New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-18
HOW OCEAN RECORDS ARE BROKEN
GOOD WORK IN THE ENGINEERS DEF
MENT AND FAVORABLE WEATHER.
ARE ESSENTIAL.

There has been an epidemic of new recoro-"aA
ing among the transatlantic steamships TINS n'o'n
Old and new boats have been distancihs al nc.
nrevious performances. Friday the American H'ei
St Paul came shooting over the par heaiH wv
hours ahead of the schedule established py her
sis,or chin the ST Louis the week before Tho
performance OF the ST. Louis in its turn had peen
a substantial reduction on the previous recoru u
the St Paul In the same eventful week the nam
burg American boat, the Furst BISMARCK cut ior,y
nine minutes from her previous best time OIL inc
esstbound trip Envious rivals point out the TACT
that the route of the Furst Bismarck was by way
NJ Cberhourc instead Of direct from southampton
which was the case when her former RECORD was
established and they say that the hanipuib o'
made better time simply because her ne" iou'o
was shorter; but the general opinion seems u NC
that the distance IS about the same either way
Tho bonors have not been confined 10 the younger
mack of ocean greyhounds." either. The old-ume
steamer Britannia of the White Star Line, rehe"eu
her youth and outdid her ancient record OIL hlteeh
years ago by SHINING across from Daunts ROCK
n Sandy Hook in three hours and twehy-three
minutes less time than she ever did before.
In view of this fast stoamng, the natural ques
+,on arises What Is the cause? Why Is II mat
old and new vessels outdoing their past per
commences" The general consensus Of opinion
seems 10 be that 1t has been due 10 TWO causes
inonroved team work. as the football men say III
nncine-room and freroom. and favorable weather
conditions seem to have been present in high De
gree James Carnegie the chief engineer OF that
record-breaker is a joval and popular man, as wen
as skilled engineer, and has the Faculty OIL se''ie
the utmost possible out Of the small army OF ehsi-
neers fremen coal passers and trimmers uhue. Ills
command. 1000,
neer Yesterday has become a science III aDsorps
the time and attention OF the engineer more IMAM
the running of his engine. came over on 'he ~
Louis on her last trip and Chief EngineeT, ans ,
never seen on deck or II n rhs Sao"' '''
AS to the St Pauls performance MI 1nrnesao
said our success Is que bi Ts' b n9 alter e that in
large part to the support nave reoei' Tbcv ali
worked with will. and in perfect harmony l a. MY
senior first assistant William G. Walls wh no Is 81
p[Uine' STAYED I'D all night before she came of
the drydock TO be that the propeller wne aa
done nv eIi throughout the voyage The machinery
worked perfectly, without hitch, or slowdo va
and developed no eccentricities whatever. we
didn't have single fireman laid of, ana ihe aver
temperature Of the nreFOo %eS nf ventiIa
Zion and the fact that the air in the fireroom IS
being continually changed by the suction OF tne ne
course do their best work in pure air rs o.
that temperature We have three s fnS hours On
eight hours of There are SIX ng errsn snd
With he managcment for system OF bonuses for
remen and oilers. so that they may Iee an n.enest
in the work as well as tfe oiHC'iS'. W
able conditions throughout. except in the fog OF
the last three days. That intertered Win the hfes
10 a certain extent. o, l.. i. .
That the secret lies largely in the firing Is SHOWN
nv the fact that the average coal consumption OF
tie ST Paul on this trip was 3l5 tons DAY, wnere-
40 the average on former voyages has been from
900 70 3iO according TO Mr. Carnegie's statements
II the amount OF 3l5 tons a day be divided by a.
and then again by 20, 800 which was given as the
average horse power for the run, II VIII be seen
that this enormous energy was developed on con.
sumption Of only fraction OF over "A pounds or
coal per hour for each horsepower This shows
what an economical well as powerful piece OF
machinery the American vessel Is.