The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-05 00:00:00

THE SCREW-STEAMER .AZOFF.

This vessel, which is now loading in the Thames for
the Crimea, is well worthy of the inspection of persons
interested in steam navigation, as she combines manypoints of excellence which, so far as we are aware, have
never before been attained in so complete and efficient a
manner. The Azoff is of 800 tons, builders' measure-
m?rit ; she is built under Lloyd's new rules for iron
ships ;
is classed A 1 for 12 years, the longest period for
whichiron ships are classed, and is believed to be the
strongest !team-vessel yet constructed. Not only are
the scantlings very heavy, but the distribution of the
materials is so managed as to secure the maximum, of
strength when the vessel is subjected to a longitudinal
strain—the only species of strain from which iron ves-
sels are found to suffer. The model of the vessel is a
very fine one, being sharp
.at the end; and with a con-
siderable rise of floor, which prevents the vessel from
rolling in the way usual in screw vessels. Notwith-
standing the fineness of the model, however, the vessel
lea large carrying capacity, aswill be obvious from the fact
that she will carry out to the Crimea nearly 400 navvies
and about 600 tons of cargo, besides nearly 300 tons of
coals and 8,000 gallons of water. Tuis large carrying
power is the result chiefly of the smallness of the space
occupied by the engine, which, although capable of pro-
pelling the vessel at the rate of 13 or 14 miles an hour,
does not, exclusively of the boilers, fill a space of
more than about 20 measurement tons in the vessel.
The vessel and her machinery have been designed and
constructed by Mr. Dourne, civil engineer of Glasgow
and Greenock, and the whole combination seems to
realise the desire so general among shipowners, of
uniting a high rate of speed and a fine form of vessel
with large carrying capacity. The fine model of the
vessel enables her to be propelled easily through the
water, and the steam is supplied to the engine dur-
ing only a small portion of the stroke, leaving the
residue of the stroke to be completed by the expand-
ing steam, by which arrangement steam and therefore
fuel are saved to a very important extent. This expe-
dient of economy is well known and largely practised
Cornwall, in the case of the pumping engines for the
mines ; but has been hitherto availed of in steam navi-
gation only to a very small extent, and the main secret
of the superior economy of fuel attained in the Azoff lies
in the more perfect and extensive application of this
principle than has heretofore been usual in steam-vessels,
combined with the small dimensions of the machinery,
which prevents any important loss of heat by radiation,
or of steam by leakage through the piston. The com-
pactness and simplicity of the machinery in the Azoff
exceed that of any other vessel; there are few parts to
be looked after or to go wrong ; and when to these im-
portant qualities are added the smallness of her consump-
tion of fuel soe think there is fair reason to conclude that
she is yet without a rival. Such results cannot but be
iriterestiag to the public generally, and especially to that
part of it interested in steam navigation, and we should
recommend a visit to the vessel herself to all admirers of
marine architecture.