THE NEW OCEAN FLYER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8125, 27 April 1906, Page 7

THE NEW OCEAN FLYER.

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC IN 24 HOURS. | la the turbine to be superseded in f ocean travel by something swifter j and cheaper? Mr Herbert Rider, the mechanicil geniuß who invented the system of underground trolleya in use in Now York says "Yes." For throe years lie has had what ho call 3 a "rocket" motor pn his rninj and now ho seems to have developed the idea to a practical issue. According to his figures, au ocenu liner fitted up wit 1 the "rocket"! system, at ono-teuth the ex'peusa, and occupying one-eighth of thu present space devoted to engines, boilers and coal bunkers, would cross theAtlantio in TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. This would mean a speed a little in excess of 1120 miles an hour. This new ocean "flyer" will be driven through tbo water by a series of explosions. There will be no propeller or paddle wheel, nor will there be a great engine-room, full of glistening, flying steel. Jn faot, there will be no engines at all unless -a long water pipe running from the boiv to the stern, and a half-riozen •explosion chambers or cylinders can be called engines. Instead of gases generated by burning gunpowder, which drive the rocket, the more economical and easily controlled gase3 derived from kerosene will be used. The gas mixed with air i 9 a powerful explosive. The mixture drive into the explosion uyliuder under high pressure. An automatic •electric device FIRES THE MIXTURE. by means of an elootrio Bpark. A violent explosion results, aud the flaming gases shoot into the w«ter pipe as if from the mouth of a cannon. The blast drives the oharge of water but of the pipe as if it were a oharge of shot, and the kick sends the boat ahead.. But driving the water from the rear end of the pipe causes a vauuum, into wbioh more water rushes from the bow in time for the next exnlosion. The suction at the bow pulls the boat as mucb as the kick behind does. The ship can be imagined as palling itself along a cable of water, for the water driven through the pipe practically amounts to a ■cable of water. The inventor says that his cylinders will work at the rate of 3,000 explosions to the minute. But he has found it more practicable to reduce the number of discharges to about 50 per minute for each cylinder for a small lannoh and a dozen or more for an ocean liner.