In continuation of our notice of the great ship now in course of construction at Millwall, on the Isle of Dogs, we this month give a sectional plan from the working draft, which exhibits a body plan view.
We have already referred to the boldness of the conception and the design of this great naval construction being due to Mr. Brunel; and on carefully examining the details, no disappointment is experienced at any point or part of the whole; every precaution that human foresight or ingenuity could provide has been adopted in carrying out the work, to insure the greatest strength, combined with the lease weight and expenditure of materials. Thus, through the entire length of the ship, at present completed, the cellular sonstruction of the sides, the bottom, and the main deck, converts the whole into one immense wrought-iron tubular bridge or beam. Moreover, the structure is further strengthened by ten water-tight iron bulk-heads, 60 feet apart; and again, by two continuous walls of iron, about 36 feet apart, running longitudinally from the after (screw) engine-room to the cargo-space forward, a distance of about 350 ft., and forming a series of parallelograms 60 ft.×35 ft.; in these divisions there is no weakening by the introduction of doorways, passages, or such like openings below the line of the second deck.
The general arrangement of the whole of the engines, boilers, and machinery for propelling the ship will be described, and will also show the whole of the internal construction of the vessel, throughout its entire length, by means of three longitudinal views, with the details accurately drawn and the principal dimensions figured thereon.
The sides, as we have already stated, are composed of two thickness of iron plate, three quarters of an inch in thickness, and carried up to 8 ft. above deep-load-line, 3 ft. apart, being framed into cellular spaces by webs of plate-iron running longitudinally throughout the length of the vessel so constructed; these webs are secured to the plates by angle-irons, to which they are rivetted, as shown in Plate No. 1, which exhibits also the manner in which the plates are lapped. There are thirty-three longitudinal webs or ribs disposed throughout the bottom and sides of the ship in the manner shown, the distances between them so varying as to give the required amount of strength and resistance at the propoer points. Each of these cellular spaces are rivetted and caulked water-tight, and by means of sea-cocks and connections, water may be admitted into any required number of them in any part throughout the height of either side of the ship, by which means proper trim may be given to the ship, and a novel system of water-ballasting is thus introduced; or, if necessary, water may be admitted into the whole of the divisions on one side, so as to give her a sufficient "list" to enable repairs or re-painting to be done to her bottom. There being no keel and no ribs springing from it, as from a back-bone, the ordinary mode of ship-building has been ignored. It will be perceived that the hull is composed of two skins, with the ribs laid between them longitudinally instead of transversely; these, taken in conjunction with the subdivision of their length; the two main longitudinal walls of iron, the ten iron bulkheads, and the double main-deck, formed with cellular compartments similar to the bottom and sides, convey to the mind something like a correct idea of the vast strength and perfect unity of the whole structure.
In our next we purpose giving the most important of the practical details of that portion of the work which relates to the construction of the ship, illustrating them as far as possible.
We then propose to describe and deal with the construction and arrangement of the ship in detail, following it with a description as designed and furnished by Messrs. J.S. Russel & Co.
Of the many ingenious contrivances for labor-saving and other purposes connected with the economy of the ship, its proper working, and safe navigation, which have been designed for the use on board, we will hereafter and in due time give accurate details: but which it is impossible at the present time to do. Moreover, of the equipment of the vessel, the number of masts and their disposition, nothing is yet definitely arranged. And thus until these essential points are finally determined, it would be a wasteful expenditure of our time and space to deal with them speculatively.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius
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Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.