The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1916-10-14

Grimm. chief of the bureau of steam enRineerins
according to writer In the New York Sun
These engines. which will be Of the electrfc-drive
type, are expected to push the 90O-foot ships
through rough seas at speed approaching IS
knots: that Is, about four knots better than the
latest United States destroyers and at the rate
OF q passenger train running on a carefully
graded road.
When Admiral Grimm tells the story one gains
from his manner the impression that about all
he had to do was to speak to Captain Dyson
about 1t and the design of these 100000 en-.
zines sprang Into existence. but those who know
the admiral have their own opinion about that:
and 1t differs somewhat radically from the i'm.
pression
yes" said the chief, "at first 1t was rather
appalling when we realized the magnitude Of tboss
engines. The largest in any of our battleshipa
give 5000 horse power; those Of the Lusitania
were 7oOoo; and 1t is said that those which drive
ne English Tiger at about 80 knots are from go.
90 to 10000. So one can see that we had to
make a leap. and at first 1t seemed like lean in
the dark. to provide approximately 100000 horse
power. But somehow, when got the conditions
right before us. everything seemed to unfold
itsef ana fall Into the right place and there really
was little difficulty.
we saw at the outset that It was impossible
to control and apply the power without adopting
oil fuel and the electric drive In the great
mercantile ships like the Aquitania and tho
Vateriand we had examples Of the 0OO-foot
boats with a speed Of rs or 20 knots but II IN
the last few knots which SO dimcult to get.
Very roughly speaking. the new cruisers steam.
ing at 10 knots will consume the equivalent of
100 tons Of coal a day and to attain somewhere
between "a and IS knots will burn up the same
quantity In one hour; to put It another way, the
coal required to drive one Of these cruisers at
full speed for day will drive battleship across
the Atlantic and back. II full speed can be main.
tanned steadily for three days and seven hours
1t will take one from New York to Liverpool; but
as that would require 70 600 TONS NJ coal ~ 4.
certain that such run will never be attempted
coal fuel.
mo one can tell what the chemist engineer of
the future will do; but until something is found
battle cruisers will have to depend upon oil to
convert water into steam and without that SUBJ
stitute they cannot be driven many consecutive
hours at full speed. 1t would not be possible to
transmit SO much power shaft or one
screw. Therefore 1t is distributed to four shafts
each receiving about 10000 horse power, or dou-
bic the total power In a superdreadnaught and
greater than that of any but the largest Of the
modern merchantmen.
IF only low or moderate rate Of speed were
required the old-style recipnocating engines
would because more economical. probably be Sc
lected but to secure the high rates turbines will
be adopted
'The electric drive is not dlnicult to comprs-
bend II will think Of the familiar trolley sub
way or railway car driven by electricity The
power is created BY the operation of steamdriven
generators dynamos. They produce the cleo
tic current which is carried by wire to the many
email motors in the cars scattered along the sys-
tenn. The motorman or engineer turns on the
power and the motor is driven ahead he moves
his lever and the power Is shut of he shoves II
further over and reverses his motor. For many
small motors say several large ones and you have
The plan Of the ships electric drive The turbines
,pesate the generators of the current for the mo-
Iors, and the motors turn each a the four pro
pslles sAAfts Al the ship.