Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-07
HAS A l0O-MILE BOAT
BRITISH NAVY TRYING A MA.
RINE NOVELTY.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cabiegram to The Star.
LONDON, October THE British ad-
miralty has under consideration a new
form. of marine engine and propeller
which, the inventor claims, will revolu-
tionize not only naval warfare, but the
navigation Of the whole world. The in
vention is the fruit Of much ingenuity,
labor and expenditure on the part of Mr..
who has devoted TO it years of study and
experiment. At first sight the engine re-
sembles a turbine, but closer inspection
reveals important differences. Steam from
any type of boiler Is brought to bear upon
a shaft fitted with twelve chambers, di-
vided into two sets Of six each. Shaft ana
chambers are all of steel cast in one
piece, and Of great strength. Exactly
what the arrangement of these chambers
is the inventor deems II imprudent AT
present to disclose, but 1t Is such that the
admission of steam through the orifices
at their ends causes the shaft to revolve
at tremendous speed.
So great Is the power OF the new form
of engine indeed that the inventor con-
siders 1t useless to apply it to the ordi-
nary screw propeller, lest the terrific pace
should result in the formation OF conn
plete or partial vacuum. In which the
screw would race without exerting us
propulsive force. He has accordingly de-
vised a modification of the screw propeller
which will make a return in speed for all
the power that can be applied to 1t,
New Form Of Screw.
The screw has three blades, each OF the
shape already familiar, but instead OF
being attached to one small hub they are
fixed at intervals Of couple of feet from
one another to long shaft. The result,
OF course, is that each blade works In Its
own water instead Of in that through
which Its fellow has cut but moment
before. The shaft is fitted with three OF
these dissected screws, each OF them with
a larger orbit than the one Immediately
In front of ii, so that when set slowly In
motion 1t presents to the eye the effect OF
huge corkscrew worm1ng us way Ior-
ward.
The shaft bearing the three screws Is
fixed Immediately beneath the keel OF the
boat and runs parallel with 1t ana Win
the driving shaft and its twelve chambers
This occupies so little space that pracu-
cally the only machinery in the body of
the boat will be the furnace and boiler,
and the inventor therefore believes that
In the case of cargo vessels the deVlce
will have the advantage OF adding 10 the
carrying capacity as well as OF increasing
the speed. 1t Is, however, in naval war
fare that he expects for the invention the
greatest immediate utility. Up to now
the new system has been tried only on
models upon the Serpentine and the
Thames. but the speeds attained In the
largest of these lead Mr.. Mailman to be-
lieve that on a vessel with the size and
steam power of a present-day torpedo
boat it would yield velocity OF 100 miles
an hour.
That, however. can only be determined
by experiments upon a larger scale than
has yet been possible. and he has accord
ingly applied to the admiralty for the loan
of a hull and boilers, to which the new
engine and propeller could be hxed AT
comparatiyely slight cost, so that their
utility may be fully determined.