Smyrna times., 1894-01-03
For the Smyrna Time
A SECOND DAY At CRAMPS.
LEvIATHIANs OF THE DEEP.

In addition to the cruiser Brooklyn,
and the battleship IolOG, there is now
on the stocks at Cramps, two Ameri-
can line steamships. These two ships
are now nearly in frame, and with a
considerable portion of the amidship
plating bolted on. The frames are com
posed of channel iron which insures
double vertical and longitudinal
strength, and we'll they need be, for the
steam power applied to the twin screw
prOpellers will be enormous, reaching
nearly thirty thousand horsepower.
Practically iu case of war these ships,
of which there are TO be five of them,
can with their unexampled speed be-
come ut once destrOyers of an enemys
commerce, and either fight or run away
as may suit best. Three will be pro-
vided with triple screws as the success
of the cruiser Columbia has demonstra-
ted the feasibility of this departure in
marine engineering.
The triple screws are yet on the floor
not yet being fully laid down. The
latter are looked upon as fine day boats
that is, to lower the Companies record
by 12 hours across the Atlantic Each
screw will be driven by seperate en-
gine, and this sub division of the i'm
mense power used, lessen the liability
OF shafts breaking under the tremen-
dous lateral strain when the force is
applied to one or two shafts The
splendid record of the Columbia 22,S1,
knots an hour assures the principle to
be correct one, Notwithstanding Eur
Opean architects have pronounced the
triple screw system improbable. But
in many things we do not take in
structions from Europe. In some things
they do from us.
The Great Eastern set the pace for
them that ton of displacement re-
quired its quota of maximum power,
for not every mile of Atlantic traversed
but for each foot Of the space gone
ovar. Nothing developed itself clearer
than did the apparent failure of the
Great Eastern to show what was needed
to be done. And it was done cleverly
enough in records of days, then 7,
then and now the score stands 5 days
| and II hours.
Meanwhile these record breakers
have been steadily approaching in
size the Great Eastern with six times
the increase of steam power so that the
knowledge concerning this point may
be held in a nutshell so sure have the
requirements been fixed, but enormous
steam power does not determine shape,
that is something else, more marked
by national than is the Jewish cart OF
cOuntenance. Beauty is one thing
force another, but graceful, easy lines,
are more nearly allied, to speed than
are harsh Tngainly confgurations.
The British straighten and blunt
their ships. So do the Germans and
French, yet they have stumbled on the
rights application of pOwer-as witness
the remarkable speed of the CdmpdniO
and LucqniG. Should the Cramps
make five day boats of the feet now
building it will be entirely due to the
improvements in the model and OF
greater importance still the greater
sub division of the power, say of 3O,OOC
horse power in steam into three equal
parts of 10000 to each shaft. Then the
Atlantic will be surely bridged in 6vt
days or less. Quick s-AtlantiC
transit in the air and the foremost ship
builders of the age know how to get il
and keep it where original ideas be
long here in America.
JAMES B. SCOTT.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 1893.