The Portland daily press., 1899-08-09
GREAT WAFER SPEED.
The New Turbine Marine Engine WIN
Reach 80 miles an Hour.


Tbs steam turbine engine-the rotary
machine by which Parsons Of Newcastle
drove the little vessel Turtinia through
the water at the rate Of forty miles an
hour-is TO have Its first practical appiioa-
ton to passenger steamship at the port
OF Chicago, says the News Of that city.
Tairty-five miles IN hour Is to DO the
minimum speed Of the new one, which
will be able to make round trip to
Mackinac every dag. The new venture
which adds another to the number OF
maritime enterprises by which the great
sake have kept at the head Of passenger
as well as cargo ship construction In this
country and in the world Is the direct
result Of a three months tour made through
this country BY MIR. Denny OF dunbar
ton. Scotland, enc OF the test-known chip
builders CT the United Kingdom. Mr..
Denny is Interested in the turbine system
Of steam propulsion invented by Parsons,
and came to this country 10 boom 10.
Parsons method Of apply ing power oon-
sists In driving the steam at q tremendous
pressure direct from the boiler onto the
blades of complex turbine which FERNS
the shaft OF the propeller. The chest con-
tanning the blades increases through its
length. so that the steam is used CON-
stantly as IL passes through aud gradual
ly rcd uces In pressure. Practically no
power Is lost 10 the expansion.
On each shaft OF the turbine are three
propellars. that numter having been
found necessary to obtain the grasp on
the water to use the power developed on
the shaft Three shafts to each steamer
are used by MIR. Parsons. These rotate at
an incredible rate and drive the boat for
ward with the speed Of an express train.
When the power was first applied to the
specially con structsd Turbinia she made
vessel of her size could safely be driven.
Although the new invention had been
talked of among engineers In this country
for some time. little was known about
Its practical workings until Mr.. Denny
cama over to explain them. For three
yards and talked with architects and en-.
gineers. explaining the working of the
dsvice. Hers in Chicago he inspected the
shipyaIds on the Calumet
He found parties willing to construct a
vessel and use bis engines in her
Graham 81 Morton, Andrew Crawford,
Richard Crawford and Capt. John Stew
art all took up his project with interest.
MIR. Denny showed them low 1t was
possible by us ng the turbine to get i20,-
600 horse ps ysr In a boat S67 feet long,
with the same consumption OF coal as 10
used In the whalebaek Christopher
Columbus to generate z, 1000. or which In
the Virginia developed I,l0J.
With this power he showed them YES
sci could cross the lake six times IN a day
with plenty of time for docking at each
end. And, what was still more wonder
ful, she could leave Chicago tat O'Clock
In the morning, run up the Mackinac,
land there about ! in the afternoon, allow
her passsneersito take dinner and spend
the evening there and then starting back
at 10 o'clock at night, be here In time to
go across the lake a aiD early in the next
mo rning. She could go to Mackinao and
back every day as easily ns the Columbus
now makes the round trip t)s Milwaukee.
The prospect was pleasing. Mr.. Denny
was so sure 1t could be dune that he
promised to build the vessel and equip her
and that IL she did not make the required
speed the Chicago men need not pay for
her Fer every mile over thiFty-lve per
hour he asked an additional S., 700 on the
purchase price. On these terms an agree
ment was reached and bids will be nsked
for from the lake yards for the construc-
ton of the vessel.