HOW IT IS DONE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 80, 28 December 1907, Page 6

HOW IT IS DONE.

« f TWENTY KNOTS AN HOUR. W: ■ 1 • RECORD-BREAKING ON THE MAORI, j ... Tho fastest vessel in Australian seas is lying t at the wharf-ready, to rcceivo hor: froight— Nv * .living one.- .There is no room in- a modern I. flier for anything-so prosaic as mere cargo, j ( Leaning. over her rail or passing • along tho • gangway aro ■ tho usual stock charactersy r families., of children, • honeymooning . couples, members of either-sox—at: present, unat--1 . ■■■ taebed,,though: -with somo tho 1 outlook- is i dej cidedly -promising; .commercial-'travellers; • tou-ists, sqhool teachers, loafers, woukl-be-i , stowaway 4, all interesting onough- to theln- • selves; jiiv doubt, 'but we.aro,in search of the root of tho-matter and wasto 110 • tuno watching.' them.' Like --th<V -American engi- > ac-j- at .the battle of Santiago,-: wo ■ remind-era-solves that our duty lies downstairs. :sr j-4'" U-'V'V''-XP.:': vi'--T (Jetting Ready. I i Tho-.firesthad'beoni bankcd.<at -the.endvofI • .J tho last run, . and the men, are now; getting ' . tKein.'away, -' tliis'entailing ;fqr;each- stoker-. .the..piling ori'of 50 'or'6o -scuttlcfuls : ;of-coal S. .: ' and- tho.' 1 ' stirring' of Viho' heap with-;aha.lf- ;< lundredweightpoker VlOf t.:; long: I'of. ashes"" v arranged . in . rows . wherever., stowage; can ./be; ; found;:'\these."'can. only-be -■»; emptied:; outsidothbvHeads:'- ,'ln •' the 'engine )' ■•: room "Ai little,; s'teaS ■ is'being- blowiythrough tho tarbines int'o-'tHo 'condcnser, and" thence •token * by Vthe'airj pump'andvfeed:' puirip ' iii\ f; ', titrn; v and . putvbick.'mto .tho:,boilerV .';These,'- ; as. "also ••.the"; pomp ''.whic&\ isiands i'tte'.VcoiJingj • ■ water through... ...,'of'. K-- .course,' -but slowly at'- present.:/','.' It is "tho . Second's' "\Vatch,", ihd.tbat individual '-/is.'m/'uniform-as .-yet .and.spruce ;. , . enough:' 'With tho ..Chief, ; , ho' just now engaged : in'-'-'taking;' tho;; clearance," •. a • tnystic-'operation requiring the';uses';bf.'gau'gcs. ■ differing by a t'housan'lth, .of -an jnch... It 'is ■by such infinitesimal 'amount's '-.tbat : adjiist-" - ments'-are-'effected iii -I. : modern'tm-bino, and* ■ npon the; due perform'anfce ; ,of whiph; success > y-: . ■ 'depends. '. The other ; engineers .'arqVscattered. sr. aroundj ; -each'opening ;or closing some; valve, 1 . his 'own. especial care. - ■/■■■' There ' aro a. number, of'.signal-bells; of, jf. :variot«.sorts>in-the'L&girie : ro6ih, and'aparcf ' tienlarly strident: qne\now,.sounds.-.'The. Caj)-. tain has rung, dewn ; f'Stand by-.". : One /engi-; neer . tabes. jip his i.position ' by each telegraph; one stands at: a desk-, ready ,to record signals; : and: so on. '. Tho. fans, which havo : been; 'running'. ; ;fairly ; -briskly^.drivitig;, air; into. I the ;furnaces, (aro now-.accelerated a littlo.: put no clouds ; of steam are escapipg up the : novelists and others,: fllease -note. Any oxcess of-pressure is re- ' lieved >-by a valvo, whose. -hand-wheel -is placed %closo :to , the - reversing, gear. Apart, s- from the various - pumps, .whose v name, is legion, there is . no: machinery to bo seon: f.yj just',three, i .l6ng':.c.ylindors"placed, lohgtitudj- ;'. -vually, '. from; .-.their.'.. afterrends -.protrudingi bright..p6lished-'steel;shafts'-.which,: disappear j. .- in. the middle-.distance;': ./ .. •' irUnder Way. , -"Half -astern"' is the first movement psecuted. /One lmows that everything is go-. !.' . ' iiig : well,'.because... the-.airvis free';from ■ sul- ; ; phurous-'fumesi vot .it is'sonio' mqments be-toro'■■-a" movement would bo noticed. bv a >,'■■■ ■ stranger ..' :At : :th'e ;forward 'end -of.ieach-tur-'i 1 bme is".an arrangement'; of-' levers actuatingv .< Che counter; and. giving''one stroke for' each |. .rovqlntiohs'fpf,.thqv:pr'opeller 'shaft;-.' and; | ; that is'; :all' .that' shows;- Only..'the'» two:': mng;. propellers' are' -one" amidships .-■■ «-ill only' runV ahqad.-. ; "The floor - is .not . < trembling ;; there is. no thud ;' or thump or whirr ; : aJI ono'can; notice is .the count«r-afni rising :■ and ! sinking. slowly. - The 'sig'nals :■ "Stop," ; ;' "Slow- ;Ahead," "Stop," ' "Half Speed Astern," etc., are .in'turn received and > obeyed as'the" vessel turns on' her heel ; and leaves the.,';wh{irf.■;.. Then ..there is,.a- - ring of. 5 diffeiMSt•iiiml^rei' ;^thi?!time;•frbA , ;he telephone with'J'this'. .briflge;' The '-"clerk' 1 springs. ,ujf> 'aid hands..the! rief ■ v ' - jeiver -to .the Cliief,. over whoso fcatures- a jloom - spreadsj those; of hia ]uniors ; as' he says,:curtly," "Fore and' after- £ peaks old .man "expects bad .weather' out-' . side.". This cryptic futterance: means tliat' certain' 1 must-be' filled :in "ordery_ *:. to ■ 'deepen ■ the . ship's draft,' ; tHis rinifortuf"':nately . entailing' increased ; resistance and a' i. roduced'speed—that is to say, uilless.'eoun.'teracted 'by other mean's. ; : ."Halt' Speeel 'Ahoad-'Vcomes noxtl ; and; be- : mg followed .by ,lanother\ .inqssage; ■ joes'.the-midsliip's'..turbinc:-set,iaway.;'>irhere-:ls nothing to bo heard;cyeri now; except the , cllcking-of the'-yalves'of'the various, puinp's.. :. . Suddenly a shower 'of 'unpleasantly 'warm' ;. ,;water,; deiscends-upon the. head of the hapless ' . to . 'the feed; pumps, which have' momentarily , choked-themselves. , The* shower as : it'beganj" and ill is well again.- .; ' , .- - At Top Speed. : : v. Then still ■ another'bell-iike ; sound', is 1 beard, ■ and' -'someohe ' jumps for . the' oil-pump.■• The. ; .lubrication is automatic, .a,tank .being pi 0into;which" the'-ml, from- all tho >. different' bearings. ;A;,special pump'-picks it' • up • awl; sends -it, thr'ough,?the 'bearings again;-. .» ascertain, amount-.-'of ' : '-pit square'.inchTr-being required the/ resistance in.'the; various pipes. .If from anynause; the.aqtioniof.;the, pumpi'is "me'ffectivo; tliLi pressure - drops, and' 'the' -needle; Iwhich records"it . back' round..the-.manometer. . dial; ■ till: it :clos"es 'a ' circuit; through': a ' brass: pin, and 1 sets'- the"' belKa-ringing.-' vThe Jwedit ■ for this ingenious 'tontrivance 'is'due/'by-'ths, way, 'to . the chief engineor,- and- riqt to: tlio .....■: builderr,,.:: This^ and ' " full speed-'.;ahead "' : is tho next ordeK : The' - stop: valves' are opened gradually..to their.' fullMt-{exteii't; tho ; pumps_ are ".snaken':up;V. the - fails fairly ; huriij •a-way.'.'- . There is .a.raucQus.yell of "'ashes .V'.jn tlioS . . Btok'ehbM, ; aiid : a.:triminer . hiakes : an lunparliamentary.'rcmark in this connection.;, - Butthe firemen; jai-e: being hampered-', at .their • work,: and ..must ,bo relieved'.-; .' Soon 'tho bags"'iro • rapidly-, beingemptied -'irito'va' ' conical hopper,,, where' ;a'.strea'nr'of' water at •a. high velocity■'■'jibks : .up]-th - -shoots them clgarf of;ti>e K 'sb*ipi]'.y %.■< ■ Tho firemenJ. by'Kthe : wayj '.are riot . to . the, waist;' but,: fairlyvthickly/ , Dther point, 'for-'-the'- impressionist waiter.; Every;two niinutes or so.tlje loud rattling ;of.fl :',"shoybl .ia-. ; heard/:'.tli'is- - being-:: the" signal, .of- -, tho'man-^whb'. ; Has i ,j^.ji^'.u'pr^.'iii s > .; n i a t e -- , it ; the. : 'other.''end'':to " ".slice " >V(i'.e. : ,'- use :a' ' poker). Business is certainly';brisk Tout thisre -gus: .-n0w..., In':thq..mbmentary.';oponiiig ; .of. the dbor. diie-hears.:the. chief sing-out,"-".Open that', bye-pass.",. This-' innocent: remark!,is Tec'eivcdby ohe'.firemah iwith a sotto-voccvoxpletivb directed>"against--bye-passes.and;their; openers >in -general,yand;'one: v yoe rHealey,:,in : ''i)ar.tioular.;. A','.Jrpncli jour- ' jia'listV.cbufd •-bq'i .hiqrp,-explicit; '~w<s■ canfldt.\ ,' Tho pointer'-'op'i the' steam gaiigb.. begins 1 torecede -.very,v.very ; srowly-.'from: the' red" line' which'- marks thoVliigliqst [ permissible. steam .-pressure, hut the,, principals in. the: engine- , room, are . busy , 'again"'at':tlje;'.".clearahci9."' VA.;. layman, cannot, see the' effect, : but' they •[; appear, satisfied.: Stiirivcry sloivly, the p'ointqr ;; recedes. . Then-.;a how,.:,electrifying;;agoncy : ' K' conies .into, play,..referred to-by.-the'.men' as' . "■ old.:Tommy;'l?ing.";".Thero, Bill/:' :says j,_ one, a -jitjtle; cockney,,, perhaps • sheqts ' ' in-the wind; " that's .what eddicaticn doe 3 for . 'cm.".. The fans are now; going ,at top j speed; an incautious phssonger-loses' his hat at-an air inlet,, and. ,nearly follows it himi self. - Tho pointer reaches . the , red mark | again. • . ... .... •. ■ ; ..i . No Fuss—No Noise. - i In the engine-room over 100,000-blades aro ; nqw. flying rouiid-inside the casings,'somo at ! a 'speed. of 100 miles -an hour. But bnefcan' see nothing except-just a breath of steam | ' the arid 'the rhythmical ' u'p-and-down''*movdmdnt' near the counter. ' But an car plocwl to' the 'casing-guides receives tho impression of , a sort. of gentle whistle , and a rustling—-that''is all. There is absolutely no '.vibration./ Tlie'" Second is drinking a cup of cpffeo, 'and,"'being called Away,', leayos .it ;• balanced on:paH-of-the starting gear. It is still.there in safety whon, he-returns. .' A ; walk -along v tho ' "tunnel" (in this case en-open space extending, the .width' of.'.the ship) - reveals nothing It'., is ' only :. by a'very , close inspection or by a touch with: the band; that the- rbtation (at 545 revolutions per minute 1)' of the beautifullmolished..

shafts can bo'detected. Right aft, where theso pass out through the ship's plating through" a stuffing-box packed with plaited homp, ono hears the.swish of the water tearmg : past,' but there is really nothing to sea hero.'.Orio intiy- ijs- well go up on deck now. < But lb is--useless to - try to claim the Chief for a chat, lie. is far ton busy. As a very, stout passenger; of- considerable experience says, with emphasis, "This job requires a'man who can run," Progress Reports.. i'.Uccasionaily; telephone, messages .arc- received as .the'various headlands are passed. ''She is doing-, her twenty knots and- a trifle .'ovct,". .srysUho'.engineer of the' watch. So she-continucs hour after, hour. Thero is no sleep for any of' the. engine-room personnel to-night.'. One may-liei.down on the settee for-.'a moment, but it is'only, to be tunicd out by the übiquitous'chief, to give just a suspicion, of a turn hero, or a : twist thore, at-'some' particular' valve.; The real excitement begins, - however',' 'during tho last two hours, As she drives 011, and point after point is Vpasseclj . eve'ry . face broadens. One 'starts .to. tell his experiences, on the trials of tho Lusitariia,- btit. checks himself to hear the nest telephone.- messago,' and- forgets to're-- , *rniriute'extra' now means i-25" part., of. a ! ,knot.' ojf her speed,-'and the "Stop," following, .tho ''Stand-by,'' "Half,' etc.,: seems terribly long in coming. "20.5" which appears probablo is soon lost, "20.4," 46.1," and ,then "Stop." ■ done it this time," says a grimy, sweait-stained "individual,who proves to be tjlie ; same person- as, the spruce second. engineer of; the ■ opening hours.,:,' The excitement ;is^qvor—bnly.J(luty,,, -plain',, matter-of-fact, everyday ..duty; .'remains ,to be done,- and slowly and. gracefully T.thb beautiful racer enters' hor .berth',. and 'the' scenes. of;'the departure aro repeated. 'Each passenger hur-i-ios for- town, .jubilant ..at having, assisted in. the Imakirig of a\r(:cord. ~.The .captain,, who had -. doiio his ' share, just as tlie f men below havo donj rtheirs, contentedly : as. lie listens -to, their, congratulations.. 'y. And up town tO/.'seM. a.'teiegramj'or transact some.'similar j business, says with .conviction:; '.'Tlio first ,t.oKlay, and . goodness knows I want it."