The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-24
MAURETANIA's VENTILATION.
Ingenious Appliances for Insurine Air
on the Newest Atlantic. Iiner

So much is said in the papers now
adays about each new Atlantic liner
that the public comes to feel a sense of
ownership in the vessals, and many
been or never will be farther than
Coney Island become enthusiastic over
speed records and are loud in their
praise of the new craft. The old
traveller who has crossed and recrossed
the ocean and in whose mind Hnger
Keen recoliections Of foul or smelly
air In bad weather ask If they have
learned how to ventilate her." The
Mauretania presents some distinct ad-
vances in this direction, which are des-
cribed by the Liverpool correspondent
OF the Lancet. He notes that passen-
gers have propensity to open some
thing to get fresh air. ''They are So
accustomed to open a door or window
at nome that when they reach a cabin
their habit must be gratified or they
VIII insist that they are not getting
proper ventilation" The new vessels
show the usual cowls on the upper
most deck. but these ventilate the en-
CINE room and have nothing to do with
the cabins and saloons. The new
system seems to be Independent of the
opening and closing of the various veu-
t1lators within the passengers reach,
ana Its triumph seems to lie in the
Iact that he may open what he likes
without disarranging the ventilators.
All the passenger cabins and saloons
and the crew quarters are supplied
with compressed air. In other words
the air in every habitable portion of
the ship is under greater pres
sure than the outside atmosphere. ex-
cept in the lavatories. Thus, if a cabin
door opens the air PUSHES out Of and
lavatories the process is reversed The
system Is known as the thermo-tank
system. No less than sixty-five of these
machines, says the Lancet correspon-
dent, are placed in different parts of
the vessel. They consist of a strongly
metallic case containing in one part an
electric fan OF such power that it can
pump down into the ship 1000 cubic,
feet of air per minute. With that sup
ply the entire atmosphere within the
habitable part of the ship can be chang
ed every four minutes. Within each
or these apparatuSeS are a number
of coils that can be filled with steam
and thus the air is warmed before it
is pumped into the ship. The ventila-
ton in no wise depends on the weather
or the wind, but wholly and solely on
the rapidity in the revolutions of the
fans. The shafts that communicate
with the lavatories do not serve as in
let's, but as outlets; the currents there
fore, to the lavatory and out by the
shafts, and these abut into the outer
funnel. Thus, the air from the lava
tories is discharged into the open atthe
top of the tunnels with the smoke. The
lavatories are flushed from a large
tank of sea water on the upper deck.
Even in the highest closet, there is a
water-head of f1fty-f1ve feet. The
flushing is therefore done with great
force and thoroughness. For the steer
age passengers, many of them who have
never seen a modern toilet, all the ap-
no, f,,cS t. 70
cally, and the whole compartment con-
tanning their toilets and bath tubs is
tiled and can be washed out with a
hose.-Medical Record.