Text 7b

STEEL SHIPS

During the late 1700’s, British shipbuilders had to begin the construction of iron vessels, partly because good wood for ships was becoming scarce in Great Britain. But iron ships also had many advantages over wooden ones. They were stronger, safer, more economical, and easier to repair. In addition, iron ships were lighter than wooden ships of the same size, because wooden ships required huge, heavy timbers. As a result, iron ships could hold more cargo.

Great Britain led the world in the development of iron seagoing ships. In 1821, it launched the Aaron Manby, probably the first all-iron steamship. Britain’s most gifted naval architect of the mid-1800’s was Isambard K. Brunei. In 1837, he launched the Great Western, the first steamship designed especially for regular Atlantic crossings. The Great Western measured 236 ft (72 m) long and 35 ft (11 m) wide. Its huge side wheels drove the vessel at 9 knots. Brunei designed ever-larger ships. In 1858, he completed the Great Eastern, the most spectacular ship built at that time. It was 692 ft (211 m) long and about 85 ft (26 m) wide and accommodated 4,000 passengers. But the ship failed economically. It did not attract enough customers to pay the huge operating costs. The Great Eastern was used in laying four successful transatlantic telegraph cables across the ocean floor. In 1888, the ship was sold for scrap.

During the late 1800’s, steel began to replace iron for ships. Steel ships were stronger and lighter than iron ones. In 1881, the Servia, a British vessel, became the first all-steel passenger liner to cross the Atlantic.

The mechanical drives enabled of significant increase of seaworthy qualities of the ship, as now it could support a course and keep any speed concerning a wind. But the wheel steamships had all lacks of oar vessels: wide deck, vulnerability of a rowing wheel and impossibility of an opposition to storm excitement.

In 1836, two inventors – Francis Pettit Smith of England and John Ericsson of Sweden – each patented a propeller that could drive steamboats more efficiently than paddle wheels could. The side paddles had worked well in calm waters. But in rough seas, as a ship rocked from side to side, one wheel and then the other might stick completely out of the water, wasting power. In addition, waves easily damaged the fragile wheels. A ship propeller, wholly under the water at the stern, used power more efficiently than the paddle wheels did. As the propeller bit into the water, it also pushed the ship forward much faster. In 1845, the Great Britain, designed by Brunei two years earlier, became the first propeller-driven ship to travel across the Atlantic. Subsequent 50 years the design of the high-speed all-weather ship underwent consecutive evolutionary changes, which always took into account the best properties of the form of the hull of rowing and sailing ships.

Ex. 13. Answer the questions:

1. What advantages did iron ships have over wooden ones? 2. What country is considered to have been a world leader in the development of iron seagoing ships? 3. What for was the Great Western constructed? 4. Where was the Great Eastern used? 5. What was her further fate? 6. When was the first all-steel passenger liner built? 7. What did the mechanical drives enable? 8. What lacks did the wheel steamships have? 9. What did the design of the high-speed all-weather ship always take into account?

Ex. 14. Explain why:

1. British shipbuilders had to begin the construction of iron vessels;

2. the Great Eastern was considered the most spectacular ship built in the XIXth century;

3. the Great Eastern failed economically;

4. steel began to replace iron for ships in the late 1800’s;

5. a ship propeller was more efficient than paddle wheels.

Ex. 15. Develop the idea:

1. Iron ships had many advantages over wooden ones.

2. Great Britain led the world in the development of iron seagoing ships.

3. A propeller could drive steamboats more efficiently than paddle wheels could.

Ex. 16. Make up a short summary of the text.

Ex. 17. Read and translate the text: