OIL-DRIVEN BATTLESHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14927, 27 February 1912, Page 8

OIL-DRIVEN BATTLESHIPS.

REMARKABLE AMERICAN DESIGN.

TriE two battleships, Texas and New York, which have recently been laid down for the United States navy, will be unique vessels of their size and power, in that they will be driven by means of oil. arid no coal will be carried. Unlike most of I the new men-o'-war of other fleets, these! ships will not be fitted with turbines, but will have, reciprocating engines of a new type, which, it is calculated, are about 50 per cent, more economical at cruising speeds than turbines, and cost about the same to run at high speed. The engineering department of the United States navy } expresses itself highly pleased with the results which have been.obtained during a long scries of trials. The machinery designed for these two battleships marks, it is claimed, a distinct advance over any previous machinery in America, or any other country. As compared with the new United States battle i ship Delaware, of equal power, the i machinery weights in the boiler compartments have been reduced by 300 tons, or about, ,30 per cent. The 'length of the space required for boilers ha* been re duced by one-half, and the lire-room force | is one-half that required for the Delaware. I The tactical qualities of the vessels have j been improved by diverging the shafts : ""'•> aft forward, this being made pos- ' fable through a radical change in the I arrangement of engineroom auxiliaries. I l-aeh mam engine will bo fitted with two I '•"iHiensers. instead of one., as heretofore, I «".n provision ,;t made for running on one condenser. ]) v reducing the weights in fi„, i , • '- UU( "'" 'he weights in i ~'T r -?*> m « " ~ 1!W been possible m.h. batth.slop,. and the boilers will' grouped under one funnel, thus dear,h 'be upper deck „nd imnrovin.T ' i ; I rain of the turret,. linproun « ,h " ''"'<' <>M '} is thus evident that tie- new vc «,.l ! > -Uh only one funnel, will be rZ>;n'\. 1 > I ; ito , the American fleet. Uoin «•« '■-• each ship will mount ten Min „ ~. ! -throwing a shell of hloolb-, U! d 20 sb, : < quickfirerp. The former will be place,) five elliptical turrets on the centre „" i so as to enable them all to be ™, ,1 ' either broadside, while ahead ' o '!" P " i< four guns will bear. These vessel. SJ ' to the economy of weight in the ' 0 , 1 „ i , u i ' rooms will bo well protected by armour j' behind which the sin guns will be carried' i