Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-01-12


right type to do the work and this
means that on any other condition
We shall insure, if not failure. at leasI
delay, scandal ami inefficiency in the
task of digging the giant canal"
f. Latest Success Of the Marine Turbine
When the history of the develop
ment of the marine turbine comes tc
be written, that period of it which
deals with the application of the tur
blne TO the transatlantic steamship
must ever be closely associated with
the name of the Cunard company
which was the first seriously to con.
slder the application of the turbine
10 the transatlantic steamship. This
occurred in the early autumn of 1903
when the company was negotiating
with the British government for two
steamships that were to be larger and
faster than anything at that time
dHoat. An engineering commission
was appointed to investigate the prob
lem, and after researches lasting for
more than half year, they reported
early in 1904 in favor of the turbine.
Meanwhile, however the company
had determined to build two large
steamships of smaller dimensions and
lower speed than the vessels above re-
/ ferred TO- and the contract for the
first of these, the "Caronia," was plac.
ed with John Brown e. Co. on the
Clyde. In 1903 the same firm. when
bidding for a duplicate of the Ca.
ronla.' submitted an alternative de-
sign to be driven by turbines instead
OF reciprocating engines and the con-
tract for the second vessel, the "Car.
MANIA was duly closed early last
year About the same time the Al
Ian line had determined on the con-
struction of the two turbine liners
virginia and Victorian" both of
which are now in service. The Ca
ronia' and "Carmania" have been
completed, and both are now sailing
in the regular service of the company,
the "Carmania' having just made her
first successful trip to the port of
New York
The two ships are sister vessels in
every respect but that of the en-
slnes; they have been built by the
same firm; they will sell over the
same route, and. therefore. under the
| same average weather conditions.
Hence they afford an ideal opportun-
itN for testing the relative first cost
'o'7' VI oItl itiOll, anu dll-TDunu uSn1lil-
ness of the reciprocating engine and
the turbine in work of this character
| When the "Carmania" has spent six
or eight months in service and her
turbine equipment has thoroughly
worked down to its bearings, the
question of the relative efficiency of
the old and the new type of engine
| VIII be proved to an absolute demon
stration, at least as far as the Par.
sons type Of turbine is concerned.
At the present writing it is suffi-
clent to say that so far as the trial
trips and the maiden voyage of the
Carmanla' are criterion, the ap-
plicatlon of the turbine to an ocean
liner OF the largest size has been a
brilliant success. and thereby the last
doubt as to the ability of the steam
turbine to supersede the reciprocating
engine in practically every class of |
marine service, from the torpedo boat |
up to the 400O0-ton high speed ocean |
steamer, is completely set at rest. !
What the success of the "Carmania"
implies to her owners can be under
stood, when it is remembered that up-
on her success depended the profit
able outcome of the investment of
about eighteen million dollars, of
which thirteen millions represents the
cost of the new 25-knot turbine lin
ers now under construction
The question of the availability of
the turbine in the largest passenger
steamships has involved the three-fold
question of speed. comfort and econ.
omy, the first two being all important
to the passenger, and the last to the
operating company. AS regards the
question of speed the "Caronia" on
her trial maintained an average speed
of 1875 knots an hour, with $4,000 in
dlcated horse power, whereas the
''Carmania" showed an average speed
OF 2O.5 knots per hour, for which the
equivalent horsepower would be 25,- [
200. The "Carmania" had not been
IN dry dock for eight months, and her |
bottom was necessarily foul. With >
a clean bottom, it is reasonable to
suppose that she would have made ,
fully q knots an hour. The tur. ]
oines received a most severe test on
the voyage to New York. for, with the
exception of one day, the whole dis.
lance was run against heavy westerly
gales, in which at times the ship was
driving Bows under" In spite of
this, the turbines, because Of the deep
Of their propellers, were
absolutely free from racing, and there
was a complete absence of either YER
teal or horizontal vibration. The
deep immersion of the propellers is
due largely to their small diameter,
the tops of the propeller blades be-
ing fully 16 feet below the water at
normal draft, whereas the tops of the
blades of the "Caronia" are only
feet below the surface. Consequently.
even when the vessel is plunging heav-
lily. the tops of the blades are never
brought above the surface, being at
all times immersed in comparatively
still water. they are working under
conditions that are highly favorable !
to efficiency, and are entirely protect.
ed against racing" and the excess !
sive vibration which accompanies it. ,
1t will be understood that the chief ,
cause of anxiety as regards the huge ,
turbines of the "Carmania" was as I
to whether the great increase in size
would Introduce some elements of
difficulty which had not been develop
co In the smaller turbines. Hitherto ,
the largest single unit was the low ;
turbines for the "Virginian" !
and victorian" of the Allan line. each ,