Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1875 — A Novel Propeller. [ARTICLE]

A Novel Propeller.

The New Haven Palladium says that a mechanic in that city named Jardine has invented a method of propelling boats by atmospheric pressure, by which he claims to be able to attain a speed of five miles an hour. The boat which he has taken for his experiment was a two-masted sharpie. Two keels have been placed on the bottom parallel with each other. The motive power lies in a small engine, run by a small boiler. This engine runs a blower, which forces the air into an airtight box built in the bottom of the boat a little toward the stern. Three iron tubes lead from the box through the bottom of the boat, being flush with the outside. These tubes are inclined to the stern and convey the compressed air to the top of the water. This air, pressed against the surface of the water, forces the boat forward without any swell. The keels keep the air from spreading before it does its work. The inventor claims to have a very valuable invention and something that might be used to advantage, especially in canals. Mr. Jardine has been experimenting with the boat for the last three weeks. Its first trip was for a distance of several miles. The horse-power needed as propelling power is very small indeed.