The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-07

| a plant that will occupy not more than
| one-hat the space now required for the
| ponderouS marine engines and accompa-
| nytng machinery. Ocean "greyhounds''
equipped with the Painton motors will
| easily cover 40 knots an hour. railroad
| speed. Warships Will reach the speed
| OF 30 knots al hour. whereas the highest
limit yet accomplished on a trial mile
| with steam Is Zl.sO knots with the fast
| est cruiser built
| Instead OF the enormous S0-ton shafts
| extending from the middle Of the shin TO
| the stern, the electrical plant viii have
| from u 10 10 screw projectors ranging
| along the sides OF the vessel. as well as
| two OF ingenious construction at tho
stern. These prcpelors are operated
! from n switchboard. They can be- oper-
| ated singly or all together. at the viii
| Of tho man at the keys. Each propeller
Is machine by Itself and the disabling
| OF one or more has no eject whatever
on the others When tho entire compile
ment cf propellOrs is in action there IL
10 more noise than would come from the
| action OF hywheel
There is 10 lar caused by the horizontal
motion. no excessive heat from steam
piping: the long shafts are done away
with, and the terrific strainlng coming
upon the engines and shafts when SUBJ
merged and then the next moment run
ming with fun speed-"racing' spoed-on
account OF the pitching OF the vessel. Us
avoided. The total horse power IS dis
uibuted throughout the entire system OF
propellers. 50 that II would be absolute
~ impossible 20 have more than one
quarter Of the whole power or prOpellers
racing" at one time.
The engines that generate the power
are not mechanically connected with the
prOpelers. as IL now tho case "a steam
vessels. but the power IS transmitted by
electric wires direct 20 motors built on
propeller shafts The machinery f. sim
pIciiy Itself No betting or coupling "a
all Il
and. as before noted, tkqy can 20 Ouer-
ated singly or together. II one breaks
down. or two or three or any number
those that are left can do the work n
would not be possible for an 20 be dis
ablcd. as Is now so often the case with
vessels equipped by steam leaving them
foundering for days at tho mercy OF the
elements.
From 1886 20 $50 revolutions OF the screw
per minute is about the limit OF steam
power. There IS practically no limit 20
the speed or screw operated by electric
ity. Eighteen hundred revolutions per
minute and higher have been reached by
the Painion motors. In practice go %
500 revolutions per minute can be safely
depended upon
Another feature Of tho Painton system
Is the fact that the screws tend 20 main
tain the equilibrium Of the vessel at an
times. Each screw has distinct lifting
power. The blades turn so that the pro-
polling force comes from below instead ~
above and as vessel lurches from one
side TO another. or pitches the screws
on the side deepest in the water exert
tremendous power 10 restore the craft 90 a
level. II would be as though "a man We're
10 lurch 10 one side and receive the sup
port Of a prop. When the vessel pitches
There is no loss Of motion. When the
stern screws are idle and IN air for
moment the screws in the bow are work
ing as usual and eXeriing their tremen-
dous lifting power 20 put the stern OF The
boat back 10 its proper equilibrium. When
the bow screws are ont Of the water the
stern screws perform "a similar office ln
this way the vessel is kept more nearly
on an equilibrium than Is possible in
steamships.