New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-14
MACHINES ON A WARSlflf.
HOW EEST TO GET POWER TO THEM
FROM THE STEAM BOILER


coMrRi.ssEo AR AND ELECTRICITY FOR
OPERATING HOSTS AND WINcHES
AND MOVING GUNS AND
TUKRETs.
q Is a great mistake to suppose that all the
power developed by the boilers OF hlooe'h
steamship is consumed in driving the engines
which prorel the vessel. Even on a ship en-
gagged in peaceful pursuits-the typical Al
lsntic liner. for nstancc-there are windiasse''
steering gear freight hoists and large NUMBER
Of other machines which are now operated by
,ovcr whereas once they were worked by hand
But on i warshir there are additional DEMANDS
for pcwcr There arc heavy guns to be swung
around huge turrrs to be rotated. pro)ecties
Weighing from 800 10 100 pounds to he hI'eu
into position for loading. air comprcssors To d"
driven to supply torpedocs with motive power
and
The important engine cring question. what is
the best means for conveying power from the
no;,ars tn tbsc NUMEROUS devices? is considered
IN no Iul, "Cassirrs" by George w. Dickic.
who has been closely identified with the ship
building industry fer many years me 'our
agencies that arc discussed by this expert are
steam water compressed air and electricity. al
of which arc already used more or less Tor some
of these purposes. 1t does not appear. however
that engineers are entirely agreed as to the rrla-
tive value of the different means for distributing
power
When steam is employed for other work than
rotating propeller shafts il is necessary to place
a number Of small auxiliary engines in various
parts Of the ship and to bring steam to them by
n,nes which pass through bukhead after bulk
head and sometimes reach 100 or 100 feet from
the boilers Mr.. Dickic points out mat II nos
tile shot pcnetratcs the ship and happens 10
sever one Of these steam pipes not only is the
auxiliary engine disabled for the time. but the
escaping steam is liable 10 hurt somebody IN
the immediate vicinity The ship is divided by
its decks and bulkhcads into great many COM
nartments and whoever Is on duty in the par
ticular cOmpar ,mcnt in which an accident or
this sort occurs is in danger Of a scalding. Such
q mishap. says Mr.. Dickic. might involve not
merely the loss OF all the men there. but also the
total disablcment OF the ship as a fighting ma
chine"
Most Of the machinery that Is operated by
auxiliary engines il used not continuously. but
Internationally For a short time a supply OF
Steam is sent through the pipes. and thcn II is
Shut off Tho piI cs being cold at the outset a
good deal Of steam is condensed and wasted IN
the preliminary process ~ heating the pipes
Mr. Dickic therefore regards this mode OF trans
hitting power To the auxiliary machinery of a
warship as the least economical that has yet
been tried A further objection to the dstribu-
ton If steam about a vessel is that il gives off
heat which interfores with the comfort Of the
ammunition passers and other men who are at
work below deck and thus iinpairs their EN-
cheney in the critical hour Of battle.
The cont ributor TO "Cassicr's" looks upon ny
draulic power with more favor II pumps oper-
ated by the main boilers force water through
pipes TO the va,ious places where machinery IS
to be operated and il suitable motors are there
driven by the fluid the temperature II the liv-
Ing rooms store rooms and magazines would not
be unp.easantly affected. nor would any one !
safety he imperillcd b. the bursting Of pipe.
However, on raising tho question OF economy,
MIR Dickic feels obliged to say that the kind Of
steam pump which is used for generating ny
draulic power warships is exceedingly waste
full. He gives figures 70 demonstrate his point.
and then says This is the main reason why
hydraulic pow.r is condemned. But there Is no
reason which We can discover why an hydraulic
system Of power distribution for all purposes
than steam applied direct. provided that ordi-
nary steam pumps avoided in the general o.
Ing department and something else than a water
meter is used as motor.
Colonel soani. Chief Engineer Of the Italian
Navy is said to favor the use Of compressed air
for supplying power for all minor pun poses on A
war vessel. except handling big guns and tur-
rcts For these ne prefers hydraulic power. The
elasticity Of air prevents accurate movements
being made with 1t. unless additional appliances