THE COST OF SPEED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 23, 22 October 1907, Page 5

THE COST OF SPEED.

• •.. TOO, HIGH FOR GERMANY^ ' TONNAGE BETTER'THAN KNOTS. '^/ COMFORT'AND PROFIT. BY. -TELEGRAPH—ESESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. '" ' '" f ' I Berlin, October 20. The' Hainburg-Americiiri' Company propose to "Build Viibw liner of 47,000 tons, with a speed of eighteen knots an hour, fitted with a •combination' of turbine aud reciprocating ohgineSi'. ■, [■■ ; f ' '.!;''••'' : Herrßallin, manager pi the company, declares that"'it is" impossible' to operate "vessels of ,ithe:'Lusitahia typo .without Government aid! Ho states 'that a spee'd of eighteen knots will furnish a maximum of comfort and. of profit. ■"'-' , -' .'':■'■'■'• ''RECIPIiOCATING ENGINE AND THE .- ~--.- . •■-. .. TUBBINB.,: :.■■■■■ , ..'■ are at present the largest ships afloat. The Lusitania has a gmss tonnage of 32,500,-a displacement, tonnage of 45,000, and 'on"average'speed from Queen'stown to bamly Hook of 23.H knots, as compared with the projected Gorman ship's 47,000 tens and 18 knots. The'lattcr's horse-power is not'stated; the Lusitania's is 70,000. At present the largest German steamer is the kaiser Wilhelm 11, 40,000 h.p.,'20,000"; tons'.; HamburgAmerican Companv has much the largest mercantile fleet in the world ; l :its< total tonnage is stated at 926,913; The Lusitania. js fitted with turbine engines,"'and •■ has four,. pr6pcllef„shalts, each with a screw., ,i:,'-i,"' ii.-. ~;-:.'.;;,..'■' . The Government aid referred toas the-sub-vention which theCunord Line rcceivesirom the Admiralty for building these very fast vessels. Tho Lusitania complies with the Admiralty 'reqjriwments -as 'an armed; cruiser, and is fitted for au armament of twelve 6-in. guns. These guns represent her' offensive powers. With the, view,, of protection,- her rudder, and one set.of-stearing gear are below the water line, an'd-.jii the way/6'f-the'engine and boilerrooms there ,-iare . side.„bun,kers. .which,,.,.filled with coal OTu'wuter,,wi.ll be„ .equivalent to an armour belt round . tlie vulnerable portion ot the ship. When 18 knot boats were proposed in place of-15 knot ones, in connection; with the "AIL Red" debate at the Imperial Conference, Sir William Lyne made the remark 'that "the last three knots would double the coal- consumption.". At, the pine Mr.{''<Eloyd{Georgo,.';.Presidentv.of 'the ,Board of Trade,- was""reported' as! saying:-"The difference between'an 18 knot and a 20 knot service is simply prodigious, almost prohibitive —that is, unless shipowners are trying to frighten us." According to an American .journal, the .extra knot and.a, half,, which.the new Cunarders are to'make over the Kaiser Wilhelm 11, tho North German Lloyd's champion, made necessary the installation of 68 additional furnaces,., six more boilers, 52,000 ; eftu'are'ffeet 'of' cheating surface, and an in-'c'Maso'-of 30,000-'hbrse-'power. Nearly 100 ft. of additional length had to bo,provided for, and IGfUmoro of beam'was necessaryj'aiid-aft increasu of 12,000 tons in displacement. If turbines had not been .employed at least throe 20,000 ihorse-power engines. wouhUhave been required. '■•.-.lnstead: of paying a'Very:-big • price for very high speed, the German Company, has evidently, decided on a,less costly plan,.,which is to'cßnibihe "comfort to thc'-passenjjel's ahU'profit to the owners. On the' ground of econo- ■ mics, the Company will not continue the greyhound competition. ■' The economics of the turbine, < ..as compared, with-, tho-rcciproeating (engine;..is another large.'factor./! In.the.,course o£'au';artio!ej.disoiiß.singr iii : . detail the'respqe?! tive limitation's "of (lie turbine 1 and the reciprocating engine ..in ■■ murine- propulsion, "Manchester.-'Giiardiah" '< '-p'rboeedii;. ttf ;;discuss just' sucli' -V"cohiliinatibh.' 'of the"' two .'.as 'the Germans seem to . have decided on. ■'' After .uointing, out.-.th'at "an efficient reversible'turbihe/has 'hot yet been evolved, and that it is jiccessiiry to y-employn special' -astern .turbines for reversing "a ship's motion," tlui'""Guardian" says:—"lt is a well-known .factVthat a turbine'makes'less efficient' use of high-pressure fitcpni; and/ more .efficient-use, of'-'low-pressure; ' si'eani thaii its rival; t,1i0./re'cipr«ating'. engino. Consequently it has beeii' suggest engineers' that 'a ;i-ec'iprbea'ting;-'eiigihe\ cxpand-' ihg -'the steam to about and. then passing ,it on for: further-arid final expansion ; in .-a low-pressurei : turbine,i wouldgive a most efficient .combination'-- of engines. Th'ero are,-, of- course, tho clisadya ntages'-of ex : ' ■ ii'fx] com'pliciitioh',.' .aiid.',,.pr6b'a'l)'ly.' ! '.'s6iiieWliat, greater first cost. ' On".the other" harid.rthc, -.reciprocating: engine .being' perfectly, reversible, wolild'.' e'ltablo'j, 'astern' "rjirbines /'to' 'be',' 'dbiie' away ' with, "and' woiildchsm-e ' excelleht mancEuvrihg' qualities." ■ Discussing the t'u'r-, lliliio; in l itK intliyidual' atiplica.ti.oif,' the "Guar-: dian" declares;.that:—"lt• must v bb admitted sune|ridrity.",of ' the, 'marine.' turbine' bvor-'the'n'eeiprocating engine 'is obtainable.in ,a comparatively small minority of ships, and -that there are acknowledged disadvantages attending- the lists of turbines. Mr. Parsons has estimated that, the- legitimate . field of the turhjiiV-incluUe's aboiit^o|ie,-fiftlLio£ ; tlie "world's, steam" 'tonnage. , As'-'large" and -fast ships are most suitable for. 'turbine propulsion, m-obiibly not one-tenth, of the worlds, steamships, would come within this fi^ld."