Paddleducks
Old Yahoo Group => Yahoo Messages => Topic started by: Dallinson on June 16, 2005, 07:57:40 PM
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Hi paddlers.
Here is one you might like.
In 1844 John Kibble had a ship called the "Queen of Beauty" built by Thomas
Wingate and engined by Robert Napier.
The ship was fitted with two paddle shafts, one forward and one aft, two or
three feet above the waterline. On each shaft was fitted a drum. Between the
two drums ran a flexible belt with the floats attached. This was intended to
be an improvement over the normal paddle wheel. However it did not prove a
success, and she was later fitted with a different engine, less ambitious
paddles and re-named the Merlin.
If you turned up at the lake with one of these, no-one, but no-one, would
believe you!!