The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-07
BATTLE-SHIP TEXAS.
MANUFACTURE HERE or ITS I'M
MENSE MACHINERY.

A Party ofUnited States Naval onscers to
Visit the Richmond Locomotive works
90 witness the Great Indertaking-A
Pew Dimensions.
This evening, party Of gentlemen will
como TO Richmond for the express purpose
ofvisi,ing the Richmond Locomotive Works.
They will be Com. G.. W. Melville, chief OF
the United States Bureau Of steam kngin.
eering: Irving NJ. Scott Of the Union Iron
Works,l san Francisco, where was built
the Charleston; Chief Engineer Fletcher, L.
S.N., and Paymastcr Barton, l. ;. y.
Taey will he met by party Of Richmond
gentlemen, escorted over the works and
then taken down the river as far as Dutch
Gap.
This visit must be highly gratifying % all
those Interested In Richmond's industrial pro-
rrcss, towards which the locomotive works
are contributing so greatly. The last num-
her az inc National Car and Locomotive
Builder had the following: "Iho Richmond
Locomotive Works bid fair 90 be strong
compefitOr for the locomotive business OF lts
surrounding section. and ultimately for the
business OF the country at large. They are
certainly admirably located so far as their
relationship or contigIity 90 the different
lines Uf road for deliveries 70 the south.
West, and Southwest may benent thein.
These same advantages obtain IN procuring
materials such as they must 90 OUTSIDE iof'
Their plant Is rapidly growing, and Is GER
tainly ably managed. The most modern
tools. heavy hydraulic system, all indicate
a looking ahead, and meank success. It's a
question whether any better class OF work
can be found anywhere than the recent en-
Cincs turned out by this company for the
Richmond and Danville system
Probably the visitors will have the great
est interest in the works upon the ma
chinery Of the great battlc-ship Texas, con-
fractcd 10 the Locomotive Works. IL IS a
tremendous job, and will not be finished Tor
about two years. COmOdore Brooks ana
Ensign Pickrcll are in charge Of the work
hero. while Mr.. {. j. Mellin, Of New ork,
is head craftsman.
As much as possible Of the machinery
will be made of cast steel. which Is saw
ing'in weight Of twenty-five per cent. No
estimate can be made Of the total weight OF
the machinery. To give an idea, however
the three cylinders can be mentioned: The
largest weighs 1900 pounds, the next 49,
900. and the smallest IL, 900. Each viii be
made in one casting.
To describe the machinery il will be
necessary 10 be somewhat technical. To
those technically learned the following
summary Of the specifications will be I'M
dcrstOOd:
The pr0pelling engines will be rights and
Icfts placed i'm Watcr-iight compartments,
and separated by fore ard ait bulkhead.
These engines Will be- Of the vertical. IN
verted-cylinder, direci-acting, triple-eNpan-
l.. lind on
20 inches. an intermediate cylinder 81
inches, and low-pressure cylinder IS
inches i'm diameter, the stroke Of all pistons
being 30 inches. The collective indicated
horsepower Of propeling, air pump and cir
culatiue pump engines will Doe 5000, when
the main engines are making about l23 rev.
olutions per minute. All cylinders will be
steam, jacketed.
The high pressure cylinder of each engine
Will be forward ana the low pressure cylin-
der aft. The main valves for the high pres
sure and intermediate cylinders will be of
The piston type and for the low pressure "a
dOuble-p0rted balanced slide valve, all
worked by Stephenson link motions with
double bar links. There will be one piston
valve for each high pressure cylinder and
each intermediate pressure cylinder and
one slide valve for each low pressure cyln-
der.
The engine bed-plates viii be Of cast
steel. All shafting will be hollow. The
cOndensers will be made entirely OF compo-
sition and Muntz metal plates, and each
condenser will have a cooling surface OF
about q, 462 square feet.
There will be four doube-ended steel
boilers Of the horizontal return iire-;ube
type, lI-feet mean outside diameter and
iS-feet mean length, constructed for "a
working pressure Of $50 pounds per square
inch. Each boiler viii have six cor
rugated furnace flues three feet, three
inches internal diameter. The total heat
ing surface will be about 1913 square
feet.
There will be steam and hydraulic reyers-
ing gear, ash HOSTS, turning engines,
auxiliary pumps, engine-rO0m ventllating
fans, engines for working various small
machinery, hydraulic pumping-plant for
various purposes. turret turning engines, a
distilling apparatus, &c, DC. The ship
was designed in England.