A history of the growth of the steam-engine . length and 20 feet wide. The state-rooms were arrangedon each side the dining saloon, and accommodated 150passengers. These vessels were beautifully fitted up, andwith them was inaugurated that wonderful system of pas-senger-transportation which has since always been distin-guished by those comforts and conveniences which theAmerican traveler has learned to consider his by right. The machinery of these ships was, for that time, re-markably powerful and efficient. The engines were of the STEAM-NAVIGATION. 291 side-lever type, as illustrate^ in Pig.
A history of the growth of the steam-engine . length and 20 feet wide. The state-rooms were arrangedon each side the dining saloon, and accommodated 150passengers. These vessels were beautifully fitted up, andwith them was inaugurated that wonderful system of pas-senger-transportation which has since always been distin-guished by those comforts and conveniences which theAmerican traveler has learned to consider his by right. The machinery of these ships was, for that time, re-markably powerful and efficient. The engines were of the STEAM-NAVIGATION. 291 side-lever type, as illustrate^ in Pig. 92, which representsthe engine of the Pacific, designed by Mr. Charles , and built by the Allaire Works. In this type of engine, as is seen, the piston-rod wasattached to a cross-head working vertically, from which, ateach side, links, B C, connected with the -side-lever,J) EF. The latter vibrated about a main centre at E,like the overhead beam of the more common form of en-gine ; from its other end, a connecting-rod, H, led to the. Fig. 92.—The Side-Lever Engine, 1849. cross-tail, W, which was, in turn, connected to the crank-pin, I. The condenser, M, and air-pump, Q, were con-structed in the same manner as those of other engines, theironly peculiarities being such as were incident to their loca-tion between the cylinder, A, and the crank, I J. The 292 THE MODERN STEAM-ENGINE. paddle-wheels were of the common radial form, coveredin by paddle-boxes so strongly built that they were rarelyinjured by the heaviest seas. These vessels surpassed, for a time, all other sea-goingsteamers in speed and comfort, and made their passageswith great regularity. The minimum length of voy-age of the Baltic and Pacific, of this line, was 9 days 19hours. During the latter part of the period the history of whichhas been here given, the marine steam-engine became sub-ject to very marked changes in type and in details, and acomplete revolution was effected in the method of propul-sion. T
Size: 1609px × 1552px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidc, booksubjectsteamengines
