Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Marine Review (Cleveland, OH), 7 Dec 1905, p. 39

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TAE Marine Review NEW YORK CITY'S NEW FERRY SYSTEM. The inauguration of New York city's new municipal ferry system and its installation between the boroughs of Manhattan and Richmond on Oct. 25, attracted great attention and evoked the praise and admiration of all; owing to the magnitude of the enterprise, and the excep- tional and superior features embodied in the mew ferry- boats. When the idea of rapid transit to Staten island was conceived and favorably determined upon, the New York dock department called on Prof. Alex. J. Maclean, of Millard & Maclean, naval architects, to prepare the necessary designs and specifications, and how well the 39 unobstructed view in all directions. Cross seats are also provided. Rubber tiling is used in the covering of the upper saloons, the lower saloons being covered with linoleum. Ample toilet arrangements are provided re- plete with the most modern conveniences; reliable and complete equipments of life-saving appliances are also installed. | 4 These boats are propelled by twin steel screws, driven by two inverted direct-acting two cylinder compound engines, having crank shafts bolted together, and with steam cylinders 22%%-in. and 50-in. diameters by 30-in. stroke, and develop over 4,100 h. p. at 157 revolutions per SS ie ees : NEW YORK CITY'S MUNICIPAL FERRY BOAT MANHATTAN, exacting conditions imposed have been met, and all the requirements fulfilled, is shown in these splendid boats fully equipped with all the modern conveniences, and superior to all others for like service. The city is now running this ferry successfully, with the five boats: Man- hattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Richmond, named after the five boroughs of Greater New York. They are running on a regular schedule of fifteen minute intervals during the busy hours of the morning and evening, and on a half-hour schedule the remainder of the day and night. The boats are exceptionally large and commodi- ous, being 250 ft. long and 66 ft. in width over guards and with a draught of 12 ft. They are the finest and fast- est ferryboats in New York harbor. In a trial trip on the Chesapeake bay the Manhattan made a speed of nearly 19 knots per hour against the tides, and every one of these five boats has made equally fast time when they were tried out. It was first intended that all the boats should be con- structed at Sparrows Point, Md., but later the Maryland Steel Co. sublet the construction of the boat Richmond to the Burlee Dry Dock Co. at Port Richmond, S. I. These boats are identical in design and construction, with steel hulls and wooden superstructures, each having six water-tight bulk-heads, which make them practically unsinkable. One distinctive feature of these boats, notice- able to the traveling public, is found in the exceptional comfort to passengers. The interior of the cabins is fitted in mahogany, and all the seats are of the same material with ample space and arm rests. The upper cabins are of ample size, being spacious, well lighted, and the plate glass windows are so arranged as to give an / minute. Two boiler rooms are provided, one at each end of the engine room in which are placed Bacock and Wilcox water tube boilers, fitted with blowers for forced draft, of the closed stoke-hold system. The design and construction of the pumping machinery and use of steam pumps on these boats, are so exceptional as to deserve special mention, and in the equipment for each boat are the following pumps, designed and built by A. S. Cameron Steam Pump Works, of New York city: One Io x 22 x 18 vertical twin beam air pump; two 10 x 6 x 13 vertical marine piston boiler feed pump; one 12 x 8 x 16 vertical marine piston boiler feed pump; one 6x 8 x 8 vertical marine piston sanitary pump; one 5 x 4 x 7 hori- zontal piston fresh water pump; one 6 x Io x 12 combined air pump and jet condenser. The vertical twin beam air pumps are used to pump the condensed 'exhaust steam from the main condensers and deliver it to the feed water tank or overboard; being of ample size, with 1o-in. steam cylinder, 22-in. air cylinder, 18-in. stroke. The steam end consists of two independent Cameron vertical steam cylinders, designed to withstand the high steam pressure and temperature common to marine work and having their steam chest plungers connected together, thus insuring absolute certainty of harmonious action under all conditions. At the same time, should it be de- sired for any reason to run either steam cylinder alone, the other may be disconnected in a very few minutes and the whole pump driven by one steam cylinder. The cylin- ders are connected by piping and provided with suitable valves for running either side independently, and are mounted on a suitable cast iron plate in such a manner as

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