Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-09-19
POWERFUL ENGINES.
For the United States ArmOred Cruis-
er Maine, to be Used in our
Navy.
They are set in Motion in the Pres
ence of Many
People.
Three Hundred Men Engaged Upon
the Machinery for More Than
Two Years.

An incident that will be good news to
everybody interested in the welfare of our
new navy was the exhibition few days
since. Of the finished set Of engines for
the United States armOred cruiser Maine,
The massive pair of triple expansion
engines, grand in their polished intricacy
Of brass and steel, stood In the main shop
of the Quintard iron works at the foot of
East Twelfth street, and were attached by
an arrangement Of cog wheels or two little
upright donkey engines that looked to be
Of about one mule power.
Yet, when sharp at ten o'clock Engine.
er-in-Chief George W. Melville, United
States navy, the designer of the great
propeling machines, tured on the lever Of
the small engines the big fellows started
Oft so smoothly and powerfully that the
crowd assembled broke into applause.
Then Mr. Palmer, of the firm OF ~ +.
Palmer Jr., X Co., the builders of the
engines stood by the eight small levers
that control each mighty machine and
put them through their PAGES in way
that delighted the experts present. The
engines were kept going till noon, when
steam was shut off, TO Gil the great cylin-
ders again only when they are set up in
the Maine.
This pair Of triple expansion engines,
which are The largest yet built for the
naval feet, are each Is feet in height and
Il feet in length. They will be divided
when in the cruiser by heavy longitud-
inal buikhead, and either one of them wilt
be able to keep the Name going should
disaster happen TO its twin. They weigh
but 900 tons, while the old style Of the
small power would weigh nearly 5000
tons. yet they are capable of developing
100 horse power per ton, while the old
style could develop but one quarter as
much. Between them they will give out
5000 horse power and are expected to pro-
pei the Maine at a seventeen knot speed
A system OF brass water pipes is connect
ed with the machinery so that when the
cruiser is going full speed and has to be
kept going the journals and boxes may be
kept cool.
The diameter of high pressure cylin-
deIs is 35l5 inches, Of the intermediate
cylinders 81 inches and of the low pressure
cylinders IS inches. The stroke of all the
pistons is 36 inches.
steam for the Maine engines are Scotch
single enders. There are eight of them
and each has three furnaces beneath it.
The combined CRATE .urface of these
twenty-four furnaces Is $50 square feet
and their total heating surface Is 1880
square feet. They Will furnish heat
enough for the boilers to get up steam
pressure Of 1876 pounds and develop the
required 5000 horse power novel
feature of the furnaces Is IN arrangement
by which the hampers must be closed be
tore the furnace doors can be opened.
This will prevent the shoots of Hame
into the stoke room that careless
fremen occasionally cause and, as jocular
engineer put it, will allow stokers to
wear boards in safety hereafter
The engines will be taken apart now,
and in about month the parts will be
removed to the navy yard and set up in
the Names engine rooms. It Is expected
that they Will be reset and ready for work
by January next. The two donkey engines
will also be taken along and will be used
to keep the engines in motion to prevent
the rustiing while the cruiser Is lying in
port
The Maine engines are the third set
that the QuIntard iron works have built
for the new navy, and Mr, Palmer has the
set for the cruiser No, IL under way.
The two previous sets were made for the
Concord and the Bennington.
Among the gentlemen who critically
examine and proved the Maine outfit
yesterday were Secretary Tracy, who was
accompaniey by Captain w. 5 Cowles OF
the Despatch; COmmaudaut Erben, OF the
Brooklyn Navy Yard; Engineer in-Cmef
Melville, Rear Admiral Braine. Chief
Engineers, Baker Chasmar, Morley,
Hgatou Ayres, SUvers, McElmell Aston
and Gowiug: Assistant Engineers Cpnaut
Mcfarland, Motif Potion, Dan forth,
keArnv, Oily and Howard, Passed Assis
taut Engt leers Dixonand Eldridge; Cap
talus Dahlgreu, Emery, Sumner and Bear
dslec, Naval Constructor Fernald Com
mauder R1yalB Bradford Lieutendnt
Commander Gibson and Lieutenant
White
The shops were galy decorated with
bunting and Tags In honor of the Oacl,-
ion. and the snap shot camera contingent
was on hand ia force 10 catch souvenirs ~
the scene lunch was served in the
company Offices after tee exhibition Mr..
Palmer in "a short speech said that he had
begun work on the engines IN July, 1889
and had kept three hundred meu at work
Cnthem ever since The bill 10 Uncle sam
viii foot up S7.i5 600. 10 viii require the
service Of $50 men TO keep the Maine
engines going ut foil speed-New York
Herald.