The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1903-04-06
rosrs Of stsam Turbine,


When the attention of engineering
experts was first drawn to tne pcssi-
hlllttes of the steam turbine. as Illus
Lrated by the British torpedo boat do
stroyers Viper and Cobra. its chief
merit was the high power developed in
proportion TO the space occupied by
the machinery. It now Seems probable
that, under certain conditions, Mr.. Par
sons famous device viii exhibit an adj
ditional virtue-ecOnCmy Ia Iuel con
sumption. A large engine Of this kline
has recently been installed in an
electric light station in Hartford
Conn. and The Iron Age learns tnas
the new motor develops horsepower
for every one and one-fourth pounds Of
coal burned The significance Of that
statement will be better appreciated
when one remembers that the best
compound condensing engines Of the
reciperOcating type. in service on
steamships and in waterworks. call fos
al least one and oEe-half pounds, while
In many power plants fully three
pounds of coal are consumed hourly
for every horse power IN making such
a comparison. it is desirable 70 know
something about the grade Of fuel used.
Much depends, too, on the continuity
Of running Again, a saving may lie
effected merely by careful stoking, and
1t Is not incredible that the Hartford
experiment represents an effort to
make record in that and other re-
spects. All the same, there seems to be
a good prima faeie case for economy
II this Is we'll backed up by later ez-
perIence, the steam turbine win havo a
fresh claim to favor
1t has long been automatic in marine
practice that every steam engine has
one particular rate of running at which
the development Of power is less ex-
penslye than at any other With tor
pedo boat desroyers this happens a.
be their maximum velocity. m conse.
quence, the Velox Is to be provided
with two sets Of engines for cruising
It follows that If the work which an
engine on land was called upon to do
was very variable the turbine mlgbr
not prove any more economical than
any other type. The demands T1ade
upon an electric light station for cui-
rent auctuate widely in the course OF q
day, and ten or fifteen years ago this
fact worried tie managers Of such
establishments greatly. A remedy has
been found for the evil. however. Stor-
age batteries now accumulate the en-
ergy when there is a surplus. AID rein
force the dynamos when the require
ments are excessive. thus they
"eQualize the load" and facilitate thai
uniformity OF output on which econ
omy depends. An even bolder venture
than, ttAt in Hartford will be the In.
stallation OF ten two thousand horse
power ste am turbines in the power
plant Of Mr.. -Yerkes' underground elec-
trio roads IN London, for which the
contracts have Just been let II this
experiment works as well as the other
the effect will be almost revolutionary,
Whatever be the future of the steam
turbine on land, its popularity foI
marine service is already pretty well
assured. The great saving OF space
which II makes possible Is much
greater advantage in the latter sphere
Of usefulness than in the former. That
recommendation alone Is sure to b
highly influential. During the current
season the Parsons engine will be tried
on several new craft Something like
half a dozen yachts are to be equipred
with 1t. at least one OF them having
been ordered by an American. Refer.
ence has Just been made to the VeloA
now in process Of construction. Nor il
It any news that the success Of Fins
Edward on the Clyde last year has lsd
to the construction Of another small
passenger boat to be propelled by a
turbine. AS yet the new motor he
not been put on board a vessel displac.
ing more than few hundred tens. I'm,
til It has actually been tested on 4 bis
liner the result cannot be predicted
with certainty. hut strong hopes Of it,
success ars justified. New York Tri
buns.