1863.] 



REVIEWS. 



209 



REVIEWS. 



take's System of Canal Steam Navigatijn. 



It is a somewhat strange coincidence that whilst reviewing a pro- 

 position for a Ship Canal on this side of tlie Atlantic, of 20 feet depth 

 of water, (See March M"o. of Canadian Journal,) to supersede a river 

 depth of 8 feet, our notice should be attracted to a system patented in 

 England and proposing to apply steam power to tlie economic and 

 efficient use of shallow Boat Canals, whereliy Ihey shall be enabled to 

 compete in cheapness of transit with Railways. The patentee Mr. 

 John Lake, C. E., has selected half a mile on the Grand Junction 

 Canal; whereon practically to illustrate his system ; and the length 

 we are told includes unusual Engineering difficulties, must therefore 

 be considered as affording a severe test. It comprises at " its northern 

 extremity, an extremely sharp curve, and about, the middle a rise by a 

 Lock of T/X feet, approached by another curve though of larger 

 radius — beyond this again and on the higher level, it is continued in a 

 straight anil then in a curved direction." The lock above referred to 

 is double, and through one of the Chambers the ordinary traffic of the 

 Canal still flows. The gates of the other have been reiiio>-ed, and 

 their functions superseded liy an inclined plane constructed on the 

 principles laid down in Mr. Lakes specification. As the work of the 

 level portions of the experimental line was sufficiently great to admit 

 of two boats abreast, the old and rew system were worked simulta- 

 ueously, and the comparison was accordingly direct and palpable. 



The substance of Mr. -Lakes invention (as stated in Tl^e London 

 Mechanic's Magazine) admits of being concisely stated, from its 

 extreme simplicity, and we purpose to give a succinct account of it in 

 this place, that the results already accomplished by it may be fully 

 appreciated. First, the permanent way of the works in every level 

 section of the canal consists of a double lire of lighc iron rails, 

 supported at the uniform height of about 18 inches above the usual 

 high-water mark, upon parallel walings, or beams of wood, to wliich 

 they are attached by countersunk screws. The walings follow the 

 course of the canal and rest upon rows of piles driven into the bed of 

 the canal, about l.'i feet apart. Within the trackway t:,us fornjcd a 

 number of canal boats with square ends are brouglit together, and 

 coupled rather closely, so as to eonstilute a train. Immediately in 

 front of them is another boat, which contains the engine by which 

 motion is to be communicated to the train. The piston-rnds of the 

 engine are directed upon cranks in a transverse shaft, which carry the 

 driving-wheels, by the reaction of which upon the rails the whole train 

 is set in motion. In order to produce the requisite tractive force, the 

 driving-shaft is pressed downwards to the rails by a pair of levers, 

 through which it passes freely, and which lie in the direction of the 

 rails. The after ends of these levers are attached stri'iigly to fixed 

 points in the engine-boat, while their other ends are united by a 

 transverse beam of iron, which can be raised or depressed by means 

 of a powerful screv7 and lever, "When the transverse beam is depress- 

 ed, the driving-shaft and its wheels are pressed down upon the rails, 

 and the engine being set in motion, the entire train of boats is drawn 

 along. On level canals, or those without locks, the ariangements 

 described are all that would be necessary in actual practice ; but to 

 raise the train from one level to another, an inclined plane of extreme 

 simplicity and perfect efficiency has been proposed by the inventor, 

 which at once does away with the loss of lime, water, and enormous 

 expenditure incidental to the present system of locking] This incline 

 is, in fact, a double one. The walings ascend upon the heads of piles 

 gradually increasing in height, and strongly framed together in both 

 directions. As the engine would be utterly powerless to draw its tiain 

 up even a moderately inclined suiface, with a smooth rail, a strong 

 rack-work is fixed upon it, which is continued beyond the summit of 

 the incline for about the length of a train. The driving-shaft of the 

 engine is provided with suitable pinions to geer into these racks ; and 

 the continuation of the latter will obviously enable the engine to draw 

 the last boat of the train to the higher level. It is obvious that, by 

 this arrangement, any amount of required fulcrum may be obtained. 

 A line of large rollers or drums, mounted in plumei'-blocks about 10 

 feet apart, which it is proposed to reduce to o feet, is fixed upon an 

 inner and lower incline, and over these the bottoms of the boats pass, 

 strips of stout iron being attached to them, to diminish the friction 

 and to protect the botoms, which are also strengthened otherwise. 

 These rollers are continued under water in the upper and lower 

 " pounds" of the canal, so that a support for the boats is provided the 

 moment that the racks and pinions become engaged, and they are 

 deprived of their natural support in the water. 



The complete efficiency of this remarkably simple and ingenious 

 mode of working a train ofcan.'tl boats was .imply demonstrated in 

 the trials we witnessed at Grove, thous^h neitlier in point of power 

 nor in precision of detail is the mechanism at present to be regarded 

 as a fair illustration of it. A small 10-hnrse engine, with its boiler 

 and fuel, and subsidaiary apparatus, was fitted in the leading boat, to 



which a (rain of twelve other boats were attached. These were 

 merely old canal boats, with their sharp ends cut off square, to dimi- 

 nish the resistance in the water, and then cut into two smaller ones, 

 which were laden vith blocks of granite and brcks to the extent of 

 about JOO tons. At first the engine-boat was at the foot of the 

 incline, and Mr. Lake ordered the train to be backed, or driven north- 

 wards along tlie level and smooth rails. A turn or two of the large 

 screw sufliced to produce a good bite between the driving-wheels and 

 the rails, and the moment the engine was set in motion the train 

 started, and proceeded with the greate't ease of motion through the 

 water — no eddies resulting from it, nor any undulatory effects that 

 would be detrimental to the banks. The train threaded its way, 

 without difScully, through the sharp curve at the northern end of the 

 piece, the walings guiding it continuously and gently in its assigned 

 course. In these curves, the only preliminary piecautinn to le 

 observed is, to give a little divergency at the walings to the point of 

 maximum curvature, and then to contract them gr.adually for the 

 remainder of the curve, until their normal gage is attained at the next 

 straight piece. Ingoing round a curve thus formed, a train of ordi- 

 nary length will move freely, without risk of being jammed between 

 the walings. In this trial, the re.idiness with which a train can bo 

 backed, even through a sharp curve, was clearly proved. 



The engine was now reversed, and the train drawn forward in the 

 usual manner. Its speed was here considerably above four miles per 

 hour, and was then lessened, to show the control which the engine- 

 driver had over it; and the leveis were released until the wheels 

 slipped upon the rails, and the train proceeded with the momentum it 

 had acquired to tl:e foot of the incline. There eight of the boats 

 were detached ; as the small engine at present in use is not of suffi- 

 cient power to draw up more than a gross load of about fifty tons. 

 The levers were again screwed down, and the engine set in motion, 

 upon which the pinions geered into the racks, and the engine-boat 

 rose gradually out of the water, commencing its ascent of the incline. 

 As it continued to ascend, it rolled smoothly over the rollers below, 

 and was followed by the four boats attached to it; all of which were 

 landed, without the delay of a moment, in the upper pound of the 

 canal. From this point the train proceeded along the remainder of 

 its course in the upper level of the canal, and being brought back 

 again to the incline was allowed to descend it. The descent was ac- 

 complished with perfect ease, and the absence of all danger. All 

 that the engineer had to do now, was to admit the steam into the 

 cylinder on the other side of the piston, so as to render it effective in 

 checking the motion, which would otherwise give to the mass a de- 

 structive momentum. Thus, the same engine which propels the train 

 of boats along the level portions of the canal, by the arrangements 

 here adopted, is also available for elevating from one level to another ; 

 a feat never before accomplished — or shown only in detail — except 

 by means of stationary power. 



The advantages of this arrangement over the present canal system 

 scarcely require to be pointed out. Any rational alteration in the 

 extremely inarliScial and unphilosnphical application of power we 

 now witness on our canals, cannot fail to be productive of advantage ; 

 but it is evident, too, that the ticin system must be the basis of every 

 approximation to economical working. Past experience, and, indeed, 

 the lemonstiances of common sense, declare against the adoption of 

 paddlf-wliecls, or screw propellers, eiiher in a train of canal baots, or 

 in single ones; as the confined naUiic of the channel prevents the 

 access of new water to the moving surfaces, and little better than a 

 cherning action is. the result. We are therefore driven to subslilute 

 for the extremely imperfect read ion against canal water, that against 

 fixed and rigid objects in the vicinity of the boats. This being so, it 

 Eppears to us that Mr. Lake's system of canal steam navigation em- 

 braces all the requirements of the case, and has combined in itself all 

 the favorable circumstances that can be brought to its aid. Having 

 given evidence of its efliiciency, a few comparisons will prove its great 

 e '.ononiy. 



First, as regards construction — premising here that existing canals 

 c;:n be altered without any stoppage of the naviration, and the locks 

 and other works, if it should be deemed desirable, may be lelt freely 

 open f T the p'esent clumsy method of hauling. A line of level rail- 

 way can be laid down on this principle at a prime cost of £1290 to 

 £1500 per mile, according as the wood employed is oak, fir, o'- beech. 

 An inclined plane of average length would cost £1000, which would 

 be au economical substitution ior the expensive works of a lock. A 

 flight of locks might be replaced by a sufficiently long incline; and 

 thus, upon the whole, places where looks must otherwise be con- 

 structecl would become the cheapest portion of the entire work, as the 

 inclines might be built upon land with Imt little excavation. The 

 outlay incurred by laying down the work^ fur an up and a down line 

 of rails, would be far more than rcturnoil in a -Imri time by the saving 

 that would arise in the maintenance of the eanal. ISesides dispensing 

 with tlie locks themi»elvcs, the heavy expense of lockage-water would 



