The herald., 1897-09-05

der Crosse are expected to develop
| 2s, 900 horsepower. There are two OF
these engines, one for each shaft, built
on the triple-expansion principle. Each
high pressure cylinder is So inches In
diameter, the intermediate cylinders be-
ling S9% inches and the great low pres
sure cylinders 961a inches, or a little
more than eight feet. A water-tight.
longitudinal bulkhead separates the two
engines. Each of the two three-bladed
propellers is % feet 3& inches in diam
eter. They are made of bronze and each
weighs 26 tons. The coaling surface in
the steam condensers measures several
acres, and the 11.060 separate tubes, If
placed end to end would reach 25 miles
in a straight line.
Besides these chief engines there are
&c others, the total number of steam
cylinders being 124. The centrifugal
pumps that would be used in case it
were necessary to rid the ship of great
deal of water in a hurry can throw $500
tons an hour.
The bulkhead system. for safety's
sake, has been carried further on the
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse than on
any other ship. There are sixteen
transverse bulkheads and the longi-
tudinal bulkhead in the engine-room,
which divide the ship into eighteen
compartments in all. Each of the four
groups of boilers is placed in separate,
water-tight compartment; thus in case
of collision the ship need never be with
out steam to operate engines or pumps.
This is an entirely new thing, upon
which the North German Lloyd folk
pride themselves highly. Besides, the
double bottom is cut up into twenty-five
subdivisions, and this provides addi-
tional protection.
LIFE BOATS IN PLENTY.
IT, however, the impossible should
happen and the vessel spring a leak, or
if she should go ashore, there would be
little danger to the passengers, since
twenty-four large life boats are slowed
on the awning deck ready for immediate
use and perfectly accessible. These
boats, indeed, present one of the most
noticeable of the big ships visible fea-
lures.
The steerage passengers occupy the
forward part of the ship, the first cabin
passengers are slowed amidships, and
the second cabin passengers aft. 1t
takes 1000 25-ca:dle electric lamps to
light the various parts of the vessel.
Inc crew HuIIlDeTS Ill dill 40U persons.
They ere all berthed in the immediate
Nsishborhood of their work. The cap
tain and officers are near the bridge on
the awning deck; the engineers and fire.
men on the main and lower decks, close
by the engine room, and so on, so that
none of those who operate the ship need
be seen by the passengers in passing be-
tween their quarters and their posts of
duty.
The great length of the Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse will tend to lessen the
tendency to pitch; there are big bilge
keels at the sides to reduce the rolling
motion as much as possible. and thus it
is hoped the chief provocations to sea-
sickness have been reduced to a mini
mum. Besides, the big engines have
been balanced" by a peculiar system,
so that the up and down motion of the
great masses of metal contained in the
pstons, piston-rods cranks and con-
Meeting parts, will not be felt.
If all that is hoped for by the builders
and owners of this monster ship comes
true. her first voyage will make a new
era in transatlantic navigation; and as
is always the case when boat larger
and faster than the existing standards
Is put on the transatlantic route, the
other steamship lines are already plan
ming how they may equal this new ship
as they must-ard excel her If they
can.
Copvripht 1897 hy Rache1ler Svndicate