Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-13
COALING OCEAN LINERS.


Kaiser Wilhelm come up the bay it is a
sight worth seeing" said marine
eng ineer to New York Times reporter,
land don't wonder that people strain |
their eyes to get better look at their |
great hulls. They make one proud OF |
man'e achievement, and ] could spend |
weeks strolling through them studying |
the complicated machinery and mechan-
ism that have been slowed away behind
their graceful bulls. But to an engineer
there is something more than mere ad-
miration. He naturally thinks of the
machinery that pulsates below decks
aud makes the mighty leviathans pillow
through the water at rate that takes
away landsman's breath. The ma
chinery is superb, aud represents the
highest perfection of its kind. Engines
that will develop over 30, 600 horsepower
are simply marvels, and none but IN
engineer can really grasp what that
power actually means.
"But what driyes this enormous
machinery and produces such remark
able EowerY That is the point that you
don't hear discussed often, Those great
transatlantic record breakers are mar
wells In another way that does not ap
peal so pleasantly to the imagination.
especially to the owners. They are the
greatest coal consuming engines ever
built. and when they make one of their
record trips they have to be fed 10 a
way that ia truly alarming. The
Deutschland carries away from this port
every time she leaves the biggest coal
pile you ever see outside of coalpir.
just imagine 5000 tons Of coal stored
away In her 6unkers, and When she
- tI,n 81 hos MI a 1ha SO
nearly empty and ready for another pile
of equal dimensions.
"You don't know what 5000 tons of
coal represent To understand it just
follow one OF these big steamers from
the time they warp up alongside of
their pier until they sail again. Before
they have discharged dozen passen-
gers you will find on the opposite side
of the pier coal lighters in Erepar alton.
They come down the river, five and six
and eight hundredton laden, and
when the steamer is secured 10 the dock
they will begin to pour their cargo OF
coal into the bunkers OF the steamer. Ii
is curious and interesting sight to see
the coaling of the steamer. OF course,
there are points Of view more interesting
than others. Down ON the lighters
the men are ehoveliug the coal into
iron buckets as fast as they can, and
when each bucket is full it swings VI
into the air and deposits its load into
the black hole that leads directly into
the steamers bunkers. This is monoto
nous work. and it begins and oftor
ends with the coming and going of tn,
steamer. This coal must all be slowed
away before the next sailing, and tn,
days are sometimes few between trips
The faster the trips across the oceai
the shorter time in port is the rule
Thus the Deutschland, with her marvel
GUS record for time, will make half
dozen more trips year than tn
slower steamers. She has to work a
hard as a race horse, and the strain OIL
her machinery and hull must be tire
mendous. She Ia driven painting acros
the ocean ut full speed, and not eyel
machinery can stand this forever. o
course, In the winter season she vii
have little rest, and her highsrate Q
speed will not be maintained, bG
during the travelling season to and fror
Europe she cannot afford to lag. Sh
must show her speed continually unit
some faster steamer is built to replac
her.
1.-THE coaling Of the steamers is don
by gangs of men employed specially fo
this work, and they often work i
different shifts night and day. TIL
work begins early, in order to proven
trouble II an accident should occur
IL, for instance, there was a spik
among these men, the transatlanti
liners would be crippled 30 that n
regular sailings could he made. Unlik
manufacturing concerns, the steamer
cannot store up coal ahead. There
not fast mail steamer that comes I
this port which could carry enoug
coal TO make the trip to Europe an
back at a fast speed. With the
enormous coal capacity. they are sti
just able to carry enough OF tt
fuel across the ocean on time, and ha'
thousand tons extra for accident
delays. The three American liners har
storage capacity of about 4, 500 ton
and they consume on each trip betwet
$500 and 3, 700 tons. That leaves the
bare margin OF a thousand tons f
any unexpected delay At their rate
consumption of about 500 tons p
day they would not have coal enou,
to carry them over two days beyond Il
time limit. OF course, in the event
an accident at sea they would proce
under slower Roadway, and their dai
Bur il they were for any reason oarri
far out of their course they wou
come painting into port on the seven
or eighth day with starvation almt
staring them in the face.
"The Deutschland can carry oy
5000 tons Of coal, but then she il
bigger consumer of fuel than any utt
steamer when she is reeliug off her
knots an hour. She burns all the v
from 800 to 800 tons OF coal day
such times. In five days trip
would thus burn nearly 1900 tons, a
In her five and half fully this amot
and little more Her margin OF a,
ply for accidents is, therefore,
large,
p followed by dirty work below dec
When the coal is tumbled into
bunkefs the coal trimmers must .
f6 pare it for the tiremen, and distrib
1t the different bunkers. This is
unpleasant work, and the men '
labor at it are as black as the ace
spades. The Oceanic has over !, 500
of railroad track running between
coal bunkers and furnaces and mes
half hundred coal trimmers to
tribute the coal fuel. Then there
go or 10 firemen, who receive the
from the trimmers and feed 1t to
fire. The work OF either class of
ia hot, suffocating, and quite dam
GUS to all save the strongest.
thermometer down in those unver
ated coal bunkers thinks nothing
registering 100 aud 100. Even in fir,
ing weather outside the men ne