NON-ROLLING SHIPS.

Grey River Argus, 23 December 1911, Page 8

NON-ROLLING SHIPS.

At Wallsend-on Tyne the Curia rd 1 Liner Laconia is -about completed ; i her •trial trip were to come o/T thi:, month. The vessel . constitutes ■,■ a new deparI tu re in 'British"', shipping-, for she' will | be the first lincr-undor the red ensign to be fitted . with ..ami-rolling- tanks. It ■is currently" reported "that if the tanks arc a success^ in her case they will be provided) — of course, on- a Scale to suit. her larjre dimensions — ia the Cunard Company's 50,,000-tdn liner Aquitania. The tanks, in question are on the principles enunciated by <Dr Frahm. and already subjected to severe tests of efficiency at sea in vessels of considerable tonnage. Jt hardly needs to bo -pointed out that .f-by the use of this device, the rolling of a ship can be reduced to a minimum in a heavy beam sea, tin 1 comfort of the ocean passenger will ha enhanced in a singular degree.' Hitherto, it must bo confessed,' British shipowners have not shown undue, haste in availing themselves of this mechanical device, although in principle- it is by no means new. Sir Philip Watts, for instance, long- since made a' number of valuable 'experiment^ in the direction indicated. It i has, however, been left for the, Germans to lead th& way in the practicalapplication of the idea.. It is stated that, following- upon the proof which Kas "been given of their utility in .other German steamers, the ; hJa- , burg-American Company ." havo been induced - to have antUrolliTiy— tanks fittod in their liners Amerika ,an<l Kai-; .^erin Auguste Victoria, as well as in their bis; intermediate steamers Cleveland and Cincinnati, and hi* the cruising* steamer Victoria Louise, formerly the. famous greyhound' Doutschland. It is likewise believed that the Ham-.bur.gr-American Company will similarly equip the two .50,000 ton liners now being- built for them in German yards'. Dr Frahm's system has gained great popularity in an unusually short space of time.