U-BOAT ENGINES IN BRITISH WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 116, 15 May 1920, Page 19

U-BOAT ENGINES IN BRITISH WORKS.

- ■'■ •■■•:. : . '•',:>"•• '■':; ."■- , , •' :. ...•.: '■....-:. . .;.■" Ge_nan TJ-boat engines are now. being used to produce electric power for. British osefs. '.:'.-■. -t Many of those which.-Were handed over by the' German Government ■ were - given over to the sbipbfeakem... Their hulls were broken up and sold for scrap! Then,., scatter—l to the four winds <_ English commerce, their fragments were reincarnated ln new British machinery. . ;■. Some.of them, however,, contained sets of powerful engines, of great value to big power and engine—lng corporations. . At, Glasgow and at other riverside ports, the breakers have been busy extra—lng the 800-b.h.p. D-sel engines which propelled the' larger eneft, and some of which contain as much as 18 tons of manganese bronse per set They are the finest lnternsl combostloa engines knew-,' arid tf a type which U Is scarcely possible to obtain in this country at the present time. ■ Wisbech' : purchased - one "set; ; and, Ssuthend has bought another. . Harrogate has taken two, the local authority having seised the opportunity to replace the obsolete steam engines which ran the 'town's electric .generators. They paid £15,750 for them; and consider they have got a bargain, lnasmnch as it would cost nearer £—»,000 now to put in ordinary steel engines. - ..'. :■-. £.: '.The -anio (Irish) Eleetrie Power Company bought a number of U-boat engines, and have found that the town's electricity supply can be maintained on,the accumulaiators alone for 24, hours. . - A big brewery company In the' Midlands has purchased one of the sets, as that English beer, will be hreWedhr. tht aid of i ! German mechanical skin, an ironic situ-1 j ation for the original designers to reflect upon. -.- '■ v , .v.- . ...-. j 1 Historic associations are connected with ! some of these boats and their engine*, j Thus one of the sets .sold -was," the" propelling agent of D •_. which.-'"Is" sUted to have s-nk_ three heapital ships '__■'_• mochantmea. .. It lsaow ates-ia jf-r.tts past by si iriillsrln British,ass-fai I tares. - -.■.--/:.'.:u-r--,-■:.,-■ •-.--■■ - ■-■■■ ■.■....■.--■-- V