The times., 1897-07-05
FASTEST VESSEL AFLOA1
The Turbinia, an English Craft,
Breaks All Records.
Forty Miles an Hour-Charies Par
sons New Idea in Steam Motors
May RevolutioDize Mechanics.


New York July 4.-The New York World
prints an interesting special dispatch from
London today in relation TO the 1O0-foot
torpedo boat Turbinia, and her record
breaking qualities
1t is admitted that If the principle Of
the steam turbine invented by Charles
Parsons amf fitted in the Turbiuta can
be extended to large ships il viii mark
the greatest revolution IN mechanics since
the Invention OF the steam en- Gine Itself
The World correspondent has obtained
two opinions OF weight respecting the
achievements OFT the TuTbmia ana the pros
pccts OF tins wonderful invention.
Mr. Wolff. VI. p. fol Belfast, head OF the
famous firm Of HaHaud Il Wolff, or Bel
fast, and himself the desi gner OF the White
star liners, said in the House OF Commons
lohpy yesterday 10 World representative:
Il saw the Tnrbiuia at spitbead going
nearly eight miles an hour faster than
any vessel las ever gone before, and even
then she was not being pushed TO her full
speed. She passed quite close 10 the Teu-
tonic, on which l was. She dashed along
with marvellous speed and smoothneSs.
1
secure III the Teutonic than l should
have felt on the Turhinia, for you know
they have not yet surmounted the diff
Guilty Of reversing the engine. She san
20 ahead forty miles an hour, but can
only reverse at less than four.
III Parsons can make a similar sur
hine engine practicable for big craft with
proper reversing power. he win open
new era in the history Of steam motors
''But. although he has carried the econ
OmiZiug of steam TO a great pitch for a
turbine engine, still from observation
the waste OF both steam and fuel under his
system, if applied on large scale, would
be almost fatal. That there is a big
future before his turbine engine for launches
and other small craft, co not doubt. pIo-
vided he can get over the reversing diff
ficulty."
william Allan, NJ P for Gateshead,
one of the great centers of the ship and
engine building industry on the Tyne
where, at his Atlas works, he constructs
steamers and ironclads, said:
Il consider that Mr. Parsons, whose
electrical works on the Tyne are Wen
known to me, has made an imme nse
stride oward realizing that ideal Of
scientific meChanicians, a perfect rotary
engine Ho las, To my knowledge, over
come appalling disc oura gements and,
seeing what he has already done, there
is no reason why he should not attain
complete success.
1.-The speed of the Turbina is un-
doubted She is easily the fastest craft
ever launched Vibration is reduced to
the vanishing point Her turbine engine
is said to develop the same horsepower
as a torpedo boat engine of seven or
eight times Is weight Her machinery
is simple 10 a degree. In all respects
she is unique,
But when, you ask me what likelihood
there is that the Parsons turbine can be
utilized for large vessels my answer is
that three things must be overcome be
fore that is possible. She cannot reverse
worth speaking of. If she cannot do that
without putting in separate reversing en-
gne, then the weight and mechanical com
plications become very serious. The con-
sumption of fuel is also d serious defect,
n 8 is the waste, OF steam.
"It has been the experience of every
inventor that a model may work per
fectly, but when You come to apply the
principle of the. model on a large scale
you encounter insuperable difficulties. 1
do not say that is the case with the
Parsons turbine engine, but we have not
yet seen it on a big ship and without
! adequate reversing gear it cannot safely
be applied to a big ship. l agree with
Mr. Wolff, who is as good an authority
| as you could have, that the Turhinia, as
she floats, is a marvel, and marks an
immense advance in the attempt to sup
plant the present reciprocating engine. -