The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-17
THE FINEST SHIP AFlOAT.
Description of the Noyal Features of
the White Star Teutonic.
CLondon Times

London IlmeS.l
The new steamship Teutonic of the White
Star line arrived at Liverpool ON Monday
after her first trial cruise. She is character
lied by several novelties, and is especially
interesting on account of her being the first
merchant vessel built to comply with the
conditions of an admiralty subsidy. AS she
is to take part in the review of the fleet at
Spithead on Saturday she is fitted with four
of her complement of twelve guns. They
are of the type commonly known as 5-inch
guns, having range at extreme elevation of
over five miles. The charge consists of
cartridge Of II pounds, and a steel forged
shell OF As pounds, containing bursting
charge of 2pounds. A. shot Mt 200 yards
should penetrate 5-inch plate of wrought
iron; and is Is estimated that half the shots
fired should hit target less than yard
square at mile distant. The guns are to be
placed six on either side upon the promenade
deck, and those at present in position are
fixed at the eXtremities of the ship.
The vessel has been built by Messrs.
Hartland q Wolff for Messrs. IsmaS, Imrie
d. Co., and may be regarded as absolutely
the safest ship ahoat. She is fitted with
twin screws, and the whole of the machinery,
engine, boiler, and coal for working either
screw if shut off completely from its neighbor
by fore and aft buikhead, which extends
from the after end of the engine room to the
forward end of the foremost coal bunker,
and in fact intersects the six largest of the
twelve water tight compartments made by
the eleven ordinary transverse bulkheads.
This fore and alter bulkhead is pierced by
only one locked door, The key of which is
held by the chief engineer. The doors
between the engine rooms and the stoke
holes are in every instance duplicated, and
the duplicate door Is In every case under the
control of the captain on deck. When
liberated they close by their own weight,
but by an ingenious continuance their
doca 10 frYrt, xyin IiKrr
from the door is a rod surmounted by a
piston, which works in a cylinder a inches
in Diameter filled with glycerine. When the
door Is allowed to descend the whole of this
gycerine has TO pass through half.inch
hole in the piston, and the sluggish liquid
thus prevents rapid and dangerous de-
scent of the massive door.
There is, however,, another and more
interesting novelty about these doors. In
the event Of water flowing into the ship the
doors will close automatically. As the water
rises in the bilge it will buoy up a hollow
piston attached to rod. This rod, on being
pushed up about a foot, removes the catch
that holds the door, and it might chance
that the first information of danger in the
engine room would be the automatic closing
of these protective doors. The principal is
common enough. 1t is merely an adoption
OF the domestic ball cock but, assuming the
buoyancy sufficient for the work to be done,
nothing could be more certain in its action.
4 uC VI Llt lOTt duu alL Dulh-
heads dividing the separate engines of
twln-screw has been objected to by high
authorities, on the ground that IL one side
were filled with water the list would he so
great that the vessel would inevitably over
turn and that what was conceived as a
means of safety would become a source
of certain danger 1t has, however, been
experlmeDtally demonstrated in this case
that II the two largest compartments on one
side of the fore and aft bulkhead were filled
lei ha
facilities are at command to correct this by
pumping i'm water on the other side
Inc engines are triple expansion, with
three cylinders of 43 inches, 6S inch. and 10
inches in diameter. and they have been con-
structed to develop 1000 horsepower. The
pistons have 5foot stroke, and the
machinery, in accordance with admiralty
requirements, has all been placed below the
water line. The boilers are twelve in
number. Some are II feet and some IL feet
six furnaces in each and Il CRATE area of
1.163 feet. The furnaces are fed with forced
air to moderate extent above the fuel and
under the CRATE, and the boilers are designed
pressure in the intermediate cylinder is 80
pounds, and in the low about 16 pounds,
with vacuum of Z. The full pressure was
not reached during the experimental cruise;
indeed, some of the furnaces were not
lighted, nor has there been as yet, any trials
of the maximum speed. The actual trial
will be made in the Atlantic. starting on the
Wednesday after the review.
The propellers. which are 81 feet inches
in diameter, with pitch of % feet inches
and a superficial area of 128 feet form
subject of special interest in this ship on
account OF the unusual manner in which
they are placed. They overlap each other
to the extent of feet 6 inches, or, in other
words, they each extend over the center line
2feet Inches. The centers Of their axles
are 16 feet apart, and the mort side nrnnnIJer
is fett forward of the starhoard, measuring
from boss to boss, The port propeller is a
left-handed screw and the star-board a right
handed; thus both work away from the ship,
and the port propeller working in the loose
water of the after screw makes two revO-
propeller shafts are 100 feet and 205 feet long
respectfully, and are entirely encased to the
boss of the screw. The hull is very much
cut away under the stern, and large space
has been cut in the frames to admit of the
massive casting that carries the screw shafts,
The stern post is connected with the rudder
post by bar on line OF the keel in the Or
binary way, the scheme Of allowing the
rudder to be suspended with out support
below having been abandoned as dangerous
The vessel herself is 582 feet l0ng-the
longest ship afloat 81 feet 6 inches broad,
SO feet inches deep, and has gross tonnage
OF 9,6S5 tons. She has cutter stem, and,
relying wholly on her two sets OF engines,
the masts are little more than three bare
poles without yards. Thirty feet up the
mast Is sort of crows nest for the lookout.
accommodation is provided for 300 first
Grass, 100 second, and $50 steerage passengers.
one mas a promenade deck PAS feet long, with
ciear way of IL feet on each side of the
ueck houses. Some portion of this prone
naus y covered by awning deck, which is
USED LOT slowing the boats.
for the httings and decorations throughout
HI. lI Tn -. 4.