422 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, 



the ship. Ho did not, however, succeed in fastening the chains 

 as he desired, and his plan was abandoned for the time. In the 

 meantime, Mr. Towle had succeeded in his attempt. He had at 

 first used a chain made of one and a quarter inch iron, but it was 

 not strong enough. He then used a cable made of two and a 

 half inch iron, the largest cable on the ship. The upper portion 

 of the rudder-head was ribbed, and around this portion he 

 wound the cable, driving in iron wedges between the links and 

 between the ribs, until he had made a drum of three and a half 

 to four feet in diameter. From the circumference of this drum 

 he passed the cable towards the two sides of the ship, connect- 

 ing it with large iron ports. By a tackle applied to these chains 

 he could hold the rudder in position. Thus far it had been in 

 the way of the propeller-screw, but now that could be used and 

 the vessel set in motion. He then connected these cables with a 

 wheel intended for steering the vessel, and with a gang of men 

 at this wheel he could easily steer the ship. The connecting 

 chains were frequently broken ; but he stationed a man on each 

 side of the ship, at the tackle, already mentioned, whose duty it 

 was always to haul up the block, so that, if the connecting 

 chains should break, the only inconvenience was that the rudder 

 remained fixed in whatever position it happened to pass, until 

 the chains could be repaired. 



PIERS AND DOCKS. 



Mr. Dibben. — I present this subject to your notice, mainly with 

 a view of calling your attention to the condition of the piers and 

 docks of this city. If you will make a tour of the water front, 

 and examine the structures over which, probably, the greatest 

 commerce of any single city in the world is passed, you will be 

 obliged to admit that New York has little to be proud of in the 

 present condition of her wharves and piers, nor Avill you see any 

 signs of future progress. Now and then you will see a gang of 

 men patching some old rotten and dilapidated pier, but every 

 where an abundance of unsightly encumbrances, and everywhere 

 natural advantages neglected and lost, mainly from the fact that 

 most or all of these alterations are made without any system or 

 unity of purpose. Many of these structures are well adapted to 

 some particular or individual interest, while at the same time 

 all greatly derange the general good. At the present time, 

 ■several of the piers on the North river require repairs almost 



