The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-05
STEAM SPEED AT SEA.
Advances Which Have Been Made in Power of
Steamers and Ships OF War.


The anniversary of the birth of James
Watt is regularly observed in Glasgow
and Greenock by dinners and addresses
on subjects connected with the develop
ment of Watts discoveries. The adj
dress this year at Greenock was by Sir
Nathaniel Barnaby. vice president of
the Institution of Naval Architects and
Of the Institute of Marine Engineers.
and formerly chief of construction of
the British navy.
1t was on steam speed at sea-" and
consisted mainly of an account of the
advances which have been made in the
power and speed of mail and passenger
steamers and of ships of war since
Watts time, and especially since the
lecture in 1857 by John Scott Russell
on the application of the inventions of
Watt to navigation. Since that date
the steam tonnage of Great Britain has
multiplied more than Skiold In the
British navy there has been a like in
crease. In 81 years the pressure of the
steam generated in the boilers had gone
up in the largest ships from 80 pounds
to nearly 800 pounds per square inch.
Piston speeds had increased from 500
to 300 feet per minute, and the revolu-
tons of the screw propeller had risen
in large vessels from IS to 100 per min
ute, and in smaller vessels to over 400
feet per minute. In 1867 the crack Gu
harder was the Russia, with a horse
power of 300 and a coal consumption
Of 81 pounds for each horse-p power Der
hour.
Today the crack Cunardars are shfps
developing nine times as much DOWer
and with a coal consumption per unit
of power only two-thirds of the Rms
STA. At the beginning Of Queen Veto
ria's reign, no passages at speeds eX-
ceeded IA knots could be made. however
urgent the circumstances, but she has
lived to see a steam vessel RUNNING at
"a knots an hour. Within sixtv Years
the possible speed of war vessels has
been more than trebled. In 1877 rba
measured speedOf Brunel's Great West
ern was put at II knots, a remarl,abIa
performance, exceeding the best records
of the day in the Dover and Calais scr
vice. The Banshee was said To ba,.a
reached 1919 knots in 1913. In 1870 a
Royal mail steamer Accomplished II
knots, and then the Irish mail steamers
made 17A knots in smooth Wata,, rrbr
fastest Cunarder of 1868. the lava ,,.as
credited with only IA knots Then FaI
lowed the Britannia and the Cunardare
Umbria and Lucania, the latter raac,-
ing z572 Knots on the measured mile
and covering 562 knots in q hon. j.;
actual service, or at the rata of 90
knots per hour -''f
Progress as regards ships Of coun,oroo
had been steady and it had haen nal.
ed by an improvement in materfa1e =:
propellers, in speed of machinery ~ III
in greater length of ships. following ~
White Star lines lead. 1t was nnf ~, ny
til 1915 or 1876 that the British -.
felt the desire for greater sneed -
it was ten years later before sail -.
was finally abandoned and the attain
ment of high speed under staar, h.
came possible. The fashion fo, bio}''.-
speeds in vessels of war oriairatl53 -
ships built in Great Britain far - ~
foreign navies, to whom speed wo,,Id IN
of great Importance '7
Sir Nathaniel pointed out that tba 70
serve cruisers, like the Teutonic aod
the Cunarders, while admirabIv nro
tected by speed and good buikbaads
still comprehend in their design an eIe.
ment OF weakness, in that their en-
gines stand high above sea level Whit,
must limit their power for actual fight
ing.
Up to 1871 it was thought to he ironos-
sible to make small vessels 90 as fos+
as the fastest large ones. The 49,
vessel to dtspel this illusion was tbe
Theornycroft torpedo boat Miranda
| This vessel was Of exceeding lightnese
and had fast-runnlng engines. In if 251L
horsepower was developed for ever.
ton-weight of the machinery. including
boilers and water. In the Gitana bufif
later, Mr.. ThornyCroft increased bar
performance to 51la horse. per ton or
4o12 pounds Tor each steam horse, in