Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 424 "Cloud Dragon"

In April, Qiming Island (now Vancouver Island) is full of spring.

The morning mist shrouded the coast like a light veil. As the sun slowly rose, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing the azure sky and the sparkling sea.

The distant mountains are still capped with snow, while at their foot, new greenery covers the land, dotted with wildflowers of various colors, creating a picturesque scene against the backdrop of the lush forest.

In the naval port of Shaowu (now Esquimolt town), several warships flying the red five-star flag were quietly moored, their masts towering high, and sailors were busy repairing sails and moving supplies.

The wharves along the shore stretched into the deep blue waters, with merchant ships and fishing boats coming and going in an endless stream, bringing furs and coal from the north, timber and grain from the south, and carrying away industrial products and immigrants awaiting transport from Dongping (now Victoria Harbour and surrounding towns).

Outside the naval base, a wall made of bricks and cement stands tall, and guards on watchtowers vigilantly patrol the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

In the farmland not far from the base, spring plowing is in full swing.

Immigrants from the Ming Dynasty rolled up their trousers and shouted as they pulled the oxen to plow the land, the damp soil exuding a fresh scent.

The market on the east side of the base was bustling with activity, with Han Chinese and locals mixed together, and the sounds of hawking and buying could be heard constantly, occasionally accompanied by a heated argument.

When the clock tower in the naval port chimed nine o'clock precisely on time, the port's pier was already packed with people.

Zhang Ruosong, a member of the Xinhua Decision-Making Committee, Deputy Premier and Minister of Science, Technology and Industry, stood at the very front of the dock with his hands behind his back and a warm smile on his face, talking quietly with Wei Yingbin, a member of the Decision-Making Committee, Vice Chairman of the Military and Political Committee and Minister of the Navy.

Behind them were a group of naval officers, science and technology experts, and engineers from the Qiming Island First Shipyard. Everyone carefully dealt with the two big shots while occasionally raising their feet to look at the ship on the dock—"Yunjiao-9".

It is an experimental ship that is about 10 meters long, 3.5 meters wide, and has a displacement of only 8 tons.

Its appearance is very different from the traditional Fujian ships of the Ming Dynasty and the European galleons, and it is also fundamentally different from the clipper ships pioneered by Xinhua, because it has a wrought iron steam engine and a large chimney in the middle and rear of its hull.

The boiler and coal bunker are located in front of the steam engine, and steam is transported through short iron pipes.

This steam engine is a single-cylinder, low-pressure design, about 1.6 meters high, and occupies a significant amount of space on the deck.

The chimney extends from the boiler above the deck, reaching a height of approximately 2.4 meters. It is designed to be slightly tilted to prevent it from tipping over during navigation or under severe vibrations.

"Fifteen years..." Wei Yingbin looked at the small experimental ship, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

“Yes, it’s been fifteen years.” Zhang Ruosong adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the morning light. “From the explosion of the first steam-powered boiler to today’s ‘Yunjiao-9’, the money we’ve burned could probably build two thousand-ton battleships.”

"What, does your Ministry of Science and Technology support our Ministry of the Navy in building large ships?" Wei Yingbin asked with a smile.

"Why is your navy so obsessed with building big ships?" Zhang Ruosong rolled his eyes and complained, "Do you want to storm the Atlantic Ocean and show off your military might? In the next ten to twenty years, the 'Haiyan-class' cruisers will be enough for Xinhua to control the sea in the Pacific region."

"As a naval officer, who wouldn't want to have giant ships and cannons?" Wei Yingbin rubbed his nose. "If our Xinhua had two or three thousand-ton battleships, it would be a silent deterrent. Our opponents, whether the Spanish, the Dutch, or Zheng Zhilong, would be intimidated before even engaging in battle upon seeing such a massive ship."

"The problem is, a battleship of a thousand tons requires at least 600-700 officers and men. Does your navy have that many personnel?" Zhang Ruosong shook his head and said, "If you build two or three, it will probably eat up Xinhua's annual military budget. Then the army will probably have no way to survive and will definitely be so anxious that they will jump up and fight your navy to the death!"

"We Xinhua have no enemies on land, so why would we need to invest too much in the army?" Wei Yingbin said with a slight smile, seemingly unconcerned.

“Look at what you’re saying! If Mo Tianhai heard this, he’d probably be furious with you again.” Zhang Ruosong chuckled. “Although we have no enemies on the New Continent, we still have many powerful enemies in the Ming Dynasty, Korea, and the Outer Northeast.”

"A few months ago, the Army dispatched three infantry companies and one artillery company to the Chinese mainland to strengthen Xinhua's influence and conduct combat training, with the intention of competing with your Navy for military funding."

“What can just over four hundred men do on the battlefield of the Ming Dynasty, where the army numbers in the tens of thousands?” Wei Yingbin said. “What if we’re not careful and get wiped out by the Qing cavalry in Liaodong? That would be a bad look.”

"Heh, as the Chairman of the Military and Political Committee, how can your side be crooked? Can't you wish the army some good things?"

"I just think the Ministry of War is being a bit stingy." Wei Yingbin adjusted his general's cap with his right hand and said softly, "If you're going to send troops, you should send more. Just send two mixed battalions at once, eight or nine hundred men each. That way, no matter which battlefield you're on, you'll be a formidable force. Even if several thousand Qing troops came, they might not be able to take you down."

"But they only sent about four hundred people. Not to mention that they are negligible at the campaign level, they probably can't even be properly deployed for small-scale tactics. They can only carry out limited harassment and guerrilla warfare like in Dongjiang Town. In terms of the overall situation in Liaodong, they won't play a significant role."

"Have you forgotten that there are still thousands of militia forces in the Liaohai and Beiying colonization areas?"

"Those militias can only bully the weak Koreans. They might not be enough against the powerful Qing Eight Banners," Wei Yingbin said disdainfully. "Tell me, in all these years, have they ever faced any Qing army unit head-on?"

"Didn't General Huang Long, the commander of Liaonan Garrison, have a firearms battalion of four hundred men? They were armed with flintlock muskets provided by Xinhua, and the training was handled by the Liaohai Colonization Area. But what was the final result? In the end, they were annihilated by the Qing army in one fell swoop, and Huang Long himself was killed on the spot."

"Sigh, our Xinhua Army only numbers a little over 1,200. We can't possibly send most of them to the Ming Dynasty, can we?" Zhang Ruosong sighed. "We always need to keep some troops at home to deal with any unforeseen circumstances. What if the Spanish suddenly have a meltdown and attack? Are we going to have to mobilize the militia to fight them?"

“Premier Zhang, with our navy here, how could we possibly allow the Spanish to invade our Xinhua territory again? Besides, do the Spanish still have the capability now? If I remember correctly, after the Battle of the Downs, the Spanish navy didn’t recover for almost a hundred years until the Bourbon dynasty, when it was only with the help of the French that it was able to recover somewhat.”

"It can be said that our Xinhua Navy now has the strength to completely suppress the Spanish colonial authorities in the Americas. Once war breaks out, we can not only control the sea on the east coast of the Pacific, but also blockade Callao Port, block Panama, and cut off their treasure ships' sea routes."

"At this time, the one who should be worried about being attacked is the Spanish, not us Xinhua. You see, if this steamship is successfully tested, our Xinhua Navy will be even more powerful. We can even consider directly compressing the Spanish forces to the area south of the US-Mexico border in the future, and occupying all the best land in the Americas."

Zhang Ruosong gave him a deep look, then turned to look at the "Yunjiao-9" steam test ship at the dock.

A crew member stood at the bow and raised the signal flag indicating that the ship was about to set sail. After receiving clear instructions, he immediately waved the flag down and turned to give the order to the ship's chief engineer.

With a sharp whistle, the boiler of "Yunjiao-9" was ignited and pressurized, and black smoke billowed from the tilted chimney, leaving a stark black streak in the azure sky.

The noise on the dock gradually subsided, and everyone held their breath, their eyes focused on the small experimental ship.

"The pressure has reached the critical point!" a craftsman reported loudly.

"Launch the main valve!" Luo Desheng, a senior engineer at Xinhua Heavy Industry, ordered in a gruff voice. He was missing two fingers on his right hand, a souvenir from a boiler explosion three years ago.

This steam test vessel lacked automation and required manual adjustment of valves to control the steam flow.

Moreover, the rudder is no different from that of traditional ships and still needs to be operated manually by the crew.

As the main valve of the boiler is opened, the gushing steam pushes the piston, the connecting rod drives the crankshaft, and the propeller at the stern begins to turn slowly.

The ship shuddered slightly, and the metal parts on the deck emitted a screeching sound, as if a sleeping beast was awakening. "It moved! It really moved!" A cry of surprise erupted from the dock.

The propellers of "Yunjiao-9" began to stir the seawater, and the ship slowly left the berth.

Although the speed was not fast, it was moving forward solely by the power of steam without sails or oars!
Wei Yingbin's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes: "All these years of hard work have finally paid off!"

Zhang Ruosong adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses remaining calm: "This is just the beginning; there are still many problems to solve."

When the "Yunjiao-9" had traveled more than 200 meters, a sudden change occurred.

A muffled thud came from the hull of the ship. Immediately afterwards, the sound of the steam engine running became chaotic, and the smokestack no longer spewed out black smoke, but white steam mixed with sparks!
"Pressure out of control!" the steam engine technician on board shouted in terror.

"Shut down the main valve immediately!" Rodson shouted sharply, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

But it was too late.

The roar of the steam engine turned into a piercing shriek, the hull began to tremble violently, the propeller moved at varying speeds, and the bow veered uncontrollably to the right, heading towards the observation ship beside it.

"We're going to crash!" someone screamed.

"Use the pole to brace it!" Rodson roared.

The observation vessel was also in a panic, jerking its rudder and swerving to the right, while its oarsmen struggled to row.

Several sailors also grabbed oars and stretched them towards the "Yunjiao-9" to prevent the two ships from colliding.

This steam-powered experimental ship is extremely valuable; it absolutely cannot be damaged in a collision.

After some effort, the observation vessel was isolated from the "Yunjiao-9" by seven or eight struts and oars. The technicians on board also took the opportunity to close the main valve. As the roar of the steam engine gradually subsided, the ship came to a stop.

The dock was completely silent, with everyone staring blankly at the steam-powered experimental ship lying across the sea.

What's wrong? You've only run a few hundred meters and you're already exhausted?
Zhang Ruosong gave a wry smile and walked towards Luo Desheng, who had just been brought ashore by a small boat.

The veteran craftsman's right hand was burned again. He hastily wrapped it with a damp towel, grinned at Zhang Ruosong, and said, "Teacher, we've embarrassed ourselves again!"

"It's alright!" Zhang Ruosong patted his shoulder reassuringly and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

“It should be a minor issue,” Rodson said. “The poor sealing is causing a leak in the pipes. There’s also a problem with the cylinder, which needs further improvement.”

“It seems that the power is also a bit insufficient.” Zhang Ruosong glanced at the steam test ship. “The reliability of the pressure relief valve also has a big problem, and it cannot output steam continuously and stably.”

“Yes, teacher.” Rodsen nodded, but there was no sign of discouragement on his face. “However, we are on the right track. All the problems are related to the process. With some improvements, I believe we will be able to go further and travel more smoothly next time.”

"Not bad, today 'Yunjiao-9' moved more than 200 meters on its own." Zhang Ruosong looked at the technicians and craftsmen who were gradually gathering at the dock, all of whom showed signs of frustration, and said loudly, "What does this mean? It means that steam-powered ships are feasible! All problems can be solved. We have already blazed a trail! In the future, we will definitely run faster and farther!"

"But this is the ninth failure..." someone muttered quietly.

“What’s so terrible about failure?” Zhang Ruosong glanced at the source of the voice and said in a deep voice, “In the process of scientific experimentation, it is normal to fail ten or eight times. Even if we fail a hundred or a thousand times in a row, it’s not a big deal. At least, through repeated experiments and demonstrations, we have eliminated those wrong methods one by one and solved countless problems.”

"You must remember that no scientific exploration is accomplished overnight; it requires experiencing many failures and facing numerous setbacks. But as long as we move forward with the right methods, we will eventually achieve great success."

"Teacher, don't worry, we will definitely learn from this failure and get the steamship launched and sailing smoothly in the shortest possible time," Rodson solemnly assured him.

"Don't rush, take your time." Zhang Ruosong looked at Luo Desheng: "Where do you think the specific problems lie?"

Rodsen removed the wet towel from his hands and took a new wet towel from an assistant beside him, continuing to wrap his hands with it: "There are three main problems: poor cylinder sealing, high boiler heat loss, and flaws in propeller propulsion."

Is there a solution?

“Yes.” A glint of light flashed in Rodsen’s eyes. “First, have Xinhua Heavy Industries try to switch to using integrally cast cylinders to reduce seams; second, add a boiler insulation layer to reduce steam loss; third, further improve the propeller shape to make it as close as possible to the propeller on the Breaking Wave.”

"how long it takes?"

"Three months! ... Uh, six months at most."

Zhang Ruosong nodded and turned to Wei Yingbin: "Chairman Wei, what do you think?"

Wei Yingbin pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "In that case, the Navy can add another 10,000 silver dollars to the research and development funding."

As the sun sets, it casts a long silhouette of the "Yunjiao-9" ship moored at the dock.

Although today's test did not end perfectly, the technicians and craftsmen who remained at the dock were busy with the ship's repairs with unprecedented confidence.

A horse-drawn carriage headed towards the Shaowu naval base camp, with Zhang Ruosong and Wei Yingbin sitting opposite each other inside.

"Steamships have been developed, so when will steam locomotives be invented?"

"Let's wait and see." Zhang Ruosong chuckled. "Steam engines used to drive propellers have lower requirements for power continuity, and the resistance of ships in water is relatively uniform. In addition, ships are large in size and can accommodate heavier and larger steam engines and more fuel. Furthermore, due to buoyancy, water transport is not sensitive to weight, so it is easy to realize the steamization of ships."

"However, steam locomotives are quite different because they require higher traction and stability to overcome rail friction and gravity when climbing hills. But we can't build a bulky steam engine on the train, which means we have to design the steam power system to be lightweight and have higher requirements for engine efficiency."

"Most importantly, given our current population size and the distribution of our residents and economy (which are mostly within 30 kilometers of the coast), there is no immediate need for rail transport."

“That’s true.” Wei Yingbin looked out the car window at the distant horizon. “As long as we can steamships, we can basically meet our needs for the next twenty years.”

"With reliable steam power, our warships and immigrant ships will no longer be subject to wind direction and ocean currents, and will also be able to extend our reach upstream along rivers and into the inland heartland."

"With steam power, we are at the forefront of the world, and we will truly be the ones to write the rules of this era," Zhang Ruosong said, his tone firm and confident.
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(End of this chapter)