The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-22
SHIP MADE UNSUITABLE.
In Thirty Seconds the thrush of
Water Can He stopped.

water Can He stopped.
New York Herald.
In the wheelroom on the bridge Of the
big steamship Deutschland, now at the
hamburg-American line pier in Hoboken,
yesterday afternoon, Heinrich Luttmann,
chief engineer Of the ship. turned a small
crank, scarcely a fingers length, for fif-
teen seconds. Below the water line and
all throughout the great ship warning
gongs clattered simultaneously. Coal pass
srs sprung from out the grimy bunkers
into the firerooms and engineers and oilers
stood fast at their posts of duty.
As the gongs ceased ringing there was a
rumble of moving iron and steel as the
twenty-four heavy bulkhead DOORS weigh
Ing half ton each. descended, without
human aid In little more than thirty
seconds all doors in the watertight bulk
heads had been closed tight, making every
compartment in the ship ready to resist the
rush OF water from without or within.
Thus was exemplifed the working Of the
Stene-Lloyd system. installed by the Ham
purs-Anertoan Company in its best ship,
which Is thus made proof against the dan
ger or collision and rendered practically
unsuitable.
This ship is the first great ocsan-going
erart to be fitted with hydraulic mech
anlsm operating at pressure OF 200 to 500
POUNDS per square inch, sufficient to drive
bunker doors through three feet of coal
shin ba .nsy f,1d are SAFELY closed should the
rusn or the water acts upon copper floats
set In small tanks in the bilges, releasing a
weight which automatically works the
Vaives, ana the doors are closed without
other manipulation. A member of the
ships company imprisoned by a closed door
can grasp lever and raise the door suffi-
clently TO pass out the door closing down
behind him. In no imaginable emergency it
| Is said, could the system fail to act.
simple IN mechanical arrangement, the
with hydraulic accumuiators. Both set far
| above the high water mark even in the
| event Of collision.
| pressure in the accumulators of more than
! lO0 pounds per square inch. This Is trans
mitted to liquid compound OF three parts
| OF water and one of glycerine, which fills a
pressure main connected by other pipes and
valves to a double acting hydraulic ram
attached to each door. The mixture acts
as lubricant and will not freeze. Smaller
pilot mains run to the bridge, where con-
trolling valves raise or close all doors at the
will of the operator.
Besides the automatic and controlled de-
vices, the doors may be opened or closed
| at any time, each by an individual on
either side of the bulkhead. small hand
lever operating the valves.
| Mr.. Luttermann said: An officer on the
| bridge can close all bulkhead doors with
| out calling upon the engineer force. 1t is
possible, in the event of imminent col
|
impact actually occurs. We have given 1t
| all kinds OF severe tests, and it has worked
| absolutely without error"
On the recent voyage of the Deutsch-
| land the doors were closed from the bridge
every time the big ship ran into thick fog.
London Daily Mail.
One of the greatest achievements of ma
| rine science has received practical demon
stration In the new fittings OF the Ham
burg-Amsrican liner Deutschland. which
left Southampton yesterday for New York
A few years ago an "unsinkable' ship
was undreampt of; to-day 1t is an accom-
| plished fact.
The invention which marks this develop.
| ment OF modern engineering was the WORK
| of Mr.. Rilston. an Ayrshire gentleman,
/ whose idea has been improved upon and
rendered feasible by the conjoint efforts OF
Messrs. Stone & Co., shipping engineers, OF
Deptford, and the Norddeutscher Lloyd
| Company.
The system is exemplifed In the appoint
| ments Of the Deutschland is the simplest ir
the world The vessel is divided into
| twenty-four bulkhead compartments, each
| OF which Is fitted with a water-tight Iron
door. When danger arises these doors
| circumstances, can be closed within twenty
seconds of the first sound Of the alarm
Bridge 'i OF by f means Of an @ apparatus in the
steer-room. or individually by hand-lever:
placed by the doors themselves.
Once these doors . have been a,ur.,sht shut tn
and secure. II by any mischance the pre-
| caution OF closing the doors by one or other
| of the processes named Is neglected. tht
doors are closed automatically by the In
| rush of water. The hand levers are placed
on both sides of the doors and their move
ment can be arrested at any stage during
the downward or upward progress.
The alarm bell sounds warning fol
| fifteen seconds before the doors begin Il
| descend. The doors will cleave through
| all obstruction, and so long as they art
| fast tha yaGsel cannot sink.
The motive power Is entirely hydraulic
Steam, electricity, and compressed air hav,
in turn been dismissed az impracticabl'
| and dangerous.