NON-ROLLING SHIPS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12632, 8 December 1911, Page 7

NON-ROLLING SHIPS.

At Wallsend-on-Tyne, the Cunard liner Laconia is making steady progress towards completion, and this month is likely to see her running her trial trips. The vessel constitutes a new departure m British shipping, .for she will be the lirst liner under the red ensign to be iitted with anti-rolling tanks. JL is currently reported that if the tanks are .1 success m her«case they will be provided — of bourse, on a scale suited to her vast dimensions— in the Cunard Company's 60,000-ton liner Aquitania. fhe tanks m question are on the prin ciples enunciated by Dr. Frahm, and already subjected to -severe tests of efficiency at sea m vessels of considerable toniwige. It hardly needs to be pointed out that if,., by the use of this device, lhe rolling of a ship can be reduced to a minimum m a heavy beam sea, the comfort pf the ocean passenger will bo enhanced m a singular degree. Hitherto, it must be confessed, British shipowners have not shown undue haste m availing themselves of this mechanical device, although m principle it is by no means new. Sir Philip Watts, for instance, long since, made a number of valuable experiments m the direction indicated. It has, however, been left for the Germans to lead the way m the practical application of the idea. It is stated that, following upon the proof which has been given of their- utility m other German steamers, the HamburgAmerican Company has been induced to havo anti-rolling tanks fitted m their liners Amerika and Kaiserin A-Uguste Victoria, as M'ell as m their big intermediate steamers Cleveland and Cincinnati, and m the cruising steamer Victoria Luise, formerly the famous greyhound Deutschland. It is likewise believed that the Hamburg-American Company will similarly equip the two 50,000-' ton liners now being built for them m German yards. Dr. Frahm's system has gained great popularity m an unusually short space of time. / *,