va
August 19, 1899.]
CORRESPONDENCE,
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the upinions exûressed by our correspondents.].
- A SHIP-BRAKE FOR OCEAN LINERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY. PRESS,'
CHINA OVERLAND TRA DE REPORT. reflections was that a collapsable bow for vessels was not a practical idea; I thought of buffers projecting in a row from a ship's stem and other plans, but eventually thought to apply the principles of the parachute, used by baloonists, to the solving of the problem.
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mitting the matter to the Board replied: that the time of the dock foremen was too much taken up with their work to abmit of their going into the details of the invention, but that they would be happy to constPhỏt the brakes to order a 10 mg | And ... I then tried Messrs. Butterfield bl knowing them to be the most enter ping firm in the East and thinking insured their own vessels there would inducement to them to adopt my invention. They likewise treated me courteously and red me to their able Mariue Superintenden Mr. Ramsey, who said that he would be to have the brakes fitted to one of theu and would himself see that they got a fair but that if must be at my expense... Tha to adhere to my decision not to spend more now over two years ago, but, so far, I have the invention.⠀⠀
After the idea of using a parachute was adapted much detail had to be worked up to adopt it for the use of ships and my patent SIR,My attention has been called to a rights cover a number of forms which may be news item which was published recently in the adopted in varying circumstances. One form, columns of one of your evening contemporaries where wire netting faced with stont canvas in which it is stated that much interest has takes the place of iron plates, is adopted speci- been aroused in Europe in regard to a ship ally with a view of use by war-ships, as the net brake invented by a Croatian working as an can form part of their torpedo netting outfit, engineer in Hungary; the said invention hav-1 interviewed Bullivant and Sons. the great ing been tried, in the presence of the American wire rope manufacturers and inventors of the Consul, at Venice, with the result that one of torpedo-net, on this subject and they at first the Austrian Loyd's steamers, a vessel of 1,000 thought of taking up my patent, but finally, tons, fitted with the brake and travelling af a decided that they could not undertake it, men- speed of 10 knots, was brought to a standstill tioning the profitlessness of many good inven- in 20 yards and in less than a minute. I think tions, including some of their own, and stating engineer to the title of inventing the ship-brak
In repudiating the claim of the Croatian 30 seconds is the time given, from the time of that the British Admiralty had resolutely de--I believe he has gathered the ideas from my letting go the brake-The brake is describedolined to adopt their torpedo-net until Bul- patent, many specifications of which found as being constructed of a number of iron plates livauts had expended a very large sum in de- their way into different bands on the Continent folding up when in position for letting go and monstrating its efficacy and other (foreign) I am not actuated by any dog in-the-manger opening up like a parachute when let go and Governments were preparing to fit their war spirit, for though I will not forego my claim to held in position by chains; it is slated to be ships with them. suspended from the stern and to operate from
being the inventor I am ready to make over my patent rights, gratis, on certain conditions to there.
any person, or body of persons, who will take it
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Caoatian who has had it proved on a large and up and get it adopted. All credit is due to the practical scale, which I was unfortunately able to do from lack of time and funds and failure of British shipowners at home interest themselves in it.
weather has set in and I have time, to prepa
I sball, further, be pleased, when the cool and read a paper on the ship-brake before the Puleson, for many years M.P. for Devonport, local Engineers' Institute, or the Odd Volumes the floater of the company which works the Society, should either of those bodies care Westinghouse compressed air railway-brake, me to do so; if, not being a member of either now in universal use, and chairman of that of those useful bodies; their rules do nat eminently successful company, from a share of it, I shall be pleased to read one to any hod holder's point of view, was much interested in of residents who, in this great seaport my invention. I called on him in his City think the matter of sufficient interest. To all office at the suggestion of a friend who who cross the seas it should be of intersty for offered to introduce me and at Sir John's two thirds of the marine disasters annually request I called on him од several sub-reported by the Board of Trade are the result sequent occasions to hear what prospect of collisions between ships at sea, ■ largo: pro- there was of floating a company to take over portion of which would never occur, wern ships, and work my patent. I understood that he had like railway trains, provided with brakes. y
I have mentioned the turning power of my patent water-drag, parachute, or ship-brake; I have no doubt as to the authenticity of the that deflecting or turning power is obtained by at- statement made as regards the success of the taching the brake to the vessel's bow instead of to trial, but I desire, through your columns, to herstern, a method 1 favour, although my patent state, emphatically, that the Croatian engineer claims cover attachment to any part of a vessel. mentioned is not the inventor, for I hold Eng. In cases of collision if arresting and turning lish patent rights covering the whole of the powers are combined greater efficiency in pre- apparatus detailed above and a good deal more, venting collison is obtained; it is obvious that the patent having been taken out in London, mnch of the nuerpended forward force is in 1896, by myself, the inventor. I also origin-absorbed in the act of turning. Sir John ally held patent rights for France and Belgium, which I have allowed to lapse, or which my agent, a French gentleman, has allowed to lapse. for I made them over to him with power to renew them should there be any prospect of disposing of those rights profitably. I have not heard from him since April, 1897, when he was ou the Continent visiting different persons whom he thonght would be likely to purchase the patent rights. He wished me to go to Brest with him to supervise the trial of my patent in a small vessel which he said he conld command the use of, but having expended all the funds I had to spare in hopeless and disheartening at- tempts to get the invention taken up by British shipowners I was content to receive his report as to the result; be taking with him a specifica- tion of the invention and receiving instructions from me as to how it was worked. The report was that he and some friends, French naval officers, had gone out in a vessel of over sixty tons, fitted with a brake constructed according to my directions and to the specification of the patent, and with a superficial area of one square metre, and after respaated trials found that on ́every occasion it was let go the vessel was promptly turned round in her own length al- though the rudder was not used to assist the movement but was lashed amidships so that the full turning power, as well as the retarding power, should be indicated. The results ob- tained were a surprise to all of them.
I have mentioned above that I totally failed to interest British shipowners in my invention, but I had been somewhat prepared for that by the scoffs which nautical men accorded to my suggestions when speaking of my idea of in- venting a brake for pulling up a ship promptly when travelling at a high rate of speed, with the object of preventing or minimising colli- sions. They one and all said that it was im- possible and some were so offensive in their criticisms that I retired into my shell and wrought out my ideas; for some years, in se oreoy, till I felt I had achieved all that could be done, and on my return to England patented my invention.
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consulted a number of naval friends who thought favourably of it, but he said that it would take time to educate the public up to the idea and that shipowners were a most conserva- tive body who did not take readily to new methods, such as mine, preferring to trust to losses being covered by insurance.
My time in England drawing to a close without bringing me success, I decided to try my chances in Hongkong, on my return to the East, but I must own to not feeling hopeful of more luck here, more especially as the lowness of my funds forbade my expending more on my invention and I had to trust to get others to finance it,
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Before leaving the Old Country I thought that if the present generation scorned my invention I would let the rising generation of mercantile marine officers have the benefit of my ideas, for I had, inwardly, a conviction that some day the ideas I held would bear fruit and I was unwilling to let them die. I therefore sent a copy of my specification to Captain Miller, R.N.. captain of school-ship Conway, at Liverpool, a vessel I was connected with in my younger days, asking him to let the cadets have the benefit of my idea and hoping that some future cadet would live to make it the success that I had failed to do. He acknow- lodged the letter and specification in a very kindly manner, sent me a copy of a monthly magazine, published on board that vessel and made up of letters and articles from boys and former cadets in various parts of the world, in I must acknowledge that I was very materi-which was inserted my letter, and asked me for ally helped by Admiral Makaroff's public'de. monstrations in Hongkong as to the possibilities of absorbing the force of a blow from us battle-ship's ram or the stem of a steamer and his idea of collapsable: bows for ships. I had not the pleasure of seeing the experiments he mada eto illustrate his views, nor to hear the -lecture he gave in the City Hall, but I read the newspaper reports over attentively and pondered for months over the facts he go ably proved The decision I arrived at as a result of those
further contributions if possible. Lack of time has prevented me from complying with that request, but I felt that I could leave my invention with the rising generation of officers to apply it to the ships of the future and thus prevent much disaster at sea.
事
It is true that there are not many onges of collision between ships in the East, where to are not prevalent and no great ocean highway ally in the English Channel, 'collisions oross. In some parts of the world, more esp
frequent occurrence, as shown by the patches on the wreck cbarts issued, and the bottom of the sea visible at such points it would be found to be strewn with sanken vessels of all descriptions, from the mail-steamer to the ocean tramp. Typhoons, however, gather their harvest from the shipping annually, vessels fitted with brakes would find then equall useful as sea anchors, which would enable to ride out a storm comfortably instead of ting buffetted aboutand sometimes overwhel by a larger sea than usual; they would i cases more than pay for themselves. saving of coal, leaving out of considerati other benefits. Yours truly,
EST
small steam-tug, and there are many in Hong- Anyone in possession of a steam. noh
kong, can have a practical demonstration of the with a piece of wood, two or three iron buckets, invention, free, for I can in a few minutes, and a short piece of rope, rig up a brake, which will be quite effective and will amply satisfy them of its practical character; much depends, however, on the proper adjustment of the rope.
Hongkong, 17th August 1899.
other day a seaman named Jose Gomez, The Shanghai Mixed Court had belőr
scribed as a native of South Ameriça, but could not secure recognition by any accused is a very disorderly charact was stated in the police evidence- would ship him on account of his Hon
Why should Hongkong be burdened. The Court decided to deport him to Houstong!
character, and what will it do with hi was discharged from a British shi He but that hardly seems suficien sub-making Hongkong responsible för
On my return to Hongkong I interviewed Mr Gillies, General Manager of the Hong kong and Whampoa Dook Co., and offered to make my invention over to them. treated me courteously and after
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