THE AUXILIARY STEAM PACKET-SHIP "MASSACHUSETTS.' Mechanics' Magazine, MUSEUM, REGISTER, JOURNAL, AND GAZETTE. No. 1158.] SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1845. [Price 3d. 66 THE arrival of this American vessel at Liverpool has excited the curiosity of all engaged in navigation. There are so many novelties combined in her, that some description of them will be interesting to the general reader, as well as to those who are engaged in Transatlantic navigation; therefore, I venture to ask for a place in your Magazine, for the following notes and facts, which, being derived from head quarters, are in every particular authentic. This account is the more necessary, as several articles of an inflated, and somewhat erroneous character have appeared in the Liverpool papers, which would be likely to elicit unfriendly criticism, although they were published with the best intention, and with the best feeling towards the Massachusetts. The letter signed by Colonel Perkins, published in the last number of your journal, is an exception to the above remarks, everything therein stated being true to the letter. The Massachusetts is intended to run between New York and Liverpool, and is the first of a line which will be established as early as circumstances warrant. She is 161 feet on deck, 319 beam, 20 hold, and measures about 751 tons old style; she has a full poop, extending to, and including the main mast; under this are the accommodations for thirty-five passengers, fitted up in a neat, but plain and appropriate style, including shower baths and every convenience to make the sengers comfortable. pas During the night powerful lights are kept continually burning on each bow, and these lights answer a double purpose. First in importance, each illumines a beautiful lens, showing a brilliant light, that may be seen from any vessel within the range of its reflection, at least three miles off in ordinary weather; and second, the same light, of course, illumines the sailors' quarters. Between the main and mizen masts, in one of the cabins, on each side, are lenses, the same as those forward, so that no vessel can approach her without seeing her lights from every point except her stern. This is an excellent arrangement, and one which I hope to see universally adopted. Its advantages to vessels engaged in the European trade are too obvious to require enumeration. The poop and top gallant forecastle are connected by gangways 4 feet wide, which are on a line with the main rail, and these gangways have steps at each end by which the sailors ascend to the decks above, and vice versa. The space under these gangways will answer well for water casks when she carries passengers, and is full below. The longboat, which is of a fine model, is stowed bottom up, about 4 feet above the deck, and rests on two cross pieces, which are supported by strong stanchions which pass through the deck below and are bolted to the beams. Alongside of the boat are places for the studding-sails, and under it are fowl coops, and pig and sheep pens. A The bow is very sharp and very beautiful. The angles formed by the cutwater and wood ends have been gradually filled up, which extends the lines of the ship to rabbets in the cutwater, and the cutwater itself is then fashioned to carry the sweep unbroken to a point. slight concave, opposite the angles filled in, preserves the harmony of the lines and increases the sharpness of the bow. This filling in a false bow is entirely original. It increases the strength of the vessel forward, and causes less resistance to her speed, especially in a short head sea, and as it is carried up to the head, and decked over, it presents a smooth surface over which the broken water will roll as harmlessly as from the sides. Her bow is more upright and has less flare than other ships of her size, and is consequently stronger. The curve of her cutwater as it swells outward and forms the head is very easy and graceful. She has a neatly carved and gilded billet head, and carved work on the trail boards and around the hawse holes, and also a single carved and gilded profile of an Indian on the end of each cathead. Her sides have but little swell, but still they are very beautiful, and have been finished with the greatest care. Her run is extremely sharp, and although she has a full poop deck, which of course must increase the size of the stern, yet the latter is so finely fashioned and swells so handsomely outward as to appear comparatively light and easy. In her plankshear there are 84 composition ventilators, the tops of which can at all times be unscrewed when required. Be THE AUXILIARY STEAM-PACKET SHIP 66 sides these she has ventilators similar to those in the Cunard steamers, which are made of copper, and operate like wind sails. Her bilge pumps, of which she has two, are also air-pumps, and, by rigging appropriate gear, the foul air in the hold can be easily pumped out. In case of accident, she is well supplied with boats; besides a large and beautiful long boat, fitted with masts and sails, she carries two excellent quarter boats and two life-boats. Every chair, stool and settee has tin air-tight apartments under them, so that in the event of a person falling overboard, one of these thrown to him would be a complete lifebuoy. She spreads the same quantity of canvass which she would have, if a salling vessel alone, and she is modelled and equipped precisely as a sailing packet should be. She spreads the same surface of canvass as the Paul Jones, a ship of 680 tons, which ship has 2 feet more depth of hold, and a foot more beam than the Massachusetts, but is 15 feet less in length. A suit of the Massachusetts standing sails contains 3833 yards, each cloth 22 inches wide. The rig however is new, and I believe it originated with the gentleman (R. B. Forbes, Esq.) under whose direction she was built. The peculiarities of it are, that all the masts are "fidded" abaft the lower mast head, that the lower mast heads are longer than usual, and that the sails are divided into smaller pieces. The dimensions of her spars are as follows: Fore yard...... 14 8 6 Topgallant Royal Cross-jack Lower topsail Upper Royal Topgallant .... Her main skysail yard is of the same dimensions as the fore royal yard. The spanker boom is 45 feet long, and the gaff 34 feet, with 3 feet end. Over the trestletrees of the lower mast heads, before and abaft the masts, are two strong iron bands, with eyes in them-and opposite the centre of the masts are two other iron bands, bent in over the trestletrees, and bolted to them. In the eyes of these bands are shackled the lower rigging. There are also iron bands around the heads of the lower masts, to which the stays are shackled. In other words, she has iron eyes to her lower rigging. Her topmast rigging is on the old plan, and sets up on its ends. Her topgallant, royal and skysail masts are all in one spar, and the eyes of her topgallant rigging are fitted around copper cylinders. This is for the purpose of keeping the rigging in its place when the masts are sent down or housed. She has chain bobstays, bowsprit shrouds, standing and flying martingale stays, and guys or back ropes; also chain topsail sheets and ties, iron futtock rigging, and patent trusses to the lower yards, and iron parrels to the topsail yards. It will be seen by reference to the dimensions of her yards, that she has two sets of topsail yards. The first, named the lower topsail yards, set on the head of the lower mast, and the other, named the upper topsail yards, work on large iron rods, and the lower ends of which are secured into the left bands of the lower yards around the heads of the masts, and the upper end to the caps. The upper topsail, topgallant and royal 260 66 THE AUXILIARY STEAM-PACKET SHIP MASSACHUSETTS. yards are parrelled around their respective masts. As a support to the lower mast heads there are two iron shrouds, one on each side, which lead outside of the top rims down abaft the futtock rigging, and set up to the iron bands around the masts. All her blocks have iron straps, covered with the wood of the shells, so that the hooks and beckets are the only parts of the straps which are visible, and the only parts which can chafe the rigging. By again referring to the dimensions of the yards, it will be seen, that the head yards are of the same dimensions as those on the mainmast, commencing with lower maintopsail yard. That is, the lower maintopsail yard is the same size as the fore yard, and so on upwards, and the cross jack yard the same size as the lower foretopsail yard, and upwards in the same proportion. The yards and sails on the mizen mast, also fit on the main and fore, in higher positions than they occupy on the mizen. In reference to this arrangement of the yards, to use the language of Mr. Forbes, the inventor of the new rig, "it will be readily perceived that by having a spare yard and sail on the mainmast, all the way up to and including the moonsail, she has a spare sail for all other places on the foremast and mizenmast, and, in case of necessity, the square sails on the last may be dispensed with, and used on other masts.' Speaking of the advantages of the rig, Mr. Forbes says— "One of the great advantages which I anticipate from this rig is, that the ship may be kept more steadily on her course than with the old rig, where it. is very often necessary to luff and bear away a little to enable the men to reef or take in sail, or to prevent the large surfaces from being rent to ribbons; indeed, no one who has crossed the Atlantic to the westward in the winter months, can fail to be struck with the advantages in this respect as well as in the wear and tear. Some good seamen make it a general rule never to deviate from their course to make or to take in sail; they brace the yards 'by,' or put on extra force, and tear out the leeches; the ship's head way is lessened in either process, and some of the most dangerous seas ever shipped are the result of deadening the ship's headway too much in scudding before fresh gales while clewing down and bracing 'by,' to reef; in the present rig the ship may be kept under better command, until the time of close reefing arrives. In bending and unbending sails at sea, much labour and much time is saved; for, the sails being in small pieces, any one of them may be bent without materially stopping the ship's way; so, in case of the loss of a topmast, a new one may be got up in any ordinary bad weather, the doublings of the masts being so long, and in case of its being too rough to attempt it, the ship is still tolerably manageable, having double-reefed topsails to set. With this rig a ship may carry sail on a lee shore, or running for the land, or in squally weather, to great advantage. It not unfrequently happens that a ship is near the land with a quickly increasing gale, when to clew down her whole, or her single-reefed topsails, to reef them would render her situation in a great degree perilous, and the seaman is often obliged to carry or drag his sails and spars, when to carry is safety, and to drag them is almost certain destruction. 6 "In case of carrying away a lower yard, which, in the ordinary rig would subject the ship to great inconvenience, you have only to settle down all to the point where the lower topsail is, on the cap,' or to the lift band, and you may then work your ship tolerably well by boarding the topsail sheets as courses until the damage can be repaired. I beg you will understand me as recommending my rig particularly for the Atlantic trade, though I think its advantages are great for any trade; I would recommend it for ships whether they have auxiliary steam power or not. It is true, that to a ship having this additional aid it is more valuable than to another-for the obvious reason that all the top hamper may be quickly got down in order to combat against ordinary head winds and tolerably smooth seas, still leaving the ship (when topmasts are housed,) in a state to fill away under sails, equal to double reefed topsails and courses, jib and spanker; or in case of the ship becoming a little crank, by using up fuel, she may house her topgallant, or rather her royal masts in fresh breezes, without lowering the yard next below. The ease, too, with which reefs may be taken in and their efficiency when done is a great improve 66 THE AUXILIARY STEAM-PACKET SHIP MASSACHUSETTS.' ment; in the old rig the reefs are often half-hauled out, and the sail is wearing out almost as fast as when set. The studding sails are also of manageable size, easily set and easily taken in. I have said enough of the rig to convince the reader that I entertain no doubt of the value of it. "I have now enumerated the advantages of my rig, or some of them; I am not blind to the obvious disadvantages, which are more yards, more blocks, more ropes, more corners and holes to let the wind escape, more weight aloft and more first cost. But these are partially obviated by having all these ropes, blocks, &c., lighter; the appearance is the greatest objection to my eye, and this would be a death blow to the rig with some seamen." Such is the Massachusetts as a ship; we will now look at her as a steamer:Her motive power consists of a condensing engine with two cylinders which work nearly at right angles, each 3 feet stroke and 26 inches diameter. There are two boilers, named "wagon boilers," each 14 feet long, 7 wide, and 9 high, with a furnace to each boiler. For the purpose of raising steam quickly, there is a blowing engine and blower; there is also a heater, on the same principle as that applied to the U. S. steam frigate Princeton. The blower is in the chimney, which passes through between decks, upper deck and poop deck, and is surrounded by a ventilating trunk as before described. Her engine room is large, excellently ventilated, and every way protected against the contingency of fire. Its floor is of cast-iron. Her steam power is applied to an Ericsson propeller, the extreme diameter of which is 94 feet. The shaft passes close to the stern post on the larboard side, and rests in a socket which is embedded and bolted to the stern post, and is further supported by a massive brace above. The propeller is made of wrought copper and composition metal, and can be raised out of the water when the steam power is not required. The apparatus by which this is effected consists of a shaft which passes from the engine room through the stern, above and parallel to the shaft of the propeller. The mechanism of the upper shaft, when set in motion, revolves and raises the propeller out of the water and places it close 261 against the flat of the stern, where it is secured with chains from either quarter. The whole process can be executed in a very few minutes. When this is done she is a complete sailing ship, in every particular. The boilers are together 14 feet wide, and have ample space in the wings and under the forward end of them for coal bunkers, which can be approached either from the side of the ship or the between decks or engine room. She has a powerful hand pump and fire engine, which will be extremely useful for wetting the sails in light winds, washing decks, or extinguishing fire. The machinery was made by Messrs. Hogg and Co., of New York, agreeably to the plans and drawings of Captain Ericsson, of whose constructive ability as an engineer, it furnishes another honourable example. A "shark's mouth," or opening is cut across the backing of the rudder, so that when the helm is put to starboard the rudder will traverse to port, clear of the shaft which extends beyond it. The force of both her engines is estimated at about 170 horse power, and 9 statute miles per hour, in smooth water, is the speed expected to be obtained by them, with a consumption of 8 tons of anthracite coals per nautical day. The space occupied by the machinery and its appurtenances in the lower hold. is 47 feet from the stern post forward, or one-seventh the cube of the whole ship. The cost of her motive power is about two-sevenths of the cost of the ship herself. Her entire cost has been about 16,000l. The voyage from New York to Liverpool was performed in 17 days, during which time the Massachusetts experienced much variable weather, with a large proportion of head winds and rough tumbling swells, indicating more wind at the northward and eastward of her track Her steam worked admirably, and enabled her to arrive at her destination a week earlier than she would have done otherwise with the same winds; other vessels, pursuing a more northerly course, had a much better course of winds; the Caledonian, which sailed the day after her from Boston, particularly had a great proportion of westerly winds and no calms and head winds. The speed attained in still water was nine statute miles; and several times seven and |