252 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



used liv you. ' any boat adoat, whntever may be her size, power, or builil. 

 Ag.-.inl pies^cl him to enndiido the levms of tlio mateh, and signed myself 

 asn-ont for Rnborl Napier, of Glasgow. » bo o«ns the I'lro Km" 



Atmu 1 found the Rnliy .at fault, for Mr. Billings replied on tlie l,)thjune, 

 that^as the " Kire Kin"" is low pressure, there could U' no objection to make 

 the match. Iml that his challenge was published when the Ruby waj '■ lying 

 up in dock. " at the present time the season is at lis lie.at. and all the boats 

 of the Biamnnd Comp,anv are iii full employment, and the Ruby could not 

 he spared olf her statiim' just now. she being their iirincipal boat, you must 

 therefore let the match stand over until the end oi the season, when the 

 Ruby could be withdrawn from her station for a few days for the purpose, 

 if Cmark the saving word ' if ' ) the conditions are agreed to. 



To this 1 answered on the IGth .lune, " your favour ot the 1.) h has, 1 must 

 <!ay surprised me. In this month's " Nautical Magazine you published your 

 challenge, wherein you had to repeat ' that you were mir/;/ to match the 

 Ruby to run from firavcsend to Margate and back for 20(J guineas, against 

 any Ijoat nlloat. whalever may be her size, power, or build. This was pub- 

 lished on the 1st of ibis month. Mr. Robert Naoier, the owner of the Fire 

 King metwUhyourchallengesomedaysafterwards intdasgow, and although 

 much disinclined to race, lie could not allow it to pass unheeded, nr your 

 ship to be published as faster than the Fire King. He lost no time in in- 

 structing me. and on the 9lh inst.ant your challenge was accepted in London. 

 You publicly stated that the Ruliy was "nnrfi/." both last month and this 

 month after your season had commenced, hut now when you have learned 

 that th'e Fire "King accepts your challenge, you object to run until after your 

 " reason " has finished.—] therefore now call upon you, and those concerned 

 with you. to complete the match, as you are bound in honour to do within 

 a reasonable time." t c- < o >• 



" Requesting the favour of an immediate answer, I am Sir, ytmr s, he. 



My next and last letter from Mr. Billings "begs me to recollect that tlie 

 Ruby is the property of a Public Company, whose engagements being com- 

 pleted for the season^ thev will not permit the boat to he withdrawn at present 

 from the station."— So that the grand challenge ends thus in nothing; and I 

 am confident your readers will conclude with me. that the Ruby shuns the 

 trial altogetheV, and many of your readers will think as I do, that the Gas- 

 conade challenge was given in Mr. Billing's letter (which by-the-bye con- 

 demns " swaggering and boasting '') merely to pulT the Ruby or her engineers, 

 m the vain confidence that no one would accept it. I beg to assure you I in- 

 tend nothing disrespectful to Mr. Billings or his Company, or to those behind 

 the scenes ; it is a pity they should thus have tarnished the lustre of the 

 Ruby. 



1 have now only to conclude by giving to you the '■ Fire King s " rate of 

 steaming, as ascertained on the fjare-loch last October, in presence of Mr. 

 John Wood the well known shi])-builder, Mr. Lloyd the assistant-surveyor of 

 steam machinery of the N.ivy, Mr. .1. Seoit Russell, Mr. Robert Napier, and 

 myself. 



min. sec. . miles 



No. 1 measured mile 4 0= 1 '1-45 per hour. 



2 .. 3 43 = IB-H' 



3 .. 3 r,s -' ir,\s 



4 .. 4 13 = li'^ 



5 .. 4 5= 14U9 

 G .. 3 42 lC-21 



7 .. 3 57 -- 1.51H 



8 .. 4 I(i - 14t)(i 



8 ) 120-09 



Land miles on the average per liour. l.'JOl 



Tlie miles were me,asured by us in three different and distinct parties, and 

 (he times taken by each individually. The Fire King's measurements are as 

 follows : — 



feet. in. 

 Length over stem and stem posts aloft.... 180 5 



Length of keel and fore rake 175 5 



Breadth between paddles 28 Oi 



Depth in engine-room IG SJ 



M.aking in all G(J3 tons 0. M. 



I am. Sir, your most obedient serviint, 



Alexanobr Gordon, 

 Agent for Robert Napier of Glasgow. 

 22, Fliuh/pr-xtreet, ll'ciimiiixler,] 

 June 23, 1840. 



LAUNCH OF TWO IRON STKAM-SHIP.S AT LIVERPOOL. 



Tnr confidence entertained in the good properties of iron vessels, .and par- 

 ticularly their advantage in combining strength with that light draught of 

 w.ater requisite in some brandies of trade, in peculiar localities, is becoming 

 daily more and more C(julirmed, by the success, both at home .and abroad, 

 of the ships built of that materi.al, and the improvements in their construc- 

 tion which experience enables the builders to introduce. It is not, therefore, 

 improb.able, but in twenty years lience, or [lerhaps within a shorter period, 

 one half of our mercantile marine may be of iron, copper, or some compo- 

 sition of various metals that may be w'rought by liammer, or cast in pieces, 

 and afterwards jointed, to any given mould or model. 



Be this as it may, the construction of "steam" vessels of strong sheet 

 iron is evidently much on the increase, particularly here and at Glasgow, the 

 two ))orts that were the first, we believe, in this country, and are still the 

 most succeaslul, (being piii to their " metal "j in directing their energies to 

 steam navigation. 'Jlie '• iron Meet " of Kngland is consequently receiving 

 apul accessions ; and not contented with turning out one vessel at a time. 



Mr. John Laird, has several on the stocks at once, and on .Saturday 

 morning, 6th ultimo, launched two from his yard at North Birkenliead by the 

 s.ame tide ! The time appointed (the tide being early) was about nine o'clock, 

 and by that hour a Large cimcourse of persons, including many ladies and 

 gentlemen from the neighbourhood, and not a few from this side of the 

 water, were in attendance. Both the vessels were decorated with Hags, and 

 some parties, besides the workmen, preferred going on board and being 

 launched with them. 



The first one launched was her Majesty's steam-vessel Dover, to be placed 

 on the station bet»een Dover and Calais, or Ostend. The following are her 

 dimensions and capacity : — 



Length (per measurement) .... 110 feet 



Breadth, or beam do. .... 21 feet 



Will admeasure about .... 230 tons. 



The Dover is the first iron vessel belonging to the Admiralty, and on lier 

 success will, no doubt, depend the future adoption of vessels oi^ her build by 

 the government. Slie is of a remarkably fine model, having a degree of ro- 

 tundity in her sides, with ample bearing, and a fineness in her lines, fore and 

 aft, which will, in all probability, ensure hera degree of speed and safety not 

 yet attained by any steam-vessel of her size. A few minutes after nine the 

 word was given, and she rushed into her destined element in g dlant style, 

 amidst the hearty cheers of the spectators, followed by a salute fired from 

 cannon on the quay adjoining the yard. 



The second vessel launchetl was the Phlegethon : — 



Lenelh (per measurement) . . . 1 .")7 feet G inches. 



Breadtli 20 feet. 



Capacity, upwards of . . . . .'iOO tons. 



.She is intended for sea and river service, on. we believe, a foreign station, 

 and w ill carry two long guns, one at the bow and one at the stern, to work 

 within a circle. This vessel is also of a fine model, with ample bearings, so 

 that she may carry sail when nquirc-d, either with steam or without it. 

 as her paddle-wheels, on a new principle, by Mr. Forrester, may, when re- 

 quired, Ije thrown out of gear. .She is hanilsomely. and «e may add. rakishly 

 rigged as a two-masted schooner, and will, we doubt not, prove to be a clipper. 



Slie was launched about halt-past nine o clock, and the sight was one of 

 the most gratifying ever l)eheld. ,Slie had a considerable distance to run 

 down Ibe ways before her forefoot reached the water, which slie took like a 

 swan breasting its native lake. We need scarcely say that the welkin again 

 rang with the acclamations of the spectators, who lined the yard and the 

 neighbouring shores, and w hich w ere returned with eijual enthusiasm by those 

 who stood on her decks. When afloat, the impression she conveyed from her 

 length and sharpness, w.as that of a very fast and mischievous looking craft. 

 She has a fine flush deck, and her paddle-boxes do not rise to an unseemly 

 height over her gunwale. 



We believe this is the first instance of two iron vessels being launched from 

 the same slip by the same tide, nor do we recollect a case occurring in Liver- 

 pool of two wooden vessels of so large size being launched in one tide. 



Both vessels exhibit many improvements in their construction, not tried in 

 any iion vessel previously built; and which render them two of the strongest 

 iron vessels afloat. They are now receiving their machinery, — the Dover, 

 from Messrs. Fawcett. Preston & Co., and the Phlegethon from Messrs. 

 Forrester & Go's establishment. Both, it is expected, will be ready in the 

 course of the present month. 



Mr. Laird is now building three iron steam-vessels to compose the new 

 expedition about to be sent by government up the river Niger, under the 

 command of Captain Trotter, — Liverpool paper. 



Tlie Archimedes. — This experimental vessel is gradually working its way all 

 round the coast, exhibiting its powers at the principal ports. It was at 

 Liverpool last month. On the 10th ult., we find by the Liverpool Slainlurd, 

 she made a trip, .and shortly before reaching the Crosby Light-ship, the 

 Duchess of Lancaster steam-ship was perceived making directly for the port, 

 and as she was known to be a remarkably fast sailer, and Mr. Smith being 

 desirous of proving the capabilities of the Archimedes, immediately 'put 

 about,' and awaited the arrival of the former vessel. On coming up, the screw 

 was immediately put in motion, and the two vessels went admirably together 

 for S' me dist.ancc, though we are bound in fairness to state that the Duchess 

 had a very .slight advantage in respect of speed, owing, as will be seen from 

 the subjoined comparison, to her proportions as to power, draught, ftc, being 

 better adapted for quick .sailing. The Archimedes had also the full strength 

 of the tide to contend with, whilst Iier competitor ran the whole distance in 

 the eddy. This is the first time the Archimedes has been beaten, with one or 

 two slignt exceptions. 



ARCHIMEDES. 



Diameter of cylinder 37 in. 



.Stroke 3 ft. 



Tonnage 237 



Draught 10 ft. 



Kstimated steam-power .. 80-horse 



Length between perpendicu- 

 lars 107 ft. 



Beam 22ft. 6 in. 



Area of midship section at 10 

 feet draught 143 ft. 



DUCHESS OF LANCASTER. 



Diameter of cylinder 40 in. 



Stroke 3 ft. 



Tonnage 238 



Draught : G ft. 



Kstimated steam-power .. 90-Iiorse 



Length between perpendicu- 

 lars 120 ft. 



Beam '20 ft. 



Area of midship section at fi 

 feet draught 100 ft. 



As there was a feeling on hoard relative to the slip or loss of power from 

 the screw, the following explanation will doubtless be satisfactory :— The 

 screw, being 8 feet pitch, would, if working ina solid, advance 8 feetforeach 

 revolution ; but, working in a fluid, the relative difference between the speed 

 of the screw and the vessel appears, at first sight, to be considerable, from the 

 supposril oblique action of the propeller. The following mode of calculating 

 the speed of both will show that tlie difl'erence is barely one-sixth, which is 

 Considerably less than that of ordinary paddle-wheels. 



