Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 24

Ships and the Sea

Salvige ExpUiti,

Salvage adventures apparently make a strong appeal to the adventurous, and the ransacking of old and recent wrecks is being pursued with vigour. The Spanish ship -in Tobermory Bay has yielded treasures, but it is doubtful if they are commensurate with the labour\ The Laurentic has been a more profitable source of wealth, and one hopes that the explorers of the Lutine and' the Tubantia will attain success. Another venture is announced, states an English shipping journal. The Turkish fleet which was sunk in Navarino Bay in 1827 is believed to contain much substance still worth salving, and a British company has obtained 'a oencession from the Greek Government for that purpose. The'steamer La Nina, belonging to the Ocean Salvage and Towage Company, Ltd,, of London, has been chartered to. operate in Navarino Bay, where 63-vessels of the sunken navy are lying at depths of from 50 .to 180 ft.

Lloyd's Register. ■ ■ We wonder whether the, average user of that marvellous. compendium of information respecting world's merchant fleets, Lloyd's Register Book, ever thinks hpiy difficult, would be the conduct of shipping and marine insurance without that comprehensive publication, whose accuracy is never questioned because it cannot ,be, and which in crystallised form gives the sailent details' of every yeses! afloat. . .» . The present volumes,. says ''Syren and Ship- . pin?," include a-full:, record of about 33,000 steamers, motor-ships, a.nd sailing vessels and comprise also, many lists of great practical yaiue to the shipping community, such. as signal letturs assigned to alf seagoing vessels; shipbuilders ''and' marine' engineers in all. countries; telegraphic and postal addresses/of firm's connected with shipping in all parts of the Forld; particulars of dry and wet docks, ports, harbours, etc., at home and abroad; particulars of speeds of merchant, steamers capable of 12 knots; particulars of deadweight and cubic capacities ;pf cargo steamers and motor vessels; lists of bulk oil carriers and refrigerated: vessels, ,with their cold-storage space; lists of shipowners and; managers, with the names land tonnages of their respective vea^ I Belsy/etc>: ■;;^-'" •'' ; ' .'; ■ ■" : :•'■;'.■:.':'

Liner ..Cassandra SRld. /■ - The passenger liner Cassandra, which for a good many years has been 'engaged in the.service of the AnchorrDorialdson Line between Glasgow and Canadian' "ports,' has been sold to the Donaldson Line -Before' taking up service for the latter company, tha vessel will have her passenger accommodation ■ converted into, spaces for the transport of cattle. • This work'will be carried out at Glasgow. ; The Cassandra has; be'eri laid -up for some time in the > Gare- . ■•;.• ■ ■ ':. ■' ■'..■ ' '.■,■' ['\'

Clyde Shipbuilding;

During last month, a 'substantial amount of new , tonnage was launched from the ■ shipyards oh the' Clyde, the total-being, 16 vessels of 55,545 tons. Although not the highest for any month' of the year, states' the "Shipping World)" this total shows'.'an advance on the figures for each of the three preceding months. For the eight months of the year, the total output' for the Clyde stands at 153 vessels of a total'of 389,730 .'tons, which is higher by. five vessels and . 58,850 tons than the putput for the corresponding period of last year. .While the amont of new., tonnage launched is. thus very satisfactory, considering the depressed condition of the industry, new orders are hot .being received in sufficient numbers to'make up for those which are bein£ completed. The result is a steady diminution of the total amount of work on hand. ' r ' , :

Record Pauenger Traffic, „ , The Doyer-Ostend Triail boats carried in August the record.number of 81,814 passengers. : This figure has never before been reached, and is undoubtedly due- to .the great number of English people who spent their holidays on the Continent this year. The number ■of passengers carried in August, 1924, amounted to 74,349. . : '

Use *f pietel EnQlni. . , .;■ Many interesting examples of Dieselelectric propulsion are to be found in America, .where this form of drive enjoys: 'considerable - popularity, but:. the latest departure, in this respect is perhaps the most- remarkable, ■ report* an overseas journal. A-steam-driven paddle ferry boat,"employed on the Ohio River was deemed to be ah uneconomic proposition. owing to tlie extent;^ of the standby losses, and it was accordingly decided to remove the steam machinery and replace it ,w.ith two semi-Diesel engines coupled to' dynamos. This vessel, the William S. M'Chesney,■■: was built in 1923 Snd is 172 feet in length, with a beam of 45 feet, a depth of 7 feet, and a draught of Ifoot 6 inches. The two engines, installed are each of 240 b.h.p.,, running at 257 r.p.'m., and apart' from■ supplying current ..for.7-the main motors, they' drive the auxiliary machinery and thi lighting plant. The dynamos are 175 kw., and the electric motors' driving' the two 24ft dynamo side, paddles develop ,175 h.p.. at 425 r.p.m., the speed of the paddles being reduced by gearing. The control of,the machinery is effected from the bridge, though; should it; be ■ necessary to transfer it to the engine-room this can be effected instantaneously!' A feature of the engine-room equipment is' the use of pyrometers for cletermining the temperature of the exhaust. A thermo-coui pie is .located in "each exhaust. pipe and a multiple point switch placed on V small panel at the end of the engine is used to connect any one of, the thermo-couples with the indicating pyrometers on the centre panel of the switchboard. It is therefore possible for, the engineer to .'keep an accurate check on the operating conditions in the cylinders., . .. ,\. .' ..' "'

Royal Mail Line's Birthday,

The Royal Mail .Line recently celebrated its 86th birthday. The company has made history in that it tas always maintained a progressive policy, says "Fairplay." The latest of its' ventures is the introduction of two 220-000----ton motor-liners, the Asturias and Alcantara, the former of which will leave Southampton on 26th February next on her maiden voyage to South America; These vessels will be driven by the largest marine Diesel engines ever constructed, developing 20,000 horse-power, and will, represent the highest attainment in British shipbuilding. The total tonnage of the company's original . fleet was 29,237, the largest vessel being 2070 tons. To-day the. company's - fleet numbers nearly sixty amounting to a tonnage of approximately 500,000 tons; and, ■ together with its associated companies, controls over 2,000,000 tons of shipping, thereby being the largest shipping combine in the world.