60 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Febbuabv, 



3 10 4 feet water. The engines are of from 40 to 90 nominal horse power, 

 and of excellent worlinianship. The steamers are in fact similar to what 

 weie used on the Thames a few jcars ago, only shallower, and of fuller 

 huild. The vessel in which the passengers are placed is termed an 'accom- 

 modation /juaL' It is of similar dimensions wiih the steam-tug. and is fitted 

 up with passengers' cabins, and a 'cuddy' athwartships dividing them ; it 

 carries only passeneers and specie, and light packages and parcels. The 

 frfight-hoat or '.^a<' is also of the same dimensions as the steam-tug, viz. 

 120 feet long and 22 feet beam, and draws when loaded about 3 feet; it 

 has cabins for the captain and ship's officers only, and takes no passengers. 



One only of these vessels is tugged or drawn by the steamer at a time, so 

 that the freight and the passengers are never conicyed together by the same 

 steamer. 



The twin vessels are linked to each other at the bows and stern by a flat 

 beam of wood, which acts as a hinge, and serves also the purpose of a plank 

 for the crew to pass from one vessel to the other. 



Like the native boats, steamers are obliged to stop running during the 

 dark of night. In the dry season, the average passage up is twenty-four 

 days, and down fifteen days. In the rains, the average passage up is twenty 

 days, and down eight days. The number of voyages made annually by 

 each steamer is nearly six. In 1844, there were seven government steamers, 

 with their accompanying vessels, all of which were kept in activity. This 

 number has since been increased by two more, specially adapted (or troops. 



Besides these boats are those of another private company : — 

 The agitation of the question about the same time by other parties had 

 the eftect of drawing the attention of some of the Calcutta meichants to 

 the subject, who got up another steamboat company, raised a capital, and 

 ordered their steamers from London. It was named the General Inland 

 Steam Navicjalion Comjjany, and is perfectly distinct from the association 

 whose steamers form the subject of this paper. This company's steamers 

 are upon the tug system, but differ from those of the Government in being 

 of greater power, and being intended to tug or tow two small cargo-vessels 

 at once, the passenger cabins being on board the steamer. The names of 

 those which have been put on the line are, the Sir Herbert Maddock, the 

 General McLeody and the Sir Frederick Currie; the second of these was, 

 however, unfortunately lost in the llooghly, and the comjiany have recently 

 purchased the Assam Tea Company's steamer, Jssam. 



Mr. Robinson's system is distinguished from these by using only 

 one vessel for steamer, passengers, and cargo. 



The hull below the main deck is appropriated to cargo, with the exception 

 of the space occupied by the boilers, and the condensers and air-pumps of 

 the engines. The main deck projects over the sides all round, tapering in at 

 the bows, forming 'guards' which increase the room on deck. The engine 

 cylinders lie horizontally on the main deck. The saloon and cabins are also 

 placed upon it, 'forward' of the engines and boilers. Over the cabins, and 

 extending nearly to the stern, is a light promenade deck, and the part of it 

 or cabin passengers is coveied by an awning. 



The frame and deck beams and paddle-box frames are of iron, and the 

 shell of iron plates. The main deck is of wood. The cabins and the pro- 

 menade deck over are entirely of wood. The length is, at load water-line, 

 196 feet. The beam or breadth of hull is 28 feet. The extreme breadth 

 over paddles is 46 ft. 9 in. The depth of iron hull is 10 ft. 3 in. at the en- 

 gine-room ; and the rest of the hull, 7 ft. 9 in. 



The bottom or floor is nearly flat, rising on each side only sufficient to 

 throw the bilge-water towards the keel. The hows are full, hut with a good 

 and fine entrance. The stern is as full as was considered admissible, and is 

 in character with the bows. The tonnage of the hull, exclusive of cabins 

 and upper deck, builders' measurement, is 400 tons. 



The engines are medium-pressuie condensing, unconnected, and of the 

 nominal power of 120 horses. The cylinders are two in number and are 

 horizuntal, aie of 30 inches diameter, and the stroke is 7 feet. 'J he boilers 

 supply steam of an elasticity of 20 lb. pressure per inch above the atmo- 

 sphere. The steam is worked expansively. The speed of the piston is 280 

 feet per minute. Each engine has a separate condenser of large size, and an 

 air-pump worked by a bell-ctank motion taken from the cross-head : they 

 are placed upon the floor of the vessel under the cylinders. The dianicler of 

 air-pump is 2 ft. 4 in, and the stroke 2 ft. 6 in. The vacuum kept up in 

 condenser, with water of the temperature of 80°, is 28 inches on the baro- 

 meter. The mean effective pressure upon each square inch of the piston 

 resulting from both the pressure of the steam and the vacuum is, when the 

 steam is cut off at two-thirds the stroke, 27 inches per indicator. 



The boilers, four in number, are single-storied and tubular. The external 

 shell of each is curved at the fire-boxes, and cylindiical at the tubes. The 

 grates or furnaces are adapted for either wood or inferior coal. 



The power of the engine is made available for hauling off the steamer 

 when she grounds upon the sand-banks or shoals by the very simple eon- 

 trivance of a 'whelp' barrel, similar to that of the windlass, securely put 

 upon the main crank. shaft of the engine, where it crosses the deck. The 

 chain cable, which is connected at one end to the anchor, laid out sternward 

 or abaft, is by the other end wound round the whelp barrel ; the engine is 

 then started, and exerts such a prodigious foice that the vessel is speedily 

 drawn off the sand-bank and afloat again. 



The weight of the vessel and paddle-boxes has been stated to he 142 tons 

 — the engines, boilers, and propelling machineiy and engine-bearers, 106 



tons — and the cabins and upper deck, 12 tons, — making a total of 260 tons. 

 In addition there is to be taken into calculation the water in bcjilers, 21 tons; 

 fuel for 12 hours' steaming, 10 tons; sundries, furniture, stores, ivc, la tons, 

 making the working weight 300 tons. This weight requires an equal dis- 

 placement, and which is obtained by an imuieision of the bull to 2 It. 10 in. 

 AH above this will be the carrying power for cargo. Thus at 3 ft. ti in. she 

 carries 85 tons; at 4 feet, 149 tons; and at 4 ft. Gin., 213 tons dead weight 

 of cargo. The carrying power for cargo is of course dirrrinished by the pas- 

 senger carrying accommodation to the extent of the weight of the cabins 

 and stores, shown above to be 27 tons; and without these the working 

 draught of the steamer would be only a fraction above 2 It. 7 in. 



The difficulty of getting the vessel.^ out to India was thus mas- 

 tered : — 



The iron vessel and the engines, which together form one of these steam- 

 ers, are both designed in all their details by the same firm, who, iieing iron 

 sbip-buildeis as well as engineers, were enabled to produce a combination of 

 the nature described. Each vessel and pair of engines were constructed 

 simultaneously at their establishment; and when completed, the engines were 

 fitted on board the vessel on the stocks; everything was put in place, and 

 the engines worked, to make sure that there would be nothing to fit or do to 

 them abroad. The parts of the engines where they were joined to each 

 other and to the iron vessel were then marked, taken asunder, and packed up 

 for the voyage. The whole work of the vessel was then painted in the 

 inside four diflerent colours, each quarter being of one colour; and the plates 

 of the shell and the ribs, as well as every piece, were marked with paint, and 

 stamped with letters and numbers, to facilitate and insure the correct putting 

 together in India. The vessel was then taken in pieces, and the whole care- 

 fully shipped and stowed on hoard a ship of the ordinary size, bound for 

 Calcutta. Accompanying the parts was .sent accurate drawings of the whole, 

 and a model of the vessel, painted and marked exactly like the original. 

 Upon arrival, after only a (our ruonths' voyage, the paits were landtd at the 

 establishment of the Ganges Steam Navigation Company, irear Calcutta, the 

 iron vessel put together in a dry dock, decked and floated out. The worK 

 was performed chiefly by native mechanics, under the superintendence of 

 the writer; and the first steamer was put togetlier in only nine weeks from 

 the day of landing. J he engines were then fitted in, and the cabiris put up, 

 of teak wood, to the working drawings. The whole was completely finished 

 and the steamer fitted out and started on the trial trip in a Iillle mjre Ihau 

 four months. 



Tlie success of these steamers is complete, and the river passage 

 has been already greatly reduced,— in one case to five uays, as 

 against the eleven and thirteen days of the other steamers. 

 The following is tlie present state of the enterprise : — 

 The uew steamers put upon the Ganges up to the present lime consist of 



Two of 120 horse power each for passenge.s aud cargo, 



One of 140 ditto for cargo only, 



Two of 200 ditto each for cargo only, 

 In all, five steamers, aggregating 880-horse power. Their cost is made up of 

 — 1st, the price of the vessels and engines in London ; — 2ridly, the expense 

 of transporting them in parts and pieces to Calcutta; — aud 3rdly, the ctiarges 

 of re-constructing in India. 



Owing to the constructors in London having kept in view in their design 

 of the engines and boilers, that tlie parts were required to he adapted for 

 sttipment,- — to. the preparations made by them for laiilitating the Imsiuess of 

 putting together the parts abroad, — urul to economical iiiid aeti^e measures 

 in execulirrg the work in India, — the total cost of the whole five steamers 

 completed and started on the Ganges, exclusive of spare boilers, &c., and of 

 interest upon the capital employed prior to the steamers coming lutu activity, 

 does not exceed the sum of 96,000/., which is made up thus: 



Steam-engines (880-horse power) .. .. i;41,800 



Vessels, cabins, &c. . . . . . . . . 39,6b6 



Cost in London 

 Transportation to India 

 lie-constructiou and equipment 



81,486 

 5,8/3 

 9,199 



Cost on the Ganges . . . . i)96,500 



To which perhaps should he added interest for an average period of eighteen 

 nioutlis upon a part ot the sum, say upon 55,000/., at 7^ per cent, per an- 

 num, 6,187/. This would make up a suru of 102,747/. No preliminary ex- 

 penses or charges for the 'Direction' were incurred. Be it oljserved this is 

 no mere 'estimate,' but the actual cost of the thing done. They only who 

 have curried out a similar operation connected with a foreign country at a 

 great distance, can correctly understand the diflerence. 



The iteiir of fuel is at prescrrt a heavy one (aljout 350/. each voyage of the 

 Patna) ; there is, however, little doubt that in another year or two coals will 

 be delivered on board at a lower price. The cost of the personal establish- 

 ment of each steamer is, even at its present high amount (about 148/. each 

 voyage of the Patna), niuch less than the steamers on the tug system. 



As an appropriate finish to this exposition of the question, we 

 shall give JMr. Robinson's views on the improvement of the River 

 Ganges. 



It has been aheady stated that the bed of the river is composed of sand ; 



