New-York tribune., 1902-07-04

beam is 1872 feet, draught : feet, and displace-
nent about 10 tons. She has a smoking room
forward, q fine saloon aft and six conmodious
stateroOus below deck Steam is furnished by
water tube boilers made by the builders OF the
yacht Charles L Seabury & Co., OF Morris
Heights. The great novelty OF course was the
style Of engine These were q pair Of turbines
each capable Of developing from 1000 TO 1.25O
horsepower. With forced draught and good
fuel about $500 horsepower is available. The
engines were invented by Charles G. Curtis. OF
this city who has been engaged in perfecting
them for i've years more. This was the first
public trial Of his system.
The inventor with his business associate I.
c. Ryce; Professor James z. Denton, Of Hobo
ken, and a party OF newspaper men, embarked
on the Revolution at the Battery a little after
3 ?. n. yesterday. and, after short prelirn-
mary run down the bay. came back nearly 10
Robbins Reef TO await the Monmouth Of the
Sandy Hook line on her trip southwark At
that mo- ment the yacht Vamoose having some
inkling Of what was going on. lay of 10 the
eastward under little headway. Finally the
Monmouth came down between them, and at
about o'clock a contest OF speed began. At
first the big Sandy Hook steamer seemed TO
gain perceptibly. but in less than five minutes
from the start she was distinctly losing. while
the Vanoose was far astern. and no longer max
ing any effort.
In the Narrows the Monmouth enjoyed a slight
advantage. owing 10 bend in the course New
ertheless the Revolution crept ahead again IN
I'll of Hoffman Island. twenty minutes after
the race began. her bow was from 1JO 10 $50
feet ahead OF her big rivals AT this juncture
the Curtis boat was driven OF her course by the
lnOpportune arrival OF the St Johns from the
Hook Here, therefore, the contest was aban-
dOned- Only day TWO before. the Revolution
had raced the Sandy Hook N similar fashion.
and succeeded in crossing her bows. But for
the accidental disadvantage az WhlCh she was
placed yesterday, doubt she would have
served the Monmouth in the same manner
II Is also related that one day last week the
Revolution had q brush with the Arrow. which
is credited with speed OF LhIrLy-nve or forty
miles an hour and was only beaten after long
struggle However, Mr. Curtis makes no great
pretensions TO speed It is doubtful whether the
Revolution can do much better tnan twenty
miles a hour.
As her name implies this boat is designed 70
show how much better the steam turbine IS than
the recIprocaIIng engine for navigation, ana
how great reform is now imminent NJ Cur
It's estimates that If craft OF the same size as
the Revolution were equipped with the latter
type Of motor. and these occupied the same
space as his turbines only 100 horsepower
or less would have been developed one OF the
greatest virtues OF the turbine is its compact
ness and lightness. SO far as fuel and steam
economy is concerned. the inventor IS not yet
ready talk. these items not yet having Oeen
computed by Professor Denton Other technical
details are also withheld for the present three
important points Of difference between the Par
sons and the Curtis engines were pointed out
however by the designer OF the latter.
The English turbine IS compounded IN Such
manner that three different shafts are driven
bv what is really one engine. The American
turbine drives but single shaft Each mem
Der of pair can be operated Independently OF
the other lust as reciprOcating engines are on
big liner or a warship. This trait makes II pos
sible 70 drive the two shafts IN opposite dlrec-
tions and thus send the vessel around IN par
ticularly sharp curve A Parsons boat cannot
thus manRuvre-
Secondly Mr.. Curtis's method OF reversing IS
vastly more effective than Mr.. PaTsons's This,
indeed is one Of the weakest points OF the Eng
lish turbine. Fully 80 per cent Of the power or
the Curtis engine can be used for reversing
Fv this means the Revolution was stopped twice
formed in % seconds and once in 23.
Finally the revolutions OF the shaft are SLOW
er in the Curtis engine. The snarts Or the "a
nous British torpedo boat destroyer Viper made
anywhere from 1000 10 lilo revolutions a min
ute In the Queen Alexandra the new passeI-
ger boat on the Clvde. which IS driven by Par-
sons turbines 700 10 750 revolutions are made
bv the central shaft. and from loco 70 loo
bv the side shafts. The engines OF the Revolu-
tion Yesterday scarcely exceeded 60o turns 70
the minute g.. 3.
nossible TO have fewer screws. Mr.. Curtis's
boat has but single propeller on each side OF
mis- two shafts. The Parsons boats have from
one TO three on each. and from I'VE 10 nine alto
The inventor Of the Curtis turbine is about
Torrv-hve wears Of age. and son OF the late
George Ticl1nor Curtis. He is graduate OF the
Columbia School OF Mines. but is also a prac-
tising member OF the New-York bar.