The Screw and Paddle-Wheel Trial

The Screw and Paddle-Wheel Trial

From The Journal of the Franklin Institute. Third Series. Vol. VII. Page 368.

A government trial of the screw propeller took place on the 3rd of March, with her majesty’s steamer Rattler, at the measured distance in Long Reach, in order to determine, as correctly as possible, her rate of going, as compared with that of her sister ship Prometheus, which had been ascertained by the government authorities the day before, by a similar trial. The Rattler having been built for the purpose of testing the merits of the screw propeller with those of the paddle-wheels, is constructed, as nearly as possible, upon the lines and models as the Prometheus ; they have both the same amount of engine power, viz., 200 horses; both vessels were laden to the same draught of water, viz., 11 feet 3 inches ; the steam pressure in both cases was regulated alike, in fact, every thing that could be conveniently done to render the trial a fair one was duly attended to. Under these circumstances more than ordinary interest was excited amongst the naval and engineering officers connected with the Woolwich Dockyard establishment, by whom time results of the various trials of both vessels were most minutely noted, and, in the end, summed up, contrary to the general expectation, in favor of the Rattler, to the extent of nearly half a knot per hour, their relative speed being as follows: - Prometheus, 8.757 knots ; Rattler, 9.240 knots, or within a fraction of 10¾ statute miles per hour. The Prometheus is one of the third class war steamers recently introduced into her majesty's navy by the present surveyor, Sir William Symonds, and is, we are informed, under orders to sail almost immediately for the Mediterranean.

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