A STEAM LIFEBOAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4968, 16 October 1890, Page 3

A STEAM LIFEBOAT.

flniliuMes.) Almost tince stoain navigation was introduco(],tho Nationul Lifoboat Instituiion lias been urged to ndf.pt stciim ponor m tho propultion of tho lifeboats round our ooaeta. Hitherto, however, older mothoda have prfrailed with thoio to whom wo sro acouetomed to lQok for guidunco m this department. Rocontly a cliuDgo lias oomo about. An order . Wns Rivon to Mnserl H. and H. Qrocn, of Blaekwall to eupply a bout oil this eystom. Wo ibfrJected the handy Jittlo crnft a few i (lays ago whilo lying ip tho Eatt In din i Boot. Tho Puohoss qt Northumberland, ai >hp it pjllc.d, ia built of »feql throughout. fior dipieMloni are long by 14ft broad. tho meun draught being 3{ft. Tho hull ip ' divided into seventeen watertight qpmparti monto, arranged fjvp (jn each Bjdo, and the roat }a tlip bow and atom, with ono athwart- ' rbips between iho engine, and boiler. All of > theao cbu bo rapidly druiuod by bilgo puniua t

ie|itnda steam eject'ir. ihe cockpit will sea af thirty people, the seals being improvised fron lockers which contain tho ammuniiion am stores. The cockpit being m the form of i 0 well, thero are ten freeing valves fur gf ttiD| >r rid of any water that may bo shipped. Hci g also underneath are two tanks, each holding one ton, the emptying or filling of eithei of which readily alters tho trim. There ii un elm rubbing pioce all round to take the shocks ivhon comirg alongside a vesncl, and life lines to assist m getting on board. The ouo tnuct is fitttdto lower between tho twe funnels placed abreast. It is when wo turn to 1 the application of the steam power, however, thut wo uro confronted more especially wilh what calls for altenlioD. Screws and paddlr a ™ would be tho way of wreckage, and m tl.o caao of the former there would br, on account p of the abort length, great liability to break , down from racing. With an engine running bet wenn four ami fivo hundred revolutions n . minute, and connected t:i a turbine directing two ourronts through tubes heud or astern at will, the nbove obj ctioiiß do not occur. As to - thi) question of efficiency m this particular ( ease, that need not be discussed. A lifeboat ia required only for short service m much the sauie way tlint a fire engino m on land. The engine m this case is compound surftiro condensing, with lOin and Hin cylinders, ! with I2in stroke. The lino of motion iB nearly horizontal and m a fore and nft ( direction — two roda being fixed t> one crank. p We were informed that nearly 200 horeo r power had been indicated, while the average k speed wub 8£ knots per hour. Tho stokehole ' t ia closed and k?pt un ler forced draught. The boiler is of Thornyoroft's new type, the water circulating through tho maBB of tubes, and the : fire plajing outside. By this plan steam can be raised m a very Bbort time — a little over twenty minutea. Zn bad weather, however, atoam would no doubt bo availablo for all emergencies. The boiler i* designed to admit of easy cleaning, cithor iv the ordinary way or by turning on a j<"t of stenui. It is claimed, however, that liitle deposit of Ihe products of combustion takes place nt till m this typo. Another advantage that stcain power xfTorda ia m tho working of ttiu capstan. This is fixed on the Forecastle, while the working, parts aro stowed away m a compartment bolow. The rudder is made to ship and unship very simply by 3 ickman'n process. The important question of self-righting iv a hoavy sea is provided for up to 120(leg. Thu system permitß also of good manoeuvring powors, as the elreum of water may be directed ahead on one eide, and astern, on the other, or vice versa, fiucb boats will bo usually kept moored m sheltered situations, owing to the difficulty of launching them on a bench.