Chaplin's patent distilling apparatus
The Chaplin's patent distilling apparatus with Steam pump for circulating water attached was an early design of an
Manufacturer
Alexander Chaplin & Co. (also known as A.C. and Co., Alex. Chaplin & Co.) was a manufacturing syndicate based in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century to early 20th century with its manufacturing and engineering plant facilities located at Cranstonhill Engine Works, Glasgow.[2] Of their numerous patented and manufactured products, one of the notable devices developed was the Chaplin's Patent Distilling Apparatus with Steam pump for circulating water attached.
Founded in 1857, the administrative office of Alexander Chaplin & Co. was located at 63 Queen Victoria Street,
History
The Chaplin Apparatus was adopted by many important British and Continental shipping companies including the
Chaplin distillers were also used in land settings. During the
By the order of H.M. Council on 5 December 1865, Government emigrant, troop and other passenger vessels fitted with this distilling apparatus were permitted to sail with only half the required amount of water under Section 26 of the Passengers Act 1855. This act states "Any passenger ship propelled by sails only, or by steam engines of less power than is sufficient, without the aid of sails, to propel the ship at the rate of five statute miles per hour, may be cleared out and proceed on her voyage, having on board, in tanks or casks, only half the quantity of pure water required by the said Act to be carried for the use of the passengers, provided that…there be on board such ship an efficient apparatus for distilling fresh water from salt water".[12] This, combined with the convenience and compact size of the apparatus made the Alexander Chaplin model very popular.
In direct competition with Alexander Chaplin, Dr. Alphonse Normandy's (1809–1864)[13] apparatus is another successful distiller. It consists of three essential parts, the evaporator, the condenser and the refrigerator. The apparatus passes a mixture of steam and gasses from the evaporator to the tubes of the condenser. Normandy's distiller was very complex in structure, consisting of many numerous working parts. With an elaborate layout and expensive cost, the distiller wasn't economically viable for smaller vessels. In France, the apparatus of Rocher and Nantes and that of Galle and Mazeline of Havre, have been "highly appreciated by French authorities and French seamen".[5]
Method of operation
For successful preparation of potable water from seawater, the following conditions of a distilling apparatus were deemed essential. First, the distilled product must be aerated so it may be immediately available for drinking and storage purposes. Second, the amount of coal used to obtain the maximum volume of drinkable water must be at a minimum expenditure level and third, the apparatus' working parts must be simple enough to prevent from breaking down and to enable unskilled attendants to safely operate. "The Alexander Chaplin distilling apparatus is among the forms of apparatus which have most fully satisfied such conditions".[5]
Apparatus
The Alexander Chaplin & Co. distilling apparatus was designed initially for use on board steam vessels where it could be supplied with steam from either the main boiler or a
The integrated circulating pump of the later arrangement could also be used as a fire engine in the event of an emergency. The outlet pipe from the cooling water chamber could be fitted with a cock, by which way the water could be directed to a fitted union to which a fire-hose could be attached.
The optimum arrangement would place the apparatus in the stokehold or anywhere below deck where a reliable steam and cooling water supply could be efficiently provided. It could also be placed on the main deck or any other convenient part of the vessel, subject to adequate water and steam supplies being maintained. As long as fuel was available to make steam, the Chaplin distiller offered a potential economic benefit in that the space and weight previously set aside for larger water tanks could be used more productively to carry additional cargo.
According to the manufacturer's specifications and a report generated by Dr. Frederick Penny PhD, F.R.S.E Professor of Chemistry, Andersonian University,[15] Glasgow,[14] the distiller filtered out noxious chemicals such as lead, copper, tin and iron through the use of a series of iron plates with perforated holes and matting. These plates were located in the large box-like structure at the bottom of the apparatus.
Apparatus aboard SS Xantho
Precisely when the Chaplin Distiller was installed on Xantho is open to conjecture. It is known that from 1864 to 1870, Xantho operated out of Wick, West Sussex and was permitted to take excursions to sea. It is possible that this apparatus was installed during this period of time.[16] It is more feasible however that this device was installed at a later date as part of the major refurbishing programme implemented by the metal merchant Robert Stewart, who, in 1871, completely and radically re-engineered the ship, replacing the original side paddlewheel steam propulsion with a new marine fire tube boiler and screw propulsion, utilising a secondhand Horizontal Trunk Engine designed by John Penn and Son.[17]
Excavation and confirmation of identity
The Chaplin distiller was excavated from the steamship Xantho wreck site in 1994.[18] It was found outside the hull on the port side of the vessel. It is likely that this apparatus was installed in the ship's engine space and as a result of the wreck site's natural transformation, had been displaced by the strong transverse current as the surrounding hull framing and plating gave way, falling out onto the seabed.
Initial speculation was that this may be a condenser or a heat exchanger[19] or perhaps a circle condenser [?] but the discovery of a brass manufacturer's nameplate found whilst de-concreting the object and subsequent archival documentation has confirmed its identity to be a Chaplin distilling apparatus.[11]
On recovery, the artefact was found to be in very fragile condition with the cast iron shell badly corroded and incomplete. Additionally there is evidence to suggest that the artefact is missing many of its mountings such as the aerator, connecting pipes and donkey engine. It is inconclusive whether these materials were removed by agents operating under the direction of the owner Charles Edward Broadhurst (1826 – 26 April 1905)[20] in the initial salvaging of the wreck in 1872 or by treasure hunters in more recent times.[21]
This Chaplin Distiller, which was damaged during the excavation and treatment processes, is currently being reconstructed at the Western Australian Museum by the Department of Maritime Archaeology. It is envisaged that this rebuilding process will be completed by 2014 and that it will be available for public viewing in the 'Steamships to Suffragettes Gallery' shortly thereafter.
Because of its fragmented state and damage to the coil it is not possible at this stage to confirm exact dimensions for this apparatus. A rough estimate would suggest something in the order of 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[11] but a definitive answer will be able to be determined once it is reassembled and the coil has been correctly aligned and integrated.
The Chaplin Distilling apparatus excavated from Xantho is believed[by whom?] to be the only known example in existence and therefore can be regarded as a unique piece of maritime history that helps to explain how steamships and sailing vessels fitted with these devices were able to undertake prolonged voyages at sea with a minimal supply of fresh water.
References
- ^ Xantho | Shipwreck Databases | Western Australian Museum
- ^ The London Gazette, Nov. 10th, 1865
- ^ Alexander Chaplin and Co. (1883). Illustrated Catalogue of Chaplin's Patent Steam Engines and Boilers: Steam cranes, hoists, locomotives, pumping and winding engines, ship's deck engines, sea-water distilling apparatus, &c. London: Alexander Chaplin and Co.
- ^ The National Archives | Access to Archives
- ^ a b c d Baynes, T. (ed.) 1878 The Encyclopædia Britannica, A dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature. Ninth edition , Vol.VII New York: New York Charles Scribner’s Sons, pp.263–264.
- ^ Chaplin 1883, p. 3
- ^ The New York Times 1890 Distillers for War Ships. New York: The New York Times 20 August.
- ^ Government Printing Office 1886 Specifications for A Horizontal Back-Acting Compound-Screw Engine for Gunboat No.2, of 870 Tons Displacement to be named the. Washington: Government Printing Office, pp. 37.
- ^ Government Printing Office 1887 Specifications for Two-Horizontal Direct Acting Triple Expansion Screw-Engines for Gunboat No.1, of 1,700 Tons Displacement to be named the. Washington: Government Printing Office, pp. 16.
- ^ Scientific American 1885 The distillation of sea water. Scientific American Supplement No. 492, Scientific American 6 June.
- ^ a b c Chaplin 1883, p. 33
- ^ Kay, J. 1875 The Law relating to Ship masters and Seamen, their appointment, duties, power, rights, liabilities and remedies. Vol.II, Bell Yard, Temple Yard: Stevens and Haynes Law Publishers, pp. 9–12.
- ^ Smith, E.; Babock & Wilcox (1905). A Short History of Naval and Marine Engineering. Cambridge: The University Press Cambridge. pp. 223–224.
- ^ a b Chaplin 1883, p. 31
- ^ Frederick Penny – University of Strathclyde
- ^ Henderson, G.J and K.J. Henderson 1988 Unfinished Voyages 1850–1880 Vol II. Nedlands: UWA Press.pp. 119–124
- ISBN 9780306463655.
- ^ McCarthy, M. (1996), SS Xantho: towards a new perspective. An integrated approach to the maritime archaeology and conservation of an iron steamship wreck. (Unpublished PhD thesis), Townsville: James Cook University, p. 185
- ^ McCarthy 2000, p. 83
- ^ Black, D. and Bolton, G. 2001 Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia, Volume One, 1870–1930 (Revised Edition ed.). Parliament House: Parliament of Western Australia
- ^ McCarthy 1996, p. 161