Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-06-06
WATERFRONT NOTES
Gas Engines for Ocean Vessels.

vincing many persons Interested In
maritime affairs that the day of the oil
fuel. by use of the gas engine, is at
hand, and that the leviathans of the
oceans in the future will be far differ.
ent from the steamships that are in
operation at the present time.
The performance of the Seclandia,
driven by gas engines, in her recent
voyage from the Orient to England,
has attracted the attention Of the sea.
faring world and has resulted in the
ordering of several vessels to be pro.
relied by the same class OF engines.
The space given heretofore to the
coal bins in the ocean steamships can
be added to the cargo space under the
new system, while great saving Of cost
can be effected not only through the
lower cost per mile with the gas fuel,
but through the dispensing with the
service of many stokers and assistant
engineers.
As one party puts 1t, two or three
engineers on duty can run an ocean
steamship without the aid of flremen
and can have ample time to read their
books, for the automatic supply to the
engines leaves them nothing to do
save to attend to the bells as to speed
and machinery control.
Vessels equipped with this system
of motive power will be ideal for the
tropics, and thousands of human be.
ings will be relieved from the suffer.
ing occasioned by deadly temperatures
in the boiler rooms of steamships of
the present type.
| Throughout the entire belt of the
tropical seas in all seasons, and in
those of the temperate zones in the
summer seasons, these boiler rooms of
steam vessels have been veritable
hads to the men whose duties re.
quired them to work there.
In not only the merchant service,
but in that of the navies of the world
this newly.devised system will be
hailed with delight If II is found to be
all that its friends claim II to be.
The attention of the practical men
now being concentrated upon 1t, few
months at the farthest will disclose
its points of advantage and disadvan.
tage, and its general adoption is GER.
tain If found to be efficient and meri.
torious.-Cincinnati Enquirer.
Here's an Unsuitable Ship.
The India Rubber World has par.
agraph which is singularly interest.
ing in view of the Titanic disaster. It
reads as follows:
Recent wrecks have brought into
immediate prominence the necessity
for the provision of some means in
ocean-going vessels, especially those
carrying large human freight, for
rendering vessel unsuitable. Mes.
srs. J. ID. Roots G. Co., who have writ.
ten a letter to the Press on this sub.
ject, say that watertight compartments
are proved to be only broken reed,
and they may be a source of danger
by creating a heavy list when one side
is waterlogged and the other intact.
The recent successful raising of the
A3 by an Italian firm of salvors has
they think, conclusively shown that
there is a possible and practicable
method of rendering a vessel practi
; cally unsuitable. The Italian method
was that of providing inflatable fleX
; ible tubes of fabric and rubber con
nected to a framework, lowered down
to and secured to the hull of the YES
sci, which tubes were then inflated
When a sufficient number Of the inflat
able tubes had been secured to dis
place the same volume of water as the
vessel displaced, the vessel necessar
lily rose to the surface with its inflated
tubes. Messrs. Roots maintain that II
every sea-going vessel were provided
with such inflatable tubes secured tC
! all of the inner walls of the vessel, oi
Il upon those most suitable for the pur
: pose, the infiatable tubes normally ly
. ing quite fiat and uninfated upon sucl
!. walls, but capable of being rapidly in
: fiated with air In an emergency, the
/, vessel would be rendered unsuitable
d. Such a set of inflatable air chambers
J. might be built with the ship or fitted
. to any existing vessel. When COLI
; sion occurred the auxiliary machiner!
by means of an air compressor woult
d promptly initiate all the inhatabl'
IS chambers throughout the ship anc
II render her perfectly safe by doubling
the normal displacement of the YES
y sci.
TyphOOns and Gains.
IS During the 22-year period, 1880
1901, % typhoons occurred in Asiati,
waters in May, as against 10 in Apri
Ii and Al in June, says the North Pa
ciiic meteorological chart just issued
They originate near the Pelcw Islands
" and move across the Philippines, thel
= generally recurve to the northeast
l THI