The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-05-04
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
RECENT DISCOVERIES AND I'M
PROVEMENTS.
increased Speed and Comfort in
ocean Travel--Making Dia-
monds by Electricity
The Wearing of Rails
An Iceberg Finder. HIT
Increased Speed and Comfort In
~ Ocean Travel

Increased Speed and Comfort In
#4a Ocean Travel
For a long time the improvement in
| transatlantic steamers have had mainly
Tor their objects the shortening of the
trip between America and Europe, and
| the latest Cunard ship, Campania, is to-
cross. IN five days, and possibly may re-
| duce the record to four days and a.
half. She is the longest and most capa-
clous steamship atloat, her 600 feet
length between perpendiculars being
only 80 feet short Of the departed
Great Eastern, and her beam of 65. Z
feet being II feet less than the de-
tunct leviathian. Her length over all
| IS GIG feet; extreme breadth, 65 feet
inches; depth to upper deck, 43 feet,
and gross tonnage about 1880. Her
displacement will probably be $4,000
tons She is fitted with two sets of the
most powerful triple-eXpansion engines
that have yet been constructed. each
set, it is believed, capable of Indicating
from 1900 to $4,000 horsepower. A
fair idea of her size may probably be
gathered from the statement that her
| tunnels are each II feet in diameter,
and the monkey bridge is 60 feet above
the level OF the water. While every
possible modern resource is thus being
exhausted In the attempt TO shorten the
Atlantic ferry trip, there are signs that
| attention is being directed at length to
| the securing of better comfort during
| the passage, moro especially contrib
uting to immunity from that most
| dreaded of travellers Ills sea-sickness.
1t has lately been suggested that no
good means of registering the motions
| OF ships in riding on the waves has yet
| been devised, and that such an appli-
ance would be useful in helping ship
builders to discover the best way to
make steady vessels, such as would
DIMINISH the risk Of sca-sickness. The
peculiar curve Of the ships motion on
the waves would become the best rec
ommendation of the craft for sea
voyage, which could be given next to
the report OF the surveyor, Probably Il
sels1nograph, such as they use in Japan
Tor recording the motions of a particle
of the earth during IN earthquake.
might serve the purpose if it were tried
and properly adapted The germ of an
other apparatus is perhaps to be found
Ill a. photograph recently obtained at
sea. An eclipse of the moon took place
and 4 photograph of it was made from
the deck of a vessel OF course the
camera partoOk of the ships indescriba-
ole motions. and the photograph when
developed represented a curiOusly
tangled line Of light on the plate, emf
nently suggestive Of the record of 4
selslnogram. Possibly the photODraD]
OF star of low altitude. with the hori-
ION for datum line, would give a dia-
gram OF a ships movements on the wa
ter. At all events, it is more than
prabable that before long the desira
blllty OF travelling in certain Sims he
determined by their seagoing form"
as much as by their speed, and Il pas
senger will be able to forctell his
chances of escaping sea-siclSnesss in even
the worst weather with Il fair degree Of
accuracy. While, however, scientific
men are taking in hand the determina
| ton OF the theories on which such 4
reformation is to be based most sue
cessftll attempt has been made to at
tam the same end by practical means.
| Inc newest steamers of the Atlantic
transport company, plying between
New York and London. are provided
! with two extra keels, which run three
quarters Of their length No other
Atlantic liner has the advantage of this
! special construction Of hull. which re-
| duceS the rolling motion to Il minimum.
These ships, built by Harland & Wolff.
the builders of the Teutonic. the North
Gernan-LlOyd boats and many others
| OF the 1irst-clasS liners, contain every
modern Improvement for reducing the
ulscom1ort or an ocean voyage, notably
an arrangement whereby every cabin is
Kept constantly supplied with pure air.
and the doors of the galley. which ,su
ally work such dire havoc with the Sis
ceptlDle stomach of the ocean traveller.
are rendered innocuOus. In these Shins
sea-slckness is the exception, and in
vallds and that class of travellers who
nave hitherto been deferred from cross
ing the ocean from fear of the tribute
usually paid to tn sea gods can now
undertake the voyage with an absence
OF apprehension that immensely in
creases the. enjoyment and benefit of
the trip. It is but natural to assume
| that this initiative in the construction
OF antl-seasick ocean steamers will lead
| TO other developments in the same di-
fecdon, and it will be interesting to
watch the further progress of the
movement. =. y.
Making Diamonds by Electricity.
The results of very remarkable Sc
cles OF experiments have just been COM
| municated to the French Academy of