New-York tribune., 1896-11-01

OAT NOW BUILDING IN BROOKLYN.
the system as compared with steam the relative
merits as regards displacement. waste OF fuel. Ia
bity to accidents and speed endurance. The Board
Will also examine into the practicabillty Of the sys-
TEN. especially with regard TO torpedo-boats and
coast-defence vessels.
1t is worthy OF notice that Engineer A. A. VIII
son. formerly OF the Quintard Iron Works. where
the Maine and other vessels were built, has
undertaken the supervision OF tho construction or
the Secor boat. Each part OF the mechanism Is
made with the utmost care. and the slightest naw
In a casting leads TO its rejection
John A. Secor the inventor. Is taking no risks
that he can avoid IN building this boat This is not
70 be wondered ct. when It is considered that SN-
900 has been spent in developing and perfectins the
direct propulsion system
In the marine steam engine there are a thousand
and one leaks OF power. in one shape or another
which Mr. secor aims 70 avoid by directly convert
Ing heat into power. Originally he used tho inter-
ventlon OF steam. but he has now abandoned the
steam boiler. Mr. Edison has been working for
years on / system by which heat Is converted Into
electricity and then into power as applied TO YES
sels This comes behind the Secor system so FAR as
d!rec,ness - concerned. The great object OF the
plan is the economzins 0f space. An enormous pro-
portion OF every vessel Is taken mp by the boilers,
furnaces and coll-bunkers.
In naval vessels their fighting capa sty IS limited
by the endurance o, the magazine With the mod
ern pld-Are guns this Is serious question. as the
supply of ammunition IS limited. and would soon be
exhausted. After the recent manoeuvres OF the
/ North Atlantic Squadron investigation was
made on this subject. and It found tha, on the
New-York the s-inch rife ammunition would last
only seven hours and two minutes; The tnch guns.
Two hours and sixteen minutes the 6-pornder rapid
are guns. three hours and twenty minutes. and the
i-9oundcrs. nine hours ami eighteen minutes. The
s-lr-h rifles OF the Newark would be idle In nine
80 rfrffft u-i ha
could only use her s-inch rifles for four hours and
twenty-togr minutes
Among the bat,ie-ships. the Indianas thirteen
inch rifles could only fire five hours and hfty-thre
minutes white her esat-ncn battery could continue
In action eleven hours and forty minutes. ou, me
sx-nch battery would have given out N ,aree hours
an! a.tv-three minutes The iwen,y-sun battery OF
slx-pounlers would 20 out of action IN one nour ana
nfy-elgt minutes. while the six One-p)unoers cou4i
nre for four hours and thrty-seven minutes. The
C'nc.nnarrs one sx-nch rifle could only be Eel for
three hours and fory-one minutes nor ten hve-lnch
ranll-nre guns ,1r one hour and htty minutes. the
sx-nounler battery OK eight guns for TWO hours and
eighteen minutes and tie Two one-pounders for six
hour. ard forty minutes The Columnia's record Is
hotter her e.gh,-inch battery's supply lasting for
seven hours and twenty-three minutes. the s!x-inch
for nine hours and tniry-ihree minutes. tho four
inch ior seven hours and foriy-three m.nL-es tho
s.x-pounders for three hours and twenty minutes
AMI the onepounders f1r three hours ana hity-lour
minutes
Afts- the fires were drawn on OK the monitors
some time ago Il took week 10 cool down the
enormous mass o, heated metal that formed tAe
boilers and furnaces so that they could be en1ereu
cr repalrs Not only this. bur the conditions OF the
fire and engine rooms lead 20 4 dreadful waste OF
ufe The average freroom temperature Of an ocean
steamer Is anywhere from 10 10 10 degrees
rhcsc are some OF the evils that n Secor system
q ,rtended 10 eliminate The boiler. furnaces and
coaI-bunker space VIII be available for other pur
noses The innovation is startling one and there
Is nothing TO wonder at in the fact that steamship
engineers look upon II codly. II adopted 1t makes
all their knowledge useless and IL would entirely
revoutonize existing conditions The basis or II ID
m. use o, petroleum Tor fuel and creator OF power
Mr. wilson said yesterday that some years ago he
conducted tests locomotives for the Alexandra
and Richmond Railroad Company. 10 find out the
Tclative values OF petroleum and coal The result
showed that one gallon Of oil was equal to lors
slvamia Railroad showed similar result
IL is contended that the increased space aoweJ v
by the Secor system would quadruple the neh.lnS
endurance powers Of IL naval vesse and correspond
inglv Increase the carrying capacity or mercnan,
vessel The system is based on the great explosive
nowsr 10 be generated from oil and air or
itsd directly to an engine and produces power but
ths power - not applied 10 the propulsion excep,
cvlnders placed close together one on each side OF
The rudder frame. The diameter Is SauSed oy me
o1fr md is closed by valve: nboard there IS
piston quantity OF atomized OIL Is = injected INTO lilco
Il de-
tric snark explodes It Just az the outboard valve
onens protecting the whole force OF the explosion
a1ainst the water the stern: IL Is another FORM
OF the well known principle OF action and reaction
Two sfecI canal-boats for the Erie Canal. pro-
lid he This system, have been ordered already
r. snoSs 10 be occupied by the Secor system must
- Isss under the contracts. than that formerly
orc,,nI.d hy the mule stable on board
NJ Secor does not claim 10 secure cent per cent
r..,,l,s hut he does claim TO obtain a result OF 81
Tbe exnlosons or impulses. as they are called
b,va he.n obtained as high az 80 a minute, put
,hase DO not give the best results. ABOUT ito 10 the
minute being all that will be- used IN the new boat
Arfer the trial here before the Naval Board OF
Inou,rv the boat will be taken 10 washington tor
insrsc;Ion bv the members OF Congress ana the
s.rate should the system not be adopted py tnis
covernment an offer Will be made TO the EnslIsn
! Government naval officers OF which have already
Ths tessel now nearly completed has the follow
ing dimensions: Length over AT 20 leei' wafer ihe'
* feet: beam II feet; draught. loaded 81? teet
She ia built entirely OF steel frames included The
straight stem is planed out on sach side so as 20
aiiou the bow plates to III In ilush. the hull Is
a.,eJ with four steel bukheads dividing 1t into
avs commandments With 100 Impulses a minute
Sror, each cylinder the speed expected Is sixteen
niles an hour while the launch Is being built Tor
| sneed OF eight miles. the Navy launches making
| six miles.
Election RETURNS AT THE Y. ". C. 4.
| On election night the returns Will be announced
from tbe platform OF Association Hail. NO oo-
| ..,a-a , CONCERT will be given Dy the