HMCo #16p Spray

"Spray. No 16. Built for Tilley Bros & Eaton of Norfolk.
Launched May 25th 1875.
Built on Crest's [#12p] frames.
Length 31ft 8in.
20in extra length put in amidships.
Centre of engine 13ft 6 3/4in from aft side of stem post.
May 27th [1872]. Bristol to Prov[idence] 15m[iles] in 107 1/2 minutes. Small fair tide. Popasquash Pt. to Prov[idence] 13 3/8m[iles] [in] 9 1/2 minutes at about 110lbs [steam pressure] [and] 240 rev[olutions].
29th [May 1872] 1/2mile course. 3m 18sec about 92lbs steam & 230 rev., als 3m 7sec, 110lbs st[eam].
30th [May 1872] Bristol to W[est]side of Greens Is[land] 1h 7m. Pop[asquash] Pt. to Conanimicut Pt. 37m, small fair tide. Returning [in] 1h 2 1/4m, 34 3/4m[iles] with about 100lbs st[eam pressure], medium tide, fresh NE breeze. With 110lbs steam, 258 rev[olutions], 95lbs, 244 [revolutions]." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. 1871 to ca 1874 calendar. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Model Room Rolltop Desk.)

"We are in possession of a copy of the official report, from the Committee at Portsmouth (Virginia) Navy Yard, who were appointed to examine the Herreshoff Safety Coil Boiler; also of a copy of the report of the Committee on Boilers and Machinery, adopted by the Board of Supervising Inspectors of steam vessels, in session at Washington, D . C, January 21st, 1876, both of which we publish below.
The Herreshoff Safety Coil Boiler was first used in the summer of 1874, since which time the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, of this town, have constructed and had in successful operation eight of these boilers; the last of these being the one they have recently placed in our Bristol Pumping Station.
They are now at work on a torpedo boat [#20p Lightning], which is being built, under contract, for the United States Navy. She is to be fitted with a pair of Herreshoff yacht engines, and a Herreshoff safety coil boiler. It is expected that great speed will be obtained from this boat. The builders expect to make a trial of her speed early in April next.
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Commandant's Office, U. S. Navy Yard, Norfolk, May 22d, 1875.
Gentlemen: You are hereby appointed a Board to confer with the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company relative to their 'Safety Coil Boiler,' and to visit their Steam Launch, which will arrive at Portsmouth, Va., on or about the 1st proximo, and to thoroughly examine (and test as far as practicable) the boiler, and forward to this office a report in triplicate, explaining its design, and stating its advantages and disadvantages, etc. Respectfully,
J. H. Stevens, Commodore & Commd't.
Chief Engineer F. C. Dade, U. S. N.
Pass'd Ass't Engineer Sam'l Gragg, U. S. N.
Master Machinist Wm. H. Lyons.
Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.
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Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va., Jan. 10, 1876.
Sir: In obedience to the prefixed order, we made a preliminary examination of the Safety Coil Boiler, of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., on the arrival of their steam launch here, but as one of the most important advantages claimed for this Boiler by its builders, was freedom from incrustation, when using sea water, the board determined to give it an extended trial in the harbor to test that point before reporting.
The understanding with the builders was, that the launch was to be used by its owners, as their business required, as long as was considered necessary to give the Boiler a fair trial, when it was to be brought to the yard, and an examination of the interior of the coil made, to ascertain if there was any deposit.
When sufficient time had elapsed, the owners were requested to put the launch at the disposition of the board, so that they could make a thorough examination, but this was put off from time to time, until to-day, when they have finally declined to do so, and we are compelled to report without stating anything definite in regard to incrustation.
The Herreshoff Safety Coil Boiler, consists of a spiral coil of gas pipe standing vertically on grate bars, and all contained in a cylinder of sheet brass, which is the fire box; on the top of this the smoke pipe is placed. The lower end of the coil terminates in a standing pipe about 4. dia:, placed just outside of the fire box. To the top of the standing pipe, is attached the main steam pipe, which passes through the fire box where it forms a coil, in which the steam is superheated on its passage to the cylinder. The upper end of the boiler coil is connected to the feed pipe.
The feed water enters the coil at the top, and is nearly all formed into steam, before it reaches the bottom; the steam and residue of water, enters the standing pipe, the steam passes to the cylinder, through the steam pipe at the top, and the water falls to the bottom of the standing pipe, and is blown out when necessary.
The advantages of this boiler are, 1st, Safety: The pipe forming the coil and the standing pipe are the only parts subject to pressure, and these are so small, in diameter, that it would require a very great press to burst them, and if an explosion did occur, it would do no more damage than the bursting of a tube in a tubular boiler.
2nd, Lightness: While this boiler is lighter, per se, than a tubular boiler of the same power, the weight of the water is almost entirely gotten rid of.
3d, A much smaller cylinder may be used for the same power of engine, owing to the greater pressure of steam that can be carried with safety.
4th, Economy, and the great rapidity with which steam can be generated from cold water. Although we have not been permitted to examine the interior of the coil, to ascertain whether or not any deposit has been made, the inference is that there is very little if any, as the launch has been running successfully in the harbor for seven months, and if there was any incrustation made, the coil from its small diameter would soon choke up, and become inoperative.
The builders claim that the rapid circulation of the water, prevents deposit.
Respectfully, F. C. Dade, Chief Engineer, U. S. N.
Sam Gragg, Passed Ass't Engineer, U. S. N.
W. H. Lyons, Master Machinist.
Commo. T. H. Stevens, U. S. N., Commd't Navy Yard; Norfolk, Va.
Approved, T. H. Stevens, Commodore And Comm'dt.
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The following is a copy of the report of the Committee on Boilers and Machinery adopted by the Board of Supervising, Inspectors of Steam-vessels, in session, at Washington, D. C., January 21,1876:
The Committee on Boilers and Machinery to whom was referred Herreshoff's Coil Boiler, would respectfully report, That this boiler is composed of Coils of iron pipe inclosed in an outer casing. The Coils are set over on ordinary grate. The feed water is forced into the upper end of the Coil and is converted into steam in its descent. The steam is conveyed into a receiver outside the boiler from which it is taken to the engine. The lower end of the receiver is supplied with means for blowing out the sediment that may be collected in it. With the present knowledge of your committee they are not entirely satisfied of its utility for Marine purposes, but they do not question its safety within certain limits of construction, and they would therefore recommend that its use be allowed on steamers of 25 tons and under, that come under the jurisdiction of this board, provided they are made of pipes not exceeding two inches in diameter.
A true copy: B. O. Carr, Secretary of Board." (Source: Anon. "The Herreshoff Safety Coil Boiler." Bristol Phoenix, February 5, 1876, p. 2.)

"... in 1875 J[ohn] B[rown Herreshoff] personally delivered three coil boiler equipped steam launches to customers in the south, providing more opportunities to exhibit to customers beyond Bristol. The 30-foot steam launch GEM (HMCo 15) and the 32-foot SPITFIRE (HMCo 18) were delivered to Savannah, GA plantation owners. While enroute J[ohn] B[rown Herreshoff] docked SPITFIRE at the foot of Wall Street from where he hosted two days of exhibition trips before loading on the steamer for Savannah [New York World, Oct. 1875]. The 32–foot SPRAY (HMCo 16) was delivered to a customer in Portsmouth, VA for commercial hire for pleasure and fishing parties. On arrival J[ohn] B[rown Herreshoff] arranged for the owner to make SPRAY available after an extended operating period to an examining board from the Portsmouth (Norfolk) Navy Yard to demonstrate 'one of the most important advantages claimed for this boiler by its builders …freedom from incrustation when using sea water' [Navy Yard, Norfolk, VA Examining Board Report Jan. 10, 1876. Cuttings pasted into the Sadie L. Herreshoff March 1875 Newspaper Cuttings Book in the Louise DeWolf Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum archives. (Unfortunately when sufficient operating hours had elapsed the owners declined to make SPRAY available to the board.)]. ..." (Source: Palmieri, John. "Advertising the Herreshoff Way." Curator’s Log - October 2013. http://www.herreshoff.org/news/newsletter3.html, accessed October 21, 2013.)

"N/A"

Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #16p Spray even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Spray (HMCo-made index card)
• Spray (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Year: 1875
E/P/S: P
No.: 016
Name: Spray
OA: 31'-8"

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.