Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-08
Dfatfllinx Versus Burning Coal

In Pre>ident Siemen's address. delivered before the British association atSouthampton, at on August 23d, occurs the following interest ing passage:
 Before many years have elapsed we shall find in our factories and on board our ships engines with fuel consumption not exceed ing ono pound of coal per effective horse power per hour, in which the gas producer takes the place of the somewhat complex and dangerous steam boiler. The advent of such an engine and of the dynamo machine must mark new era of material grogress at least equal to that produced by the introduction of steam power in the early part of our cen tury. Let consider what would be the probable effect of such an engine upon that most important interest of this country, the merchant navy. According to returns kindly furnished ne by the Board of Trade and Lloyds Register of Shipping. the total value of the merchant shipping of the United Kingdom may be estimated at E126, ,O0O, GOO, of which G9O, ,OOO, ,COO represent steamers, having-a net tonnage of 3,O03,9SS tons, and G36 1000, 900 sailing vessels, of g. 6SS, ,OOS tons. The safety of this vast amount of shipping, carrying about five sevenths of our total i'm ports and exports or $500, ,OOO,O of goods in the year, and of the more precious lives connected with 1t, is question of paramount importance. Notwithstanding the combined efforts of science, II ventive skill and practi cal experienee-the accumulation of centuries
 
 feet that during last year many as 1,O07 British owned ships were lost, of which fully two-th1rds were wrecked upon our shores, representing total value of nearly 91O, OOO,- 900. Of these ships s7O were sailing vessels and 137 steamers, the loss of tha latter being in fourth of the cases attributed to collision. The number of sailing vessels included in these returns being 19 1925, and of steamers 5,5O5, 1t appears that the steamer is the safer vessel, in the proportion of 4.43 to 346; but the steamer makes on an average three voyages for one of the sailing ship taken over the year. which reduces the relative risk of the steamer as compared with the sailing ship per voyage in the proportion of 13 29 to 3. 46 Commercially speaking, this factor of safety in favor of steam shipping is to a great extent unterbalanced by the value of the steamship which bears to that of the sailing vessel per net carrying ton the propor- tion of 3: 1, thus reducing the ration in fa- vor of steam shipping aa 13. go to 10 38, or, in round numbers, as A. 3.
 '"The advantages thus established in favor of steam shipping are further improved by the use in construction of mild steel, the pc culiarities of which material are such as to have enabled ship builders to save twenty per cent. in the weight of the ships hull, 1 and to increase to that extent it's carrying ca l paoity. It combines with strength thirty ! per cent. superior to that of iron such ex- l treme toughness that in the case of collision | the side of the vessel has been found to yield | or bulge several feet without showing any 1 signs of rupture, quality affecting the ques- l tion of risk very favorably. When to | the use of this material there are added the | advantages derived from double bottom, and from the division of the ships hold by means of bulkheads of solid construction, it l is difficult to conceive how such 8 vessel | could perish by collision either with another