Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-11-12
VlTALS OF A BATTLESHlP.

The Maze Of Machinery Moves Almost
Without q Sound.
In order to gain some idea Of the
complicated mechanism over which
the engineers must exercise cease
less watchfulness, guided by init
mate knowledge, one should descend
to the depths where the vital parts
of battleship are in motion at
time when steam is up for maneu-
vering speed. That means little
more than half the rate she is capa
BILE of being driven at, but it is
enough for a man unaccustomed to
such situations. In spite of all at
tempts at ventilation the heat down
there seems sitting at first by con-
trast with the pleasant breeze on
deck, and the swift movements of
wheels, cranks and piston rods are
bewildering. Even when all this
machinery is at rest one would
shrink from an attempt to count it's
many parts. The valves alone and
the means of controlling them would
battle enume ,ration, and only vague
impression of a tangled network re-
mains on ones mind as the result of
prolonged contemplation. The be-
wilderment is increased when all
these complicated parts are revolv-
ing OF gliding to and fro like shut
ties in q weaver's loom so rapidly
that the eye cannot follow their
movement. How it is possible for
anybody to localize a mishap that
occurs in the midst of so much whirl
is a mystery to the uninitiated and
not easily explained even by the en-
gineers themselves. They have to be
guided mostly by sound, occasional
ly by sight and sometimes by smell.
Every piece Of machinery connected
with the motive power has to be du-
plica'ted for vessels propelled by
twin screws, as all our effective bat
tles7nips, fast cruisers and improved
torpedo boats are.
Three port and starboard engines
act independently, but so uniform
arc their revolutions that there is
seldom more than a fractional differ
ence between the two sets-a differ
enoe that could only just be measur-
ed on the 81 inch stroke of a piston
rod. How enormous is the force ex-
ercistsd by these engines one can re-
alize only when standing where the
thrcibs Of the propeller as it beats
the water may be distinctly felt.
This is near the vessels stern post.
A few yards from it the vibrations
become attenuated to q thrill. The
great shaft, turning at a rate of
nearly 100 revolutions every min
ute, works with absolute noiseless
energy, and it's movement is so rap
i'd as: TO be perceptible only because
of the ripple of light that wavers
along it reflected from the electric
! lights that glow night and day in
this part Of the ship when engines
are in motion. A similar absence
of all sounds that might indicate
friction is characteristic Of every
part Of the motive power in a BATTLE
ship. Words of command can be
heard Throughout the engine room
though uttered little louder than an
ordinary converse tiona1 tone. We're
it otherwise, the engineer on duty
would be harassed by intolerable
anxiety lest he should miss some ur-
gent summons sent to him Through
electric wire or voice tube from the
executive officer on the bridge, who
is responsible for the,ship's safety.
At cruising: speed Of anything be-
tween five and eight knots an hour
the IA, 900 tons of armored hull,
barbettes, batter 'es and less impor-
tant superstruot1 re are driven with
50 little apparente fort that the great
battleship seems q lmost motionless.
The Vibration run. ming through her
mighty framework are scarcely per-
ceptible on deck, q, I'D ono must be
very close TO the en- gines before he
can hear any sound Of their regular
pulsations. 4ondon N eWs.
a Cameo Worth s5 1000.
One f the rarestt and d lost svalua.