, 1881-11-02

magnitude /; yet her carrying power,
Notwithstanding her clipper bow,
rounded stern, and trim NESTS, is
greater than that Of any Other yes
sci afoat, except the Great Eastern.
This extreme length and comparative
narrowness of beam might, perhaps, suggest
some misgiying as to the strength Of the
hull. This doubt, however is at once dis.
PEELED when the character Of her c0nStruc-
ton is examined. From keel to deck the
ribs and plates are of the strongest materi-
ais, all knit together by angle irons and
riyets, but the most distinctive feature Of
the design is the mode in which the hull
is supported and stiflened by transverse
sections. The bulkheads OF massive iron,
extend from the keel upwards to the main
deck without any openings, except narrow
Ways, which may be closed by mechanical
appliances at a moments notice. These
transverse sections serve the double pur-
pose Of strengthening the ship, much on
the principle of the girder bridge, and OF
shutting out water iii the event OF accident.
The largest distance between the bnlk-
heads is only G0ft and it is calculated
that more than one OF the compartments
might be filled with water without affect
1lH t1C SLID > lOtdblOI' II ctNiH EOHL 4
frame is the heaviest single forging ever
made for such a purpose, weighing 80 tons
in the finished state. The framing Of the
vessel is of the ordinary type though of
exceptional size, each frame running from
centre line to g~unwale and being G0ft. i'll
length. She has two compete iron decks,
with the lower deck complete for half its
length nine tiers of keelsons, the princi-
pal Of which are carried in unbroken line
through the engine-room and the Shell
plating forms a complete skin, with every
edge and butt fitted together with mechani-
cal exactneSS.
The most interesting and striking fea-
ture of the vessel, however, is the engine
room The problem the builders and
engineers had to solve was how this
stupendous ship, ponderous in her own
weight, but still more pOnderouS when
laden with 5000 tons of cargo and probably
1000 human beings, was to be propelled
across the Atlantic at d speed OF Is
knots an hour, that being the standard
which the Inman Company set before
themselves. 1t was an anxious and difficult
study, but they are confident it has been
solved. There was some thought Of
adopting twin screws, but it was finally
determined to adhere to the older principle
of a single screw, of2lft. diameter. driven
by three sets Of inverted "tanIem" engines
working on Three crauks, disposed at an
angle Of J20deg. to each other. There are
three high-preSsure cylinders, 43in dame.
ter, and three low-preSsnre cylinders, eGin.
diameter, with Oft. stroke. Steam is
generated in eigat cy indrical tubular
boilers, fired from both ends, each Aft.
diameter and 1877. long, the boil, rs being
constructed for a working pressure Of
9Olb. to the square inch The engines are
intended to work constantly at 5000 indica-
ted horse power, although capable Ofde-
veloping upwards O 100000 horse power. a
technical description of the engines would
hardly be Ineligible to the unprofessional
reader, and it is enough to say that
they are not only Of giant power, but
include all the latest improvements for
economizing force and holding them under
the readiest control. The crank shaft
lisa built shaft, and, together with the
screw shaft, is made Of WhitwOrth'S fluid
compress ed steel. The process OF manu-
facture is believed to afford an absolute
guarantee against flaws and blemiSheS.
The shafts are east in lengths, each
from a hollow cylindrical ingot, which
while in the molten state is subjected to
hydraulic pressure, thus excluding all
gases and consolidating the entire mass.
The ing0t is afterwards reheated and
placed on a m~andriI, and is then forged
and drawn by hydraulic power until it
assumes the form Of q dOuble-collared
shaft. The advantage OF this process,
according to its advocates, is, that not