Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), 11 Aug 1892, p. 7

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a . BS 5 MARINE REVIEW. 7 Long Island Sound and Lake Superior Steamers. ~The new Long Island sound passenger boats Maine and New Hampshire of the Providence and Stonington line fare screw steamers of light draft and high power, and for this reason some reliable information regarding them from the builders, the Harlan and Hollingsworth Company of Wilmington, Del., will be of interest in connection with the plans of James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway Company for passenger boats to engage in the Lake Superior trade. It is understood that Mr. Hill wants two or more steamers 360 feet long, to carry 1,000 tons of freight in addition to having extensive passenger accommo- dations and to make 20 miles an hour. As the St. Mary's Falls canal draft is little more than 14 feet, average stage of water, the question of meeting such requirements is, of course, an im- portant one. 'The size of wheel in the Long Island sound boats here referred to is 131% feet diameter and 18% feet pitch. It is very doubtful if a larger wheel could be applied to the proposed Lake Superior passenger boats, and yet the builders of the sound boats report that the best average speed made by them on trial was 18.46 miles. They add that since the engines have SANDY HOOK STEAMER MONMOUTH. if any freight. From this it will readily be seen that the pro- blem of a 20-mile screw steamer for Lake Superior is by no means an easy one to handle. Another fast passenger steamer that may be compared with the proposed Hill boatsis the Monmouth, an engraving of which LONG ISLAND SOUND PASSENGER STEAMERS. worked down smooth, the owners of the Maine and New Hamp- shire claim that they make 20 miles an hour in slack water. Following are the dimensions of hull and machinery of the sound boats as reported by the builders: Dimensions of hull.--Length between perpendiculars, 302 feet 7 inches; length over all, 310 feet; beam, moulded, 44 feet; beam, over guards, 60 feet; depth, moulded, 17 \% feet. Machinery.--Single triple expansion (four cylinders) sur- face condensing engine. High pressure cylinder 28 inches, in- termediate 45, first low pressure 51 and second low pressure 51 with 42 inches stroke common to all. To make 18.46 miles an hour, the best average time of these boats on trial, the engines would be required, allowing 10 per cent. for slippage, to be turned at a speed of about ninety- five revolutions. Judging from the size of cylinders, the horse power in the sound boats is about 2,000. Now take one of the steel lake freight steamers of but about 1,000 horse power. They make at about seventy revolutions 14 miles an hour light and 12% miles loaded, and this notwithstanding their great ful- ness, as against the fine lines of the sound passenger steamers, which are intended for speed, and are are expected to carry little is also presented on this page. 'The Monmouth is owned by the Central Railroad company of New Jersey, and is in service be- tween New York and Sandy Hook. She was built by the Cramps of Philadelphia, and is 270 feet 4 inches over all, 35 feet beam, and 15 feet 6 inches depth. 'The buiiders claim a speed. of 18% knots, or about 21 miles an hour for this boat, but she has engines of 3,000 indicated horse power. The twin engines are triple expansion, with cylinders 19, 39 and 50 inches in di- ameter, 20 iziches stroke of piston and make 165 revolutions. There are four boilers, 12 feet in diameter and 12 feet 5 inches long, having a working pressure of 160 pounds. Mr. J. J. Hill was in Cleveland Tuesday accompanied by General Manager Gordon of the Northern Steamship Company. They spent the day in consultation with Vice-President Pank- hurst of the Globe Iron Works Company. Mr. Hill is now satis- fied to sacrifice freight space for speed and passenger accommo- dations in the proposed new Lake Superior boats, and although no contract has been let as yet, it is more than probable that one will be closed shortly. Mr. Pankhurst says that twin-screw steamers are now being considered and that their cost will be close to $500,000 each.

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