SHIP-BUILDING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9223, 30 April 1908, Page 3

SHIP-BUILDING.

TURBINES AND ENGINES. [From Our Coiuiespondsnt.l WELLINGTON, April 29. Colonel Denny, of Dumbarton, of the big Clyde shipbuilding firm bearing his> name, is at present visiting Wellington in the course of a tour through the Far East and Australasia. In the course of an interview with a representative of the "Post" Colonel Denny admitted that the shipbuilding trade was dull at Home, and this he held was largely attributable to the American financial crisis. The shipbuilding trade depended very much on the value of money. If money is clear many people cannot afford to build ships. The crisis is over, but public confidence had been shaken, and the recovery would naturally take some time. Th 6 bank rate went up to 7 per cent, although it has now fallen to a reasonable rate. Business at Home was not, however, so bad as would at first appear. The country generally was highly prosperous. Speaking of his own yards Colonel Denny said there were in. hand four torpedo boats, a thirty-three knot destroyer, and a large new steamer for the New Zealand Shipping Company. " She is the first steamer or her kind," Colonel Denny continued. " She is fitted with a combination of turbine and' reciprocating engines, and should be finished in October. The combination of the turbine and reciprocating engines in this new steamer will make for greater economy in working and coal. The steam for the turbine will be derived from the low pressure exhaust steam of the engines, so that every possible pound of steam will be utilised before being finally exhausted into large condensers. This will effect a very material reduction of coal consumption." Speaking of turbines generally Colonel Denny said they w-ero not extravagant, provided they were kept at top speed, in short, put into vessels of the class of the Union Company's Maori or Maheno. They would not be suitable, for example, in colliers. The turbine was economical inproportion to the speed at which it was run. As a matter of fact, with ordinary care turbine steamers were more easily worked and were much more economical in regard to labour than were reciprocating engines. " Is there any limit from the point of view of size to the building of big ships?" Colonel Denny was asked. "None," he answered. "The only limits to the building aro the draught of water for the hull and the cost of running. There is no limit to the size of the ship itself. Trades, you know, fluctuate alt over the world, and a ship that may be full for some parts of the year may be empty or practically so at other times, but the cost of jmaintenance remains much the same whatever the trade, therefore- big ships are not likely to be built if they are to run at a" locs as some may be doing.