300 Improvements in Naval Architecture, &c. 



ships against wind and tide after the crew have abandonetf 

 them ; while, by the same contrivance, the look out ships 

 oT a squadron, or packet-boats, will be enabled to enter or 

 leave harbour in spite of wind and tide. But as those in- 

 terested in the adoption of such iniprovenienls need not 

 be informed of their lunnifold advantages, we shall con- 

 fine ourselves to a brief description of our tdvying ap- 

 paratus. 



•' The employment of steam-engines* for this purpose 

 has no novellv ; but, however competent this agent in other 

 respects, it has generally failed in this branch of ils appli- 

 cation, not from its own incompetency, but from a defect 

 in the commLuiicalion required between the power and the 

 water upon which it is destined to act ; and from not con- 

 sidering that a power insuHicieiit to move a vessel witfi 

 others. in tovv, may be sufHt;ient to move therii alternatelv, 

 that is to say, first the vessel containing the engine, and 

 then, by the communicating rope, the vessels which the 

 first-mentioned vessel has to move. 



" A steam-engine of fifty tons weight on board a barge, 

 or ship, will tow with much greater power and efitct, wliile 

 only impelling a vensel forward bv the action of the engine 

 against the water, than a thousand men can do with sweeps. 

 But if the same engmc is applied to wind up a rope, made 

 fast to buo)'?, anchors, or any other fixture, the power can 

 be increased to any extent, at the expense of a loss of time 

 njerely equal to tiie effect gained. 



" Many of the naval harbours in England arc so sitti- 

 ated that it is a fair wind to go to sea with, when perha[)S 

 it blows directly into the harbour's mouth. By the placinoj 

 of buoys, at about 400 yards distance from each other, this 

 difficultv may be overcome ; wiih an engine of the abov<} 

 description, men of war and transports might be towed out 

 clear of the harbour in a short time. 



'* This mav be efiecled m the following simple manner: 

 — The steam encine will drive itself in the barge to the first 

 buoy, where it will be made fast, at the same time paying 

 out about -too yards of tow-rope, or less, as the case may 

 require, ( ne end being fa,-t to the ship to be taken in tow, 

 the othiT being fastened to a eapstern, to be moved round 

 by the power of the engine. This movement br.ntrs the 

 snip up to the first buoy, where ii is made fast, when the 

 engine with the barge starts afresh to the next buoy, and 

 so on utuil the ship or ships in tow arrive at the outer buoy. 

 In situations where there are no buovs, aheliors may be 

 dropped, and sneedily weighed again by means of the steam- 



ensfine:^ 



