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18 MARINE REVIEW. Capt. Alex. McDougall's Patents.* IMPROVEMENT OF DECKS OF WHALEBACK VESSELS-SPECIFICATION FORMING PART OF LETTERS PATENT NO. 498,681-- DATED MAY 30, 1893--APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1892--SERIAL NO. 441,616--NO MODEL. The inventor says: " My present invention relates partic- ularly to various new and useful improvements in those vessels heretofore invented by me, and described and claimed in several letters patent of the United States. The vessels as described in the said letters patent, are of two general classes, known particu- larly as barges and steamboats, and which differ from one an- other only in the fact,that the latter class of vessels are provided with mechanism for propelling them,and also with a cabin. The hulls consist generally of steel plates secured to. transverse ribs, aud the sides thereof are parallel, both longitudinally and verti- cally. The top is curved, the bottom is slightly rounded, the bow is spoon-shaped and the stern is skeged in the usual way to facilitate steering. It has been found that by reason of the a IN. ot JB MEARE EER eee ME TT FT 0G! | = er = ----+-- a Ser ee a ze 19-c2-- high load line of the boat it is difficult to pass with safety over * the curved top, from one end to the other, in heavy weather, since waves are liable to flow entirely over the vessel. By means of ° the present improvement this objection is overcome. 'The im- _ provements also increase the efficiency of the vessel in numerous other ways. Before beginning a description of my present in- vention, it is to be understood, that I am not to be limited in any way to the use thereof with the particular vessels to which I have before made reference, since the improvements may be used in connection with other varieties of boats, provided either with , curved or flat decks. Fora better comprehension of my inven- tion attention is directed to the accompanying drawings form- ing a part of this specification: 'Rig. 1 isa side elevation of one of my improved steam- boats attached thereto; Fig. 2, a similar view of one of my im- proved barges with the present improvements; Fig. 3, a similar view of a modified form of steamboat, showing the present im- provements; Fig. 4, a sectional view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5, a top viewof Fig.1. In allofthe above views corresponding parts are designated by the same letters of reference. The gen- eral features of the steamboat shown in Fig. 1, and of the barge illustrated in Fig. 2, are the same in all respects as that which I have described and claimed in said letters patent before referred to. The steamboat shown in Fig. 3, however, differs from any *Under this heading we will publish specifications accompanying letters patent granted to Alexander McDougall, of West Superior, Wis., since his first application for a patent on the whaleback type of vessel, May 1, 1880. is . however, ordinary leg o'mutton sails are preferable. vessel which has been made the subject of letters patent, in that the propelling mechanism and cabins are located at or near the central portion of the boat. In this boat also, a wedge shaped or cut away bow may be used instead of the spoon shaped bow. In other respects this particular boat 1s identical in all its fea- tures to that shown in Fig. 1. The three vessels shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 arealso provided with stern turrets, for entering the interior of the after part of the hull, as I have before descsibed in said letters patent. The two steambvats shown in Figs, 1 and 3 are also provided with cabins, supported on large turrets, which features have also been described in prior patents. "he principal features of my present invention are the smaller turrets a a a which extend up from the top of the vessel, and are of the same height as the larger turrets. These small turrets are arranged at suitable distances apart, and these small turrets are of the same construction, and are secured to the top of the vessel in substantially the same way as the large turrets. The principal use to which I put these small turrets is to sup- port a suitable passage way, to enable the crew to pass in safety from one end of the boat to the other, as I shall presently de- scribe, but these small turrets also serve many other useful pur- poses, which further tend to increase the efficiency of the boat. These small turrets may be used primarily to support suitable masts 66as shown inthe drawings. These masts pass down through a suitable hole formed in the top of the small turrets a a and engage with an ordinary step on the top of the vessel, or on an intermediate deck. On these masts sails can be mounted, which are to be of any appropriate construction. For simplicity, These sails, when not in use, may be rolled up and stowed away within said -small turrets, for which purpose the said turrets are well adapted, being water tight and readily accessible. The sails, when stored, will be kept always in good condition and within easy reach. The masts before referred to may be a permanent attachment to the boat, for the reason that they will not interfere in any way with the loading and unloading and operation of the vessel, and in this event the said masts may be strengthened, if desired, by means of the usual shrouds and stays, but in view of the rigid support which the said small turrets give to the masts, the use of such shrouds and stays, becomes less necessary. By making use of numerous-short masts and many small sails, additional security and advantage are obtained, since a small sail is less liable to be blown away than a large sail, anda small sail is handled with greater ease and facility than a large sail. .The masts, when a permanent fixture, may be used in loading and unloading the boat by mounting a boom on each, carrying a block and tackle in the usual way. These booms may be swung from the dock over the hatchways, carrying thecargo, and there- by greatly facilitating the loading and unloading of the boat. These small turrets a a a also servea very useful purpose when the vessel is used for the transportation of grain and other sim- ilar bulk cargoes, which settle materially under movements of the boat. The vessel is filled entirely with such cargo, and the small turrets are also filled, and connect with the hold of the ves- sel. When the grain or other cargo settles under movements of the boat, this material will flow more or less out of the small tur- rets, so that the hold will be always kept entirely full. In this way, the possibility of the cargo shifting is done away with. _. "In the case of a vessel for carrying oil, or any other liquid, which expands under the effect of heat, the small turrets also serve for effective use, since being connected with the interior of the boat, they will allow for any expansion of the oil. 'These small turrets may also be used for loading such a boat with oil, the loading tube being simply passed down through the same, as in ordinary oil boats. In oil boats, it is desirable to divide the boat into a number of compartments or tanks, each of which may comunicate with one of the small turretsaa. By thus dividing the boat into tanks, or compartments, and by providing each tank with.one of the small turrets above the same, a greater or less. quantity of oil can. be carried, with one or more tanks, entirely full at all times, irrespective of the expansion of the oil. It will be understood that one turret may serve for two compart- ments. In addition to the above uses, the small turrets a a serve to support a passage way ¢ on which the crew may pass in safety from one end of the boat to the other, entirely clear of the wash of the sea over the vessel. "his passage way can be ofa number of constructions, all of which are intended to be covered and em- braced herein. The said passage way may be made of metal plates, secured to suitable Supporting irons, so as to forma per- manent fixture to the boat. Such a passage way will be very strong and durable, and in many connections will not interfere