Chaplin's patent distilling apparatus
Founded in 1857, the administrative office of Alexander Chaplin & Co. was located at 63 Queen Victoria Street, London, England,[3] before being taken over by Herbert Morris, LTD in 1932.
[5] The Board of Bureau Chiefs of the United States Navy considered supplying the cruisers USS Baltimore (C-3) and USS Philadelphia (C-4) with distilling apparatuses to provide fresh water for the boilers from distillation of sea water, but no reference was made to the Chaplin company in their reported discussions.
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 apparatus consisted of a coiled condensing pipe approximately 60 feet (18 m) in length placed inside a cylindrical casing filled with constantly changed cooling water.
A covered brass cup with small adjustable holes around the circumference was fitted at the upper end of the steam coil.
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.
[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
