''Pyroscaphe'' was an early experimental
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
built by
Marquis de Jouffroy d'Abbans in 1783. The first demonstration took place on 15 July 1783 on the river
Saône in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. After the first demonstration, it was said that the hull had opened up and the boiler was letting out steam, faults common in early steamboats. In this case, it seems to have been easily repaired as the boat was said to have made several trips up and down the river. A month later, on 19 August, the boat carried several passengers who signed a witness protocol for a successful journey.
The ''Pyroscaphe'' was propelled by a double-acting
steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...
and sidewheels, and was therefore a
paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...
.
Little is known about the design of ''Pyroscaphe'', although models and simple line drawings survive. The line drawings are also significantly different to the model, which appears to be a prototype for a third vessel. Unlike his earlier ''Palmipède'', ''Pyroscaphe'' used a rotating paddle wheel, rather than oscillating oars or paddles. The steam engine had also developed from a
Newcomen atmospheric engine with a rocking beam, to what appears to be a high pressure engine (such as
Richard Trevithick was known for.) with a horizontal cylinder. This cylinder had a small diameter and a long stroke, and used two
rack and pinion mechanisms with
ratchet teeth to rotate the paddle wheel.
Specifications
''(These figures are somewhat dubious, see .)''
* Length: 13 m
* Beam: 4,5 m/14 ft 10 in
* Displacement: 163t
* Complement: 3
See also
* ''
Palmipède'', his 1774 paddle steamer
References
*''The Encyclopedia of Ships'', ed. Tony Gibbons, Silverdale Books, 2002,
*''Steamboat Evolution; A Short History'', B.E.G. Clark, Fogdog Books,
Voyage de Balzac et Mme de Berny
A Guérande en pyroscaphe.
En ce printemps 1830, Balzac fêtait le succès des « Chouans », premier d'une longue série de 85 romans, et avait rejoint sa maîtresse Laure de Berny en Touraine. Elle lui proposa alors « le plus poétique voyage qui soit possible en France ». Le 4 juin, ils embarquèrent sur un pyroscaphe à Saumur, descendirent la Loire par Angers et Saint-Nazaire (seize heures de voyage), et de là empruntèrent la patache du voiturier Bernus, une sorte de malle-poste brinquebalante pour arriver à Guérande, autant dire au bout du monde.
Paddle steamers
Steamships of France
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