Robert Fulton's Demologos was built to defend New York during the War of 1812 as an early steam-powered mobile battery. Its paddle wheel sat between two hulls, sheltering propulsion rather than exposing side wheels to enemy fire or collision. The divided hull form also provided separate buoyant volumes, useful when river currents or submerged obstacles caused hard impacts. The design connects propulsion protection with practical damage tolerance.
Notable Point · 2:50:49-2:51:35
Demologos shields its paddle between twin hulls
Robert Fulton's War of 1812 harbor-defense steamer protected its central paddle between twin hulls that also provided reserve buoyancy.