USS Union (1841)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Laid down: | 1841 |
| Launched: | 1842 |
| Commissioned: | early 1843 |
| Out of service: | 1847 |
| Struck: | 1858 (est.) |
| Fate: | sold, 1858 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 956 tons |
| Length: | 184 ft 6 in (56.24 m) |
| Beam: | 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 7 knots |
| Complement: | not known |
| Armament: | four 68-pounder guns |
The first USS Union was a steamer designed and constructed by the U.S. Navy as an experimental improved version of its current steam-powered ships which were not considered as efficient as they should be.
Union was laid down at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1841; launched in late 1842; and commissioned at Norfolk, Virginia, in early 1843, Lt. W. W. Hunter in command.
The Navy tested various designs of propulsion machinery during the transition to steam power in the early 19th century. Among these first experiments were Union and Water Witch—each fitted with an innovation named the Hunter Wheel.
The Hunter Wheel was named after Lt. W. W. Hunter and consisted of a conventional paddle wheel drum placed horizontally within the vessel below the water-line. The paddles were so arranged as to project from a suitable opening in the side of the ship when at right angles to the keel. Water was kept from entering by a cofferdam placed around the paddle wheel drum and against the side of the ship.
Union left Norfolk, Virginia, on a trial cruise in February 1843. She stopped at Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, New York City, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before returning to Norfolk in June. Although both Lt. Hunter and Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur highly praised the vessel, it was later discovered that her engines wasted too much energy uselessly driving the paddle wheels through the water-filled cofferdam inside the ship. Later that year, Union put into the Washington Navy Yard for repairs.
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Wikipedia