The San Francisco call., 1898-08-07

| tioniZe steam power as used In propelling l the fighting ships of the United States l navy. It is the purpose of Secretary Long l to have this turbine inspected and report l ed upon by experts, who will shortly come here from Washington. The object of the inspection is to ascertain if the Hewson multiple-expansion steam tur-
 bine may be practically applied in the stead of triple-expansion steam engines used in the big battle-ships.
 The Navy Department is quite aware of the simplicity and economy of the inven- tion, and the only present question to be decided is the practicability of it. If MT. Hewson's machine shall stand the test of expert inspection, then the Government will place at his disposal for a practical test toTpedo-boat, so that the world may shortly know whether or not Ameri- can inventor has solved the problem Of The turbine which MT. HeWson has just completed as a working model to be sub mitted to the naval engineer experts is
 beyond doubt the most wonderful and startling invention that the engineering world has known. It Is wonderful from the mere simplicity of 1t and startling be- cause of the immense power. great durance and freedom from danger Of ex- plosion. 1t Is so simple or construction that a boy, without previous KnoWledge of engineering and with but a few days
 or hours instruction. could drive It with perfect safety.
 turbine ever invented and constructed.
 MT Hewson has been at work for some fourteen years in the effort to attain mul- tiple-expansion and from his former in yention other inventors have produced triple-expansion turbines but of vastly different mechanism from this, which IS to be examined by the Navy Department; It was from a small model constructed by MT Hewson that MT. Parsons, an English inventor, who visited San Fran cisco some twelve years ago, obtained hls ideas for the steam turbine that he ap- piled to the Turbinia, a vessel that for several months has been navfgated in British waters. It was from drawings and models of MT. Hewson's later inVen- tions that another foreign inventor se- cured his principles of steam turbines
 But the present invention was so closely guarded that no one, except the builders, ever got the faintest notion of its con- structIon until the security of the Patent Office had been placed around IL.
 The machine is cast in only four parts two steam chambers, one disk and one shaft. The two steam chambers are riv- eted together at their rims, and each Is an exact duplicate of the other. The disk, which Is attached to the shaft, fits with utmost precision within the steam cham bers. The steam, which may be gener- ated at any point near by or distant is conveyed to the chambers of the turbine by means of pipe at the rear side. chambers are four circular rows of small nockets Into which the steam from the snnpIy pipe Is discharged. The force of the steam in the upper row or pockets IS dri,,en into a corresponding row of U- shaued buckets cast in the disk.
 The steam then escapes from the buck ct in the disk to Ieceiving .h pocket P m m the the second row of pockets and buckets, and this is repeated until the four rows of pockets and buckets :. have st been [, acted hausted. The disk, which Is one inch thick at the outer edge and four and half inches thick at the hub, is thus kept rotating at what speed may be de- sired according to the horsepower of the turbine and the demand for power; and the shaft which passes through the tur- bine and which is supplied at either end with belt pulleys, keeps pace with the
 The advantages of MT. Hewson's inven- tion over the triple steam engine m e,il now WI Tn The turbine exhibited to Call reporter bv MT. Hewson is of 500 horsepower. It occupies a ground space of two and half feet by six feet, and stands about three 4aet. from the ground to the top of the turbine. The turbine itself is about 30 inches in exterior diameter by lS o inches tbickness the interior disk being 2S inches Tn diameter. The ground space occupied by a triple engine would be about 10 feet by 20 feet The Hewson turbine requires no concrete foundation. There is no jar, no wear and tear, for the steam chambers are effected by no reaction. The cost of Construction of the turbine is about g ner horsepower, while the cost of steam enaine construction is about $40 per Tbe advantage of the turbines for use in big battleships is found in the fact that t they would occupy about half the space and are less than half the weight of the triple steam engines, thus afording oreater. area and carrying capacity for eeaaI. and that the cost of construction is so greatly reduced. Besides these the nerfecf safety and utmost simplicity of tppsa t1,Tbines. being shorn of all exterior ccnompiications, are items of economical edvantage that will be taken into account by the Navy Department.
 MT Hewson is a man of youthful ap- nearance for one who has been on this coast for thirty-five years. He began his California career as a miner.