St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-20

every precaution has been taken and
every device of approved value has
been supplied. 1t is well known that
the principal source Of danger to metal
ships in the event of collision is that,
as usually compartmented, they may
be struck at the fastening edge of a
bulkhead, and the two compartments
adjacent to the bulkhead be thus at
the same time completely flooded.
Many a ship has been divided by
bulkheads in such a way that If one
compartment was flooded the ship
would be perfectly seaworthy, but In
case the ship should be struck on
bulkhead dividing two compartments
both would be flooded and she would
inevitably sink. In the case Of the st.
Louis and the st. Paul, however, the
subdivision is such that either would
remain perfectly seaworthy with any
two or even three compartments food
ed. This unbroken subdivision of the
ship has an
INCIDENTAL ADVANTAGE
also in making them fireproof, as fire
would be confined TO one compartment.
Though these precautions greatly re-
necessary to remove everybody from
the ship, complete boat accommoda-
tions are provided for every one on
board. The means of rapidly lowering
every boat have also received special
attention. In order to greatly reduce
the risk of accidents which might re-
suit from the breaking down of ma
chinery these new liners are fitted with
two sets of engines each driuinO a
separate screw. The engines are in
two separate compartments, divided by
water-tight bulkheads, and the boilers
are in separate compartments, COM
pletely cut off from each other, so that
the vessels might be in collision by
being struck on the bulkhead, and
could have a breakdown in their ma
chinery such as may occur in any ordi-
nary ship, and still be navigable and
thoroughly safe and seaworthy. They
are very much better able to avoid
collision by having two sets of ma
chinery, one of which could be readily
reversed while the other was going
ahead, thus turning the vessel very
quickly. One point of vast Importance
has received more attention in these
big liners than it has in many of the
other fast Atlantic steamships. 1t is
not an uncommon thing for some of
the SpeedieSt ships to make a rapid
passage across the ocean and then to
have to
WAIT FOR HIGH TIDE
for several hours outside the harbor
bar either at New York or Liverpool.
In order to avoid this the ST. Louis and
st. Paul have been designed for a light
draught. Proper immersion for the
screws will be obtained by the use of
water ballast in the double bottoms
which have been fitted throughout
their length. On the passage over and
before reaching the bar this water bal
last will be pumped out and the yes
sells draught greatly lessened. They
are also a double precaution against
injury by grounding. 1t is believed
that these vessels will never have to
wait outside the bar at New York.
The story of the rise of American
shipbuilding and how it became pos
sible to construct such leviathans of
the deep as the ST. Louis and ST. Paul
Is one which every reader can study
with profit. If the gunboat Yorktown,
launched at Cramps March %, 1889. be
taken as a text, it will be seen how
steady has been it's progress ever
since. After this vessel came the ar
mored cruisers, and these in turn fol-
lowed by the battleships.
TEN YEARS AGO
it would not have been possible any,
where in America to have built a yes
sci the size of the st. Louis. and it
was the launching of the gunboat York
town, the subsequent enIarging of the
facilities at the great Delaware ship
yard of the Cramps to admit of the
construction of the st. Louis and ST.
Paul which formed this new era. in
shipbuilding. Interesting, too. is the
policy which produced these two ships
which was inaugurated by the distin-
guished president Of the International
Navigation company about 1891. Among
the ships owned by that company were
the two great twin screw greyhounds.
the New York and the Paris, and Mr..
Griscom proposed to congress that if
an act were passed which would have
the effect of admitting these two ships
to American registry he would cause
two other vessels of at least equal ton
mage to be built in the United States.
A bill to this effect was introduced in
the house of representatives by w.
Bourke Cochran, of New York, and
became law in 1892. Then the Inter
national company at once placed an or
der with the Cramps for the vessels
required to meet its provisions. 1t is
also interesting to remember that no
sooner was their construction deter
mined upon than the most strenuous
efforts were made by
BRITISH ROLLING MILLS -
forges and foundries to obtain orders
for their materials, and remarkably
low quotations We're offered. But the
Cramp company rejected all foreign
offers and placed it's orders forSeyery
pound of material with hAmericanmanu-
facturers. The value of such vessels
as the st. Louis and st. Paul in time
of war was happily outlined by Mr..
Griscom in his speech before the great
throng on the occasion of the launch
ing Of the former ship on November II.
1894. THE st. Louis and ST. Paul. he