82 



Sl^e jTarmcr's iUontl)lg Visitor. 



An env :.:ati(3n of many rfthe advantages of Hun- 



Itr's sleamer over all others. 



L'Tlie inacljiiiery and puiMIe wheels are en- 

 tirely protKCtet! I'roiii shot ami llie irregnlai ao- 

 lioii of ihu sea. 



2. The entire length of the deck is available 

 for a bailery. 



o. liy means of the shield deck, the vessel is 

 reiKlered a life boar, and c.inr.oi be sunk by hhot. 



4. Thi.-i vessel can ont-nianopiivre all others, 

 bv reason oC the l.itei'.il or horizontal action ol 

 her |)addls wlieels. •Ahich enable her to turn on 

 the cenli-e ot a circle. Sh:' can, therefore, at 

 any time readily .;;ive or r.void a rakini; fire ; and, 

 for the Same i-eafons, can, in a navri.'\v channel- 

 way, keej) miller way with jioi' broatl.-iide a;iainst 

 or acrn.Js the tide: and In-', by a vibratory 

 juovenicnt, without advancing or receding, can, 

 ill a channel-way only her length or breadth, 

 comniaiid her [losilion, modifying it as may be 

 nece.as.iry, and prolong- her fire at pleasure. She 

 thus is equal lo a line of batteries of the same 

 weijjhi ot' melal, as <rreat in e.'tent as the navi- 

 gable length of the channel. 



5. This vessel rei]iiires no rudder to direct her 

 course, being steered by the throttle valves and 

 starting bars of the engine. 



6. The aftion of her paddle wheels aid ma- 

 chinery being noisele.ss, she is fitted fur siir|irise. 



°'. Having lu'tiier wl.eel-honses, guards, nor 

 cros^■-shafls, in point of tonnage she. saves tiieir 

 weight, and that of the paddle wheels, which 

 float. 



8. The simplicity of her "lachinery, the con- 

 sequence of her paddle wheels and their cases 

 being made to serve as air pumps and condensers 

 and thus comh^'iimj the almosjdioric auxiliary 

 power, and all the advantages of the low jires- 

 sure e.:gines with the simplicity and iightness of 

 the high, gives a vast available amount of tonnage 

 for the trans|)0"tHtion of I'uel, and reduces the 

 actual vv'eight of the engines full three-fourths 

 below that of those at present in use. 



9. The power of the engine being imparted 

 in a line with the keel, and not at right angles to 

 it, as is the case with the orninaiy paddle wheel, 

 the advanlaL'e is gain-d of appl\ing the motive 

 power at the junction of the centres of gravity 

 and motion, and, consequently, at the point w here 

 it is most availaljle to propel ; and the propellers, 

 acting on a coniiunoiis resistance, being always 

 submeiged, the vess'd and machinery are snb- 

 jecie I to less wearand tearthau thtit consequent 

 upon the ordinary action of the paddle wheel, 

 which is applied lo the siirfacr; of the water with 

 the mechanical power of the haniiiier, and is 

 subject to the gravitating influence of the water 

 in emerging fumi it. 



10. As a crnisini; steamer, using her sails to 

 prolong her .'•■upply of fuel, her wheels subject 

 her to scarcely any perceptible diminution of 

 speed, because they are mainly within the body 

 of the vessel, and, v\ hen disconnected from the 

 engine, float, and, const quently, revolve readily 

 of tliemstlves. 



11. Tl:e projieller becoming more effective by 

 the denser resistance of its increased submer- 

 sion, the vessel may be '>iden to the extent of her 

 greatest capacity of dispiaci ,,ie:it, whilst other 

 steamers cannot be l-ulen beyond the dip of their 

 paddle wheels. This advantage, in fact, doubles 

 the relative available tonnage of the vessel. 



12. When built of iron, her propellers acting 

 beiow the flrating ice, she is perfetily adapted lo 

 the uses of an ice-breaker. 



13. A vessel thus propelled cannot, in a heavy 

 sea, broach to or bring by the lee, unless throngli 

 the grossest negligence, becan.^e, ;he propellers 

 being in the centre cf the vessel, disconnected 

 and lateral in their action, the vessel can readily 

 he brought out of the trough to head the sea. 

 The nidmary steamer is ever liable at such a 

 t me to tliese dangers, because then her paddle 

 wheels aam.ot be discomn cted. 



14. T^;s vessel may run alongside a wharf, 

 board, or tow, in a sea-way, with entire protec- 

 tion to the propellers, inasmuch as ilipy are un- 

 der shelter fiom the protection of the vesst^l'.- 

 Wides. The ordinary steamer cannot do these, 

 because her paddle wheel shaft would interlerc 

 to iiushi[( tlie wheels, and tlie wheel-houses ol 

 ihHiii.selves would i.iitit lier tor the service. 



1.1. In a gale of wind, it -vonld never he at- 

 tempted to heave to an ordinary steamer, unless 

 she eouid display in proper position more can- 



vass than the surface of her wheel-houses, which 

 is always impossible, whilst this ve.-sel can be 

 hove to with perfect safety, cither under canvajs 

 or under her lee wheel. Through a head sea 

 site may be driven will; nearly the same velocity 

 as through smooth water, becat:se the propellers 

 are in either case equally etficient, being alvays 

 submerged. Not so with the ordinary ste.'uier ; 

 at sncli limes she has always one wheel too 

 deeply immersed, whilst the -other is revolving 

 al'iiost entirely in the air, and ihe impussiblhiy 

 of di.-- otmecting them, in consequei^ce of the 

 irregular action imparted to the machine, render^ 

 them bo'ih, at such a time, not only useless but 

 extremely oaugerous. 



WM. W. HUNTER, 

 Lieutenant United States jYavy. 

 February Q6, 1843. 



fVofhington City, JVovember 18, 1842. 



Sir: — By yiiur direction, 1 have the honor to 

 submit tlie following stalen.ent, e.^hibiting in de- 

 tail a plain practical way to economize vastly in 

 the expenditure of money and time in the dis- 

 charge of several duties indispensable to the 

 naval service. 



A small iron steamer of light draught of water, 

 with submerged horizontal metal pro|iellers, 

 sliouliJ be appentied to each depot; lier dimen- 

 sions adapted to the ready passage of locks in 

 canals, with power for towing, and capacity to 

 •carry at least one hundred tons. This manner 

 of propulsion is ascert^'lned to be, beyond all 

 question, fierfoctly adapted to the navigation of 

 canals as well us the se:., and for the service of 

 towin:; and des|jatch, as well as for the uses of 

 an ice breaker. Such a vessel car be built en- 

 tirely of iron, complete for operation, for $35,- 

 000: and, when ii shall be desirable to use her 

 for [uirposes of assault, lookout, surprise, fif signal, 

 a heavy pivot gun will be mounted on her, wliich 

 shall at all limes be kept in readiness tor this 

 service at the depot to which she is assigned. 



In the event of hostile fleets in superior force 

 occupying parts of our bays and sounds Ibrmiug 

 Ihe common navigable highway between dislaiit 

 points of our country, this small steamer may 

 with safety pass beyond ihe range of iheir guns, 

 because the extensive flats in our bays and sounds 

 admit of the passage of vessels of light draught 

 of water, for :iiosi part, btjond gunshot range of 

 the channel ; and thus may be effected the im- 

 portant service of a lapid, economical, and safe 

 transportation, through canals, slio;d water, and 

 over flats, from the lakes to the seacoast, fro.u 

 depot to depot, and alimg the entire line of cur 

 .-Vtlaulic seaboard, of heavy ordu; oce and ord- 

 nance stores, troops, seMiuen, anchors, chain ca- 

 bles, ships' tanks, provisions, and all tlie muni- 

 tions of war that it may he necessary to assemble 

 with despatch at a given point, us well as coals 

 for the use of steamers, &c. ' 



T!ie present available iisefulnessof tluse liltle 

 vessels will be found in the facility :md despatch 

 tiiey afford in itie transportation of seaman, pro- 

 visions, ordnance, and other weighty stores, such 

 as anchors, chain 'ables, iron t mk.s, blocks, rig- 

 gin?;, &c. — the freight-iuoney on which, paid 

 yearly by the Government, will more than build, 

 equip, and defray all the expense of said steam- 

 ers. 



Beside this, their saving to tlie Government in 

 towing national vessels to and from se'. against 

 adverse winds and cur''entf, and the facility and 

 economy with which they can supply vessels 

 with water anil provisions, will save yearly a 

 large ;i mount of monty. 



The material nt' wliich they are constructed, 

 being imperishable and incombustible, will ren- 

 der repairs for many years unnecessary, i'lie 

 water-tight iron bulkheads of the vessels, divid- 

 ing her into distinct sections, lender her a life 

 boat; for, allli(.ii<;li shot or other injuries may 

 cause one section to fill with water, yet the buov- 

 ancy obtained from the others will still keep her 

 afloat. Thus are obtained these three imporiant 

 ends : 1st, an insignificant cost, if any, for re- 

 pairs ; Qd, a giiaianty against destruction by fire ; 

 ind, yd, an almost entire security from the risks 

 of sinking. 



T'>,' cost of maintaining and paying her crew 

 w.ll he almost nnihiiii;, because it should not 

 coiisii-t of more than (bur persons. When it is 

 desired to use the vessel, an assistant enginoe'' 

 and three men shonld be detailed from the depot 



for her crew. When her service shall hav® 

 been performed, this crew will resume their reg- 

 ular duties at the depot, and tliB ve.«sel may be 

 seemed to .he v.haif, where she may remain 

 without the cost of attendance, because, as be- 

 fore slated, the material of which she is con- 

 slrncted is not perishable. 



If it is desired to -Mipply speedily a ship-of-the- 

 liiie (in Hampton road, for instance) willi 100,000 

 galloi,< of water, the manner in whir h it will be 

 done by this vessel is this, which will at once 

 evince iho great economy of time and money 

 consequent upon ils use: Her Crew (viz. the as- 

 sistant enginee: and three men from the depot) 

 wi ; be directed to proceed to the Dismal Swamp 

 canal with ilie steamer. Her fuel will cost noth- 

 ing, because it will be abundantly supplied by 

 the cuttings atul chips of the navy yard, which 

 for other purposes w^iild be of no value. When 

 ill Ihe canal, a cock in the side of the vessel is 

 turned, and she will soon take in 25,000 gallons 

 of fresh water. The cock is then shut, and the 

 little steamer' proceeds to the ship. When along- 

 side, instearl of requiring the labor of the whole 

 crew of the siiip for a day, with the wear and 

 tear of cord:ige and water cask's to hoist in these 

 25,000 gallons of water, as well as the wear 

 and tear ol' boats, bars, sails, rigging, &c., the 

 engine of the steamer works a force-pump, to 

 which is attached a hose leading to the shifi'a 

 water casks or tanks, and, with the expenditure 

 of a few chips, the 25,000 gallons of water are 

 placed in the ship's water tanks ; and the sleamer, 

 in all weather and against any tide, when boats 

 could not perform the service, will repeat, with 

 certainly, the operation, until the vessel is water- 

 ed, whilst the crew of the ^hip may be otherwise 

 employed in preparing lor sea. 



It is a truth, thai the cost of wear in rigging 

 and water casks, in the operation of hoisting in 

 the tenth part of her w.iier, together with the 

 wear and tear of the ship's boats, oars, sails, &c., 

 used for ihe conveyance of the same, would 

 more than pay the whole expense of watering 

 the vessel by the plan proposeil, to say nothing 

 of the loss of lime, labor, exposure ol' the crew, 

 and detention of the vessel. By the same mean.a, 

 the vessel, which might be otherwise kept from 

 her cruising ground by adverse winds and tides 

 may be towed to se.i at comparatively no expense. 

 This same service, as it is now performed by pri- 

 vate steamers, co^is twenty times as iimch, and 

 is attended with risk of injury to the vessel being 

 towed, because these sterniiers are not suitably 

 conslrucled for such service, and their command- 

 ers not being amenable to naval law, they, in fact 

 and in practice, command the time and manner 

 of execuling this service. 



The foregoing staiemeiits are Ihe more confi- 

 dently submitted for your consideration, from the 

 t'act that I have already performeda part of tlio 

 si'rvices herein rel.fted with my liiile experiment- 

 al steamer the "Germ," propelled on the plan 

 described. And I take this occasion to state that, 

 ill the course of my experiments with her, she 

 has run through ocean, lakes, rivers, canals, over 

 10,000 miles, with a crew of I'.ree persons, and 

 at a cost of /?'•'' dollars per d.'v, including fuel. 

 I have the s.-'i- iiclion further lo acquaint you 

 that I have taken the first vessel (viz. tne " Germ") 

 by steam power from the Allantic seaboard to 

 Lake Erie, and thence back to her starling point 

 iti North Carolina ; and, in so doing, have [iracti- 

 cally shown that, as soon as the work of enlarg- 

 ing the Eric canal through the State of New 

 York, now in progress, shall be completed, armed 

 steamers of 200 Ions, of this construction, by 

 reason of their peculiar adaptation to canal navi- 

 gation (they causing no injury to the banks) may, 

 at the pleasure of lue De[)arlment, be despatch- 

 ed from the Atlamic to Lake Erie. ^ 



Li developing these facts, which .Tppear lo me, 

 in a military and other points of view, valuable 

 to our country, J have cheerfully incurred much 

 expense, which has brought me no return beyond 

 the attainment of these ends. Should you eon- 

 cur with me in the belief that this experimenlal 

 boat, the "'-eriif may be in miiy ways usefully 

 enqiloyed in tlie service, L le^pectfully propose 

 that she shall become the p operly cf the Gov- 

 ernment, at her actual -c-itst i . me — viz, 85,000. 



Resiieclfully, your obtdi'-nt servant, 



W.VV. HUNTER, 

 Lieutenant United States JVavy, 



Hon. \. P. Upshur. 



