The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1919-04-07
Revelations in London Show Hith.
erto UndiscIosed Part of
America in War.
OPENS EYES OF NAVY MEN
In the New Mexico Gives World a
Successful Revolution in the Pro.
PuIsjon Of the Biggest Fight.
Ing Ships-NaVaI Sci.
ence Advanced.

tary of the navy congratulated Adj
miral Griffin and w. L. r. Emmett
upon having given the world, in the
New Mexico, a successful revolution
in the propulsion of the biggest fight
ing ships" adding: GAS so often be-
fore, American ingenuity and inven-
tive skill now lead the world in the
IrOpelling of battleships." He seems
ito have been unaware thai. in this case
the ingenuity and inventive ,skilr'
originated in England. Otherwise, one
may be sure, he would have been the
first to give credit where credit was
due.
At the same time it must be nd.
mitted that American enterprise and
foresight to the possibilities of a really
useful invention have opened the ewes
of the naval authorities on this side,
to the great and far-reaching impor-
lance of what, from insufficient inves-
tigation and wrong expert advice, they
had discarded.
The history of theevolution and per-
fiction of what is known over here as
the Paragon" thermo-electric shin
propulsion system, and, as is used In
the New Mexico, the Importance of
whose successful trials, though an
. ncunced by Mr.. Daniels early last De-
cember, has just been discovered By
the English press, is interesting.
This Makes the Biz Idea Plain,
Although previous lectures on the
subject We're heard at the Franco-Brit-
ish exhibition in London as far back
as 1908, as regards it's application to
the merchant marine, it is just ten
years ago that William P. Durt-
nall, prominent member of the In
stitute of Marine Engineers, London,
now a staff captain in the technical
side of the royal air force, stationed
in London, and the inventor and pat
entee in many countries of the "Par-
agon" system, interested learned au-
dience of naval and marine engineers
at Chatham by lecturing on the posi-
aaa1ies of pelyphase alternating cur
rent electrical power transmission for
main marine propulsion and speed
regulation.
He described how he had then got
the Paragon" system so complete that
by simple method an electrical speed
reduction gear was formed and any
ahead" or Eastern" speed from zero
to maximum could then be given to the
Wit no
at all times in one direction, and at
constant revolution speed, at the same
time demonstrating that with this adj
vanced system a fuel saving Of no
less than 26 per cent could be secured
over the latest type battleship, name
~, the then new and original dread
Aaught."
Here Is the Inventors Answer.
In a copy of the lecture which I
got Captain Durtnall to exhume for
me, he said:
by the adoption of this polyphase
alternating current induction electric
motor it is possible to do what is not
possible to do with any other kind OF
motor of equal power and revolution
speed; that is, to make them sufficient
ly small in diameter that they will go
into the narrow after-lines of war
ships, and at the same time to OBJ
tain the maximum of efficiency at the
least possible cost.
1.-THE heating losses of this type of
motor are reduced to minimum
amount, and require comparatively lit
tie attention; it is\also quite light IN
weight per horse power given off, and
mas become very popular on shore OF
recent years, mainly owing to its pow
erful starting t0rque and its freedom
from commutators and brush-gear.
"a burnt-out armature-the perpet-
ual source of dread to other types of
electric motor in practice-is practi
cally unknown in this type, even when
put to such severe service as propeller
reversing. Indeed, its dt probation I'M
der proper conditions for which It
would be designed is as low as any
other type of revolving mechanical ma
chlnery, and owing to it's peculiar run
ming character it is especially suit
able for main marine propulsion work
on battleships, and especially as this
efficient electric motor can be designed
for large powers, while it's construc-
tlonal details represent the very acme
of simplicity"
Halts Her Tendency to Race.
A feature which the captain also
noted, and laid much stress upon, was
the fact that it was impossible for this
type of motor to race" when the YES
sci was under heavy rolling or pitch
ing conditions, and thus allowing the
vessel to run at high speed even in a
severe gale and heavy seas, while the
load balanced itself automatically be-
tween heavily and lightly immersed
propellers, while under those Opcrat-
ing conditions and without straining
the ship as is the case in every other
type of propeller drive, and he estl-
mated great saving in fuel in con-