The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-26
TURBINES FOR OCEAN LINERS.
GEORGE WILSON THINKS HE HAS
SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
He Proposes TO liuiid Six steamers That
VIII Deliver the New York Mail In
London In 4 liz Dsys-Construction
OF His Turbine Would Use oil Fuel.

TIE lOilONluK ltlltT Wfltttl luluti bo'S
OF Dec, 20. 1901, and signed by George
Wilson as Of the New York and European
Steamship Company, So Broadway, New
York:
To THE EDITOR or THE YACHTING WORLD
Sir: Iast summer you published a special
number. containing al article on steam
Turbines for Yachts. II may inter est you
to know that w are arranging to build six
passenger and mail m each Jos rect
long K 20 feet beam x 20 feet draught. 7o'ooo
horse power. 90 be driven with the American
turbine. Texas oil fuel. and deliver passengers
and mails from New York both TO London
and to Paris In four and a half days. POST
once TO Post once. and to Berlin In I'VE and
an eighth days. to average 80 knots across
the Atlantic.
The consumption OF oil tcrude Texas petro-
lenm) will averag &c under = pound per horse
| power per hour Including auxiliary powers
aboard. These vessels will have sir propeller
shafts. so rs TO keep down the power 70 De
| transmitted on each shaft below the l2'ooo
| horse power per shaft. ten screw propellers.
viz two on each Of the four side shafs ana
| one on each OF the two central shafts.
All the propcllers will be fitted with quick
reversing gear. 90 reverse without stopping
the turbine. and so arranged that they may
10 ahead, astern OF act as a drag rs desired,
the turbine running fun speed or Standlhe
still.
with these reversing appliances. II the
rudder or other part OF the steering gear
breaks at sen the ship can be readily steered
from the bridge with one Of the propeller
shafts and leuve the others to drive the SNIP
so that II would reach port with very niue
loss of time BY reason OF the six shaits ana
ten screws a breakaee OF any one or Two OF
Them il comparatively unimportunt-the ship
will nirive with little delay.
Mr.. Wilson Ia a S~cotchman. a native OF
Glasgow, and has been at work Tor several
wears. first with the general idea OF pro-
d1cing n rotary engine aud latterly with the
distinct aim Of an effective turbine. to de-
wise n high speed and high power engine
for driving ships. When MT. PARSONS
invention Of the turbine, OF which 40 mtich
has been heard Of recent years. WAS gwen
TO the world, it struck Mr.. Wilson as the
equivalent of a quadruple reciprocat!ng
engine with several defects.
Jheae he set himself about to remove
and at the same time he devoted himself
10 an effort to produce n steam turbine
which should be practicable for installation
in ships aud which could drive vessels at
higher speed than any that now traverse
the seas. He began his work In Great
Britain. but it was not until the discovery
Of the Beaumont oil g%ushers, recently.
tina, he found himself able 10 lay out a
practicable scheme for the UTILIZATION OF
bis ideas.
Although the letter 10 the Yachting World
might suggest that the innovation OF tur-
bine steamships 100 feet long for fast At
lantic service was a prospect OF tne I'M
mediate future. Mr.. Wilson acknowledged
that The projected ships had not vet even
been contracted for, although estimates
for their building had been asked and were
i'm hand Several reasons, he Said, made
IL still a matter for consideration when
and where the vessels should toe built.
Tho company. he said. was incorporated
Under the laws of Maine, and It's first move
ment when the time and place oi OnlidinR
The vessels WAS determined would be The
construction Of Oh" snip 81 we klnn ~
scribed i'm his letter 10 the Yachting World,
40 tLat The ship might demonstrate it's ability
by the use Of his turbine invention 10 cross
the ocean In the tim" mentioned
Nj wilson Wa 80 confident Of the ability
81 such a ship TO do what I've promised that
a., a,,emrt lad been made. lie said, 20 in
ducr existing lines 30 adopt the Invention
~. d.-irr being 20 keep all the possibilities
= profit 10 an Independent company,
ne said positively that the capital was
M command with which to build the first
shin. although he declined 70 publish az
49,, rr,.-.rf time the names of his associates
\, ,Is concern lie said further tha' Two
urg, American Hhipbuilders had requested
p.riuls-lou 60 use his invention and thai a
very larp. electrical mauuiact urlng con
Germ Of tine country had ashtd loI vi" tls''
4, NJ. III. Cor land engine-
A.. ,aid that one - the Proposed fecoti-
brrakiug ocean giants 10 L. driven Dy ll-
tIrDiu. could be- built. according Va llir
estimates. for between ti1oV" And =
rptsp ga I~rhHps eighteen months, ~"
din.renc. latWeeu these figures and ihe
Drur -chlaud's cost Of nearly N!OJ!DN
representing The curt % the Deutschland :
.rKlurs over th" Wilson turbine
Mr Wilson ~Ahihiis a model oi hus W.
,.trt.u NJ nI- urius. and iu explaining h
dfsU. attention 60 10 difference ~ siruc.
~, l-fuU.u ff aud the lafs1ns turhlhe
Ir tIr Iar.nr turbine che steam BE- AL
uitt.d o. fIr cylinder a. ih' end aud pay
ayuIlrf H.udfrln 81 sulaN blades slihh"i
III ufltrllsr blade o. 49, ~ ausi"n W.
all,u malr prrhaps q thOusand
B...lulHnr d inmate IU ihr lhi"fNsl -
tUD.uArEt 1890 ul-lr l-flaH plaosd cui '"u
lH 81 usIaI tuI reversing ihr s'"eh Nht'''
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A. WIl-t uYlis lI.at uorr IA considerable
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.U. r.i. ~ .IW ,tllHisi g. that 90" 'Ari
-H ui l.atrH af tlr opposite rnd 80 vi
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