TRANSPORTATION LIBRARY }{E. 5 64- N 2. U. S. 4–3 | 8 % ſhift 1 A v E R E N T * * 27th Congress, - Rep. No. 213. Ho. of R EPs. 3d Session. -- º - --- -- NANTUCKET MARINE CAMEL COMPANY., - [To accompany bill H. R. No. 809.] * —sº- FEBRUARY 22, 1843, * —a-— -- **** Mr. T. W. WILLIAMs, from the Committee on Commerce, made the fol. - lowing - REPORT: The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the petition of “ the Marine Camel Company,” of Nantucket, Massachusetts, re- port : - º That the town of Nantucket contains about nine thousand inhabitants, and has long been distinguished in the prosecution of the whale fishery. In every variety of fortune which has befallen this pursuit, it is the pecu- liar merit of this people, that they have never abandoned it. By their uſ. shaken perseverance, they have preserved this great national interest. At the close of the revolutionary war, when the whale fishing of the colo- nies was totally destroyed, the inhabitants of Nantucket alone resusci- tated it. It now employs an amount of tonnage greater than the registered tonnage of the whole country at the adoption of the Constitution. Six hundred and fifty vessels, nearly all of which are ships, traverse every ocean in this adventurous pursuit. Sixteen thousand seamen are trained in a school the best which the ocean supplies. Eighty-seven of these ships belong to Nantucket, measuring about thirty thousand tons. They employ upwards of two thousand seamen. In the prosecution of their business, a very formidable natural obstacle has been perpetually in their way. A sand bar, tipon which, at high tide, there are but nine feet of water, stretches across the mouth of their harbor. These ships, when laden for Sea, draw about sixteen feet water. They have therefore been compelled to take them over this bar entirely light, be- fore lading them for sea. During the mild season of the year, some ships have received their lading a short distance beyond this bar; but almost the whole annual fleet, both outward and inward bound, has been compelled to seek shelter at Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, about thirty miles dis- tant from the harbor of Nantucket, and there has received its outfit and de-, -, livered its cargoes. To transport the outfits to Edgartown, or the cargoes \ ^ to Nantucket, from Edgartown, lighters have been employed, attended with great expense, hazard, and inconvenience. - Unsuccessful attempts have been made to excavate a channel through the bar. That design being abandoned, there has been, during the past . year, an experiment tried with “camels,” to lessen the draught of watºr Transportation #. iibrary ~ º º 2 Rep. No. 213. .7/2 of a loaded ship, so as to take her over the bar, and place her in a depth of 1/5 water where she would float without their aid. These “camels” are de- | 473 signed to be sunken alongside of the vessel to be raised, and, being prop- - erly secured to her, the water is to be removed from them, and she is thus - to be raised. Their extreme length is 135 feet, depth 19 feet, width 29 feet on the bottom and 26 feet on deck. They draw 2 feet 10 inches of water on a level. They are connected by fifteen chains, which will proba- bly bear eight hundred tons. Two hundred tons will sink them about one foot. Each camel is divided into two parts—the lower hold and the “be- tween decks.” The lower hold contains twelve separate rooms, six on each side, and the “between decks” ten, including the engine room. On the bottom of each camel, inside, is a long trough, or “race way,” as it is called, about four feet wide, and one foot six inches high, running through the “camel,” from the stern to the bows, with which the water is let in from without, and from which the lower water rooms are filled. Each “camel” will hold 12,000 barrels of water; the lower hold alone 8,000 barrels. This water is forced out by a double-acting pump, worked by a - steam engine of six-horse power, and throwing thirty barrels per minute. The experiment with these “camels” has thus far been successful. Six loaded ships, borne up by them, and towed by a steamboat, have either entered or departed from the harbor without the occurrence of an accident. In forty-five minutes, towed by a small boat, they were taken three and one-half miles. But, in prosecuting their work, the company have arrived at a point there aid is required to develop the full value of their enterprise. They . expended a considerable sum more than their original estimate of the cost of the “camels.” Experience has taught them that important im- provements, as they believe, can be made in the application of this novel mode of overcoming obstacles, common, as obstructions to navigation, to many parts of the nation. They desire to make improvements in the model of the “camels,” and to employ steam engines of sufficient power not ºnly to remove the water from the “camels” with greater speed, which ometimes may be very important, but to propel the whole apparatus with- out resorting to a steam tow boat. They have not the means to accom- plish this object, havinga Iready expended upwards of thirty-seven thou- sand dollars in prosecnting their experiment. Fifteen thousand dollars, they believe, would enable them to perfect a plan which would be a model for the whole country. . º These “camels” are proposed as a substitute for the removal of bars and shoals which obstruct the navigation of harbors or rivers. When such re- movals can be effected, the result is entirely uncertain. It is often a total failure, and often only a change in the location of the bar or shoal remov- ed. Large expenditures have been made by this Government to effect the removal of bars and open channels for the improvement of navigation; and, intil some practicable mode shall be established, by which these difficulties ;an be overcome, the demand upon the Treasury is not likely to cease. It is believed that these “camels,” once perfected, will furnish the means to surmount obstacles which now are bounds to navigation at some of the principal harbors and rivers of the Union. They would render unneces- sary the hazard, the delay, the expense, of transporting immense quanti- ties of merchandise, which now cannot be laden at the port of shipment, on board the vessel which is to transport it across the ocean. Without re- º - º º * - - -- - 7 - ºf -º- Rep. No. 213. ferring to other places, where they would be useful, they could scarcely fail of great usefulness to Wilmington, to Charleston, to Savannah, to Mobile, and to New Orleans. Your committee, being of opinion that the successful prosecution of their enterprise by this company is of national interest, report the accompany- ing bill in aid thereof. - 1- |||||||||||||| BCU 3 9015 02110 5831 MAR 7 1951