SHIPS AND THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 71, 23 March 1912, Page 14

SHIPS AND THE SEA-

THE RUSSIAN WAY. j Judging from the report of a collision caeo recently heard at Kherson, the lot of a Russian sea captain is very far from being a. happy one (says tho Victoria Colonist). If a British master loses his ship through collision, and is found to blame, tho worst thing that happens to | him is the suspension of bis ticket. The j punishment held over the bead of a Rua- I sian oaptain is fearful. Not only wore j Captain Grob and Captain Panoff, both , of whom wore found to blame, condemned I to four months' imprisonment, but they had thereafter to expiate a sentence of n "ohurph penance of three months." Whether this moans that they bad to wear hair shirts and go about with peao iv their boots aa in medieval <luye, or ivhether they morel; had to sign the pledge and abstain" from using swear words during .that .period, we do not know, • but it sounds protty bad. The collision was between the _ steamship Whampoa. (formerly* the British etearoer Munchen) and the steamship Lovki, and occurred twelve months ago. THE GIANT OLYMPIC. Mr. J. H. Harris, one of Messrs. Anthony Hordern and Sons' managers, who returned to Sydney last week after a trip round the world, during hie travels pereonally sampled the wonders of the mammoth ocean liner Olympic Mr. Harris said that he went from New York to London, on this "world beater" as one of 3000 passengers, and' he was simply astounded at its spaciousness and luxunousne«6. "With all those • passengers on. board," he 6»id» "you could look along the decks at times and think they were almost deserted. The expanse of deck was phenomenal, and the fittings of the vessel almost beyond description. In a two-berth cabin such ac I occupied hot and oold water were laid on, there were several electrio fans, a couple of couphee, chairs, a radiator, and avery oonvenienoe one. could desire, Tha quarters utilised by millionaires are better left to tho imagination. They cost* about ■ £350 for tha trip, which is one of five daje." TTJRBO-ELECTRIO PROPULSION. Messrs. John Reid and Co,, New York City, have designed for the transport of I bulk freights between the Gulf of Mexico aud New York, a turbo-eleotrio steamer. 300 ft long, to carry a deadweight oi approximately 5000 tons, at a mean loaded tpeed of 12 knoto at sod The propelling maohinery is ait, and consists oi 4 turbo-eleotrio outfit for 1500 lew. three-phase 50 oyolos when ruouing at 3000 revolutions par minute. The turI bine ia supplied with steam at a pressure of 2001b per square inch at the tut bine stop-valve. This eleotrio generating plant is arranged on foundations on 4 platform deck in the engine room, and the condensing plant in the engine room hold. The condenser is fitted with a 1 vaauum augmenter, and is suitable for dealing with the full-load quantity of steam from the turbine. The. vacuum obtained will be 2Q.172in, with cooling water about 80deg. This uondenaing plant consists of a vacuum condenser, i three-throw air pumps, and centrifugal circulating pump with electric-motor drives. The our rent is led to a threephase motor, whioh is keyed direct to the main propeller shaft, and is oap&ble of developing 1900 brake horse-power at a speed of about 84 revolutions per minute. The steam is generated in the Scotch boilers, with Howden forced draught, and liquid-fuel burners. This installation coats and weighs less than, the normal equipment. The coal saving lia over ten tons per day. The design of the ship itself- presents many other novel features. Ships* medicine chests. The Board of Trade has just issued revised scales of ' modioines and medical stores for ships' use. They inaugurate something in the nature of a revolution, , for they sweep away at one stroke scores ' of drugs whioh the modern practitioner , never _ uses, and the ourious official aa- '' sumption hitherto maintained that everybody still goes to sea in sailing ships. They introduce, too, into ships tho Üblet form of medicine, whioh teems, peculiarly^ well adapted, more especially if the vessel carries no doctor, for the requirements of the merchant service. The new medicine scale ' cornea into f oroe at once, and ' with it an 1 effort is to be made to stamp out the .vending of nostrums on shipboard, which in some oa»es ia alleged to be quite a thriving buaineai. The average, voyager is naturally anxious to get his Boa legs I as quickly as possible, and consequently, 1 it is alleged, he is often a mark for any member of the ihip's aompany who has a' speoifio against ae.a-aiakne.Ba to sell. But the vendor of quaok remedies does not always stop there, it appears, and a departmental notice now published agrees with the view that his business may easily constitute a source of danger. In another respeot the Board of Trade has made a new departure. The comI mittee whioh revised the medical scales expressed a strong opinion that there ought to be, even in the oase of cargo vessels, some separate accommodation available for members of the orow who I fall ill or meet with aocident. In supporting this recommendation, the Board , of Trade points out that it is framed in the interests of ehip-ownera aa well as of crews, and adds 'that it has ascertained on enquiry that it meets with the approval of the majority of the owners of cargo-carrying vessels. There would seem overy likelihood, therefore, that voluntary action on the linos indicated will be largely taken. As au iuduoement, the Board of Trade states that where separate and reserved accommodation of a, suitable charaoter is provided for sick or disabled seamen, the owner •will be entitled to have a deduction made in respeot of the tonnage measurement on which he pays dues. I am reminded (says a writer in Fairplay) that there has boon some difference of opinion between Greenook and Glasgow with regard to the origin of the Comet, whose centenary us the first commaroial steamer in this country has to be celebrated this year. The Comet waa launched in 1812, but she was not the first steamer, &s the readers of Fairplay havo been. already informed, though the nrticleß ou early navigation were so long ago that they may have been forgotten, which, of course, is a very reprehensible thing. Tho Charlotte _ Dundoa was the first, and she was afloat in 1802 — ten years before the Comet. It waa probably from the Charlotte Dundas, designed by Symington, that David Napier got his notions for the Comet, to whioh he supplied tho boiler. The Charlotte Dundas, however, was only a canal boat, even if the _ first _ vessel to be propollcd by steam in this country. The Comet wan really the first steamer for open waters, and she was built at Greenook by Woods, and engined by John Robertson. She was culled Comet because, while she was ' building, a large comet was visible, and, I as usual, exciting .everybody's attention and comment. It has been orroawi-ly btated that the Comet was Uuaunod in January, 1812. That is a mistake, for according to the report turmghod to Ihe shipbuilding returns of the year by John Wood and Co., she was not launched until the 24th July, 1812. In that return tho dimensions are given as: Length 43ft 6in, breadth lift 6in, measurement 25 tons, horse-power 4. The date was misstated iv tho Life of Henry Bell, and ' has been erroneously used ever since. She was begun in' October, 1811, and put into tho water in July, 1812. She was launoh1 ed with her machinery on board, and was able to make her first voyage in August, probably about tho 10th, sis . Bell's first advertisement of intended sailings botwen Glasgow and Groenock was I dated sth xWgUbt. 1812. Political riot 3in America are carried J out in a thoroughgoing fashion. Ldrd Rosehery tolls v. btory of a friend of his who visited Baltimore whon an election for Congress was in progress. Turning iii far . v shave, ho complained to tho negro barber that his razor wns very blunt. "Vura likely, sir," wae tho reply; "I was out lait night at an el«wwi tr.eetiug.". i '(..». . w ...... i „, ......