cause a decrease of speed. Also that any angle whatever formed 
at the stem with the line of motion is improper and highly detrimental to speed. 
It was proposed that the common term “ resistance’ is inapplicable, and that the 
term ‘ duty”’ is preferable. 
The subject was then illustrated by supposing a vessel of 40 feet beam, 100 feet 
length of bow, and 200 horse power to travel at ten miles an hour; this vessel’s duty 
would be that of giving motion to two columns of water, one on each side of her keel 
at right angles to her course, at a speed of 176 feet per minute or 2 miles an hour. _ 
This vessel was called No, 2. No.3, with a bow 200 feet long, the same midship — 
section, and 400 horse power, will perform the duty of putting the water in — 
motion at 176 feet per minute or 2 miles an hour, while she performs 20 miles an 
hour. No. 4, with 250 feet bow and the same midship section and 500 horse power, 
will put the water in motion at the same speed, 176 feet per minute or 2 miles an 
hour, while the vessel performs 25 miles an hour; and No. 5, with a bow 500 feet | — 
long and the same midship section, performs the same duty of putting the water in | 
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motion at the same low speed of 2 miles an hour, while she travels at the speed of 
50 miles an hour, and only requires 1000 horse power,—while tie ‘ Great Eastern,’ 
in consequence of her great beam, would have to give motion to the column of water 
equal to 63rd miles an hour, in order to attain a speed of 50 miles an hour. A 
vessel of 8000 tons and 1000 horse power could be built upon the above sharp lines 
to travel at the rate of 50 miles an hour. 
The following is the rule to find the speed of the water at right angles to the line 
of motion :—Divide the speed in feet per minute by the length of bow and multiply 
the product by half the length of beam, which gives the speed of the column of water 
mat 
in feet per minute. ‘The following Table was referred to :— ~ 
© 
No Length of | Speed per | Miles per | Speed of column of 
% bow. minuteinft.} hour. water per minute. 
L 20 feet 176 2 176 feet | 
2. 100 ,, 880 10 176 | 
3. 200 ,, 1760 20 Lore F 
a 250 ,, 2200 25 TYG iss . 
5. 500 ,, 4400 50 LP Gif. 
‘Great Eastern.’ |330_ ,, 4400 50 547. «35 7 
On the Laying of Submarine Telegraph Cables. By Sir J. Murray. ; 
Mr, B, A. Murray made some observations on the advantages of “spinning silk 
from the cocoon,” and exhibited a model of machinery invented and patented by him _ 
> 
for effecting the new process; and stated that silk spun in this manner was perfectly — 
eyen and free from knots, and consequently greatly superior to the article produced _ 
by the old system ; in addition to which a great saving of labour and machinery was 
effected; weft being produced in one operation, and organgine in two operations, 
from the cocoon. One speciality of the patent is the spinning of the skeining reel 
and bobbin *. - 
* Applied to raw silk, the machine in one operation spins, doubles, and throws silk wound 
to a bobbin from the skein, ; > 
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