Topic starter
13/12/2006 5:47 am
1884 my 5-Great Grandfather built a "Marine farm truck" on Sauvie island in the Columbia river. Her name was LENA(She is in the database)
and the Saint Helens, Oregon newspaper ran a story on her. In it they used the phrases "Cog Rigged", "Plenty Housing" & "Direct Acting".
These phrases were common enough along the river that they used them without any explanation. NOW, no one seems to know what they mean.
It has been explained to me that the last means the steam was used to push the piston rather than pull it. and maybe Cog rigged refers to Chain drive.
I am in the process of designing a Live steam R/C "Mightabeen" as the lower Columbia, the Cowlitz, and the Lewis Rivers were not very fast except at freshet and the last two were small & winding,she was a tiny thing. IT will be fun!
If YOU have ideas, let me know, please!
Dave
13/12/2006 2:29 pm
For anyone trying to assist, here is a link to the article.
(scroll down to the header that says "An article in the St. Helens paper March 20, 1885:"
13/12/2006 10:16 pm
My best guess is that a "direct acting steam engine" is a reciprocating steam engine, like those used in steam launches to turn a propeller shaft (as opposed to pushing pitman arms to turn a paddlewheel). Such a setup on a sternwheeler would not use pitmans, but would likely use a chain drive, much like the later diesel sternwheel boats used. Hence the reference to "cog rigged". I see the article is circa 1885.
Topic starter
14/12/2006 6:13 am
Thanks Steve!
By the way John Bonser came from the Sciotio valley on the Ohio (I have no idea what the mile number there is.)
Dave
14/12/2006 1:02 pm
Dave: the Sciota River joins the Ohio at mile 356.5 from Pittsburg. It is about 237 miles long and had an average slope of 1.7 feet per mile below Columbus, Ohio. In the 1930s it was navigable for some 2600 feet above the mouth and no navigation improvements were in existance at that time. From THE OHIO RIVER US Govt Printing Office 1935.