Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-01-28
OCEAN COAL GLUTTONS.

To break an Atlantic record costs
far more than the public imagines.
The initial expense of building the
ship represents only part Of the ac-
tual cost OF wrestling the record from
some former pOSsessOr. The question
of building faster steamers must to a
certain extent, be affected by the cost
of coal and the possibility of econ
omizing in the consumption of fuel to
produce a given speed result. So far
the marine architects who have de-
signed and fioated the magnificent
racers Of the deep have made little or
no attempt to economic in fuel.
Larger and faster ships have simply
meant more powerful engines, larger
furnaces and, and greater coal consul
ming capacity. At the present rate
of increase in coal consumption the
future liners Of eight or nine hundred
feet, with speed CORES pOnding to the
increased dimensions, must prove
veritable gluttons in their use of fuel,
and the cost of operating them will
place them among the most expen-
sive luxuries Of the age.
The matter of simply getting the
coal on board q swift ocean steamer
in time TO enable it to sail at it's ap-
pointed day and hour has already
become a serious problem, and it has
been found necessary for the lighters
containing the supply to warp up
alongside the steamer almost before
the latter has been secured at its pier.
When the "Deutchland'' or the
"Oceanic"-the first the fastest, and
the second the largest steamer in the
world-come5 into port, the problem
Of coaling her in time for her next
scheduled sailing of only a few days
off is one that requires considerable
tact and energy to solve successfully.
Either vessel carries from four to five
Thousand tons of coal for the trip, and
this amount must be turned into her
bunkers within three days.
The "Oceanic" develops about rs, 900
indicated horse power, and, While her
coal consumption IS great. she does
not pretend to aspire to record break
ing feats. Alta speed varying between
twenty one and twenty two knots she
burns about 480 tons every twenty
four hours But the "Deutchland
which now holds the worlds steam
ship speed record, is the greatest coal
consumer afoat, with an average
daily consumption of about $40 tons.
The "Deutchland" is probably the
handsomest, most powerful, and best
vessel on the Atlantic, and
though eighteen feet shorter than the
"Oceanic," she is her superior in
speed and efficiency as racer. But
she has demonstrated better than ever
the fact that higher transatlantic
speed must be purchased at too dear
a price under present conditions to
make it Of much value to the world Of
commerce.
There is another item Of loss to be
reckoned with in the operation of the
modern ocean racer. The "Deutch-
land" must be driven at her highest
SpSOo DCA
trips, and she will make a round trip
to Europe in three weeks instead Of
one in four or five weeks, as in the
case Of the slower steamers. This i'm
poses a strain upon the ship that N ust
help 20 shorten her life, and both en-
gine and hull must yield to the hard
work much earlier than on ordinary
slow steamers. The supreme useful
ness OF such a racer is of course limit
ed by it's ability to surpass all other
steamers in speed. Then, when she |
has been replaced by one of greater
speed, her trips will be less frequent,
and she will not be driven to keep up
her maximum speed. The deteriora-
ton Of steamer under this strain
must be much more rapid than the /
owners could wish-Public Opinion.
Such little pills DeWitts Little Early !
RiSers are very easily taken, and they are /