New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-16
Merchant Marine Is
Facing Handicap in
Use of Old Engines
% Ships Laid Up in Port Be-
cause Motor Power Made
Under Government Con-
tract Has Proved Useless

agitated over the question of the abil-
ity of the American mercantile marine
composed of steam propelled vessels, tc
compete successfully with the motor
ship merchant fleets of foreign mari.
| time nations.
Incidentally, they are asking whether
the endeavor of this country to corral
its fair share of the worlds commerce
is to be handicapped in advance by a
too Jealous compassion for the inter
ests of American marine engine manu-
facturers.
The United States has built no mo-
torships. 1t has continued to pin its
faith to the steamer. Some of the
American vessels are equipped with the
cld-fashioned, coal-burning. rcciprocat-
ing steam engines. In others the at
tempt has been made to keep up with
the march of progress with oil-burning
geared reduction turbines, steam still
Being the motive power
But these latter have fallen down
SO far, as is emphasized by the fact
that twenty-five cargo ships of $500
dcadwelght tonnage each, otherwise
ready for sea. have lain for weeks in
the basin at the Submarine Boat Cor
poration's yards at Port Newark, N. j.,
because the engines, made under gov
eminent contract, were useless.
Europe Making Changes
1t is contended that the merchant
tonnage OF England, France, Italy, Hol-
land, Denmark. Sweden and Norway is
steadily being made over into motor
ships, propelled by DIESEL (hearv oil
hurnng) engines, and that those ma
tons arc at present building vessels
equipped with DIESEL engines only.
DIESEL engines, however, are all Of
foreign patent. Several American ship
yaros possess licenses permitting them
tc install them, but to do so would
crowd out American steam engine man
ufacturars from sharing in the con-
tracts.
Advocates Of the motorship claim
that its cost of operation is less than
one-half that of the steam propelled
craft, that its cruising radius is about
three times as great and that addi-
tional cargo space is provided by the
absence of fire-room.
The ships built at Port Newark
were intended to stand midway be-
tween the old fashioned Scoal- burning
steamer ana CnC mOIOrShlp.
Though equipped with engines capa-
bic OF burning oil: the propulsion
power is steam. The engines are
known as geared reduction turbines,
manufactured by the Westinghouse
Company, of Essington, Pa.
New Engine Is Sought
Fl. R. sutphen. vice president of the
Submarine Boat Corporation, was asked
yesterday if it were true that the
twenty-five ships at Port Newark had
been delayed in going into service be-
cause these engines were faulty
II hat caused the delay" he an
swered. at is unfortunate, but neither
the government nor the Westinghouse
Company should be blamed. Both were
trying to develop an engine that would
serve the purpose not only of our war
needs, but of permanent mercantile
marine"
ere not the turbines tested at the
Westinghouse plant before being sent
to Port Newark" Mr.. Sutphen was
asked
Apparently they were not given a
sufficient test" he replied.
"Instead of experimenting with
these geared reduction turbines could
not the government have taken ad-
lJplSGl
engine ?"
Owe proposed to General Goethals, j"
Mr.. Sutphen said, "when he was on
the Shipping Board that 200 motor
ships to be equipped with DIESEL en-
gines be built, but he rejected the
idea"
Mr.. Sutphen insisted that the oil
burning turbine was a great advance
over the coal burning engine.
The motorship may prove to be
still greater advance" he added, "but
we will have to comeNto it by degrees "
Foreign nations are adopting the
DIESEL engine at one jump, are they
not?" he was asked
81 understand they are installing it
in many of their ships" he answered.
ut is cheaper to operate"
Hurleys Views Quoted
"In the face of that can the Ameri-
can mercantile marine, steam-pro-
PEELED, hold its own on the seas?"
Mr. Sutphen asserted his belief that
it could, though he did not give th 2
reasons for his opinion.
II would not even say" he declared
that American coal-burning ships can
not compete with foreign motorships.'
In opposition to this view a state
ment by Edward N. Hurley, chairman
! Vi tlc CuiLcN OLdtcS ioHlpDlIS DOdTu,
published recently in the magazine
"Motorship," is being quoted by those
who favor the adoption Of the DIESEL
engine.
Mr.. Hurley cited the instance of a
coal burning steamer and a motorship
of like tonnage. each voyaging around
the world. The motorship showed a
saving III fuel cost Of 70 per cent, a
saving in time of 20 per cent, and an
increase in cargo of nearly Is per cent
Inasmuch as the nation whose snip
ping rates arc the lowest will be in a
fair way to sweep the vessels of other
nations from the seas, it is to com
parsons such as this that the pro-
ponents of the motorship point to sub
stantiate their argument.
Can Use Foreign Engines
The types Of Diesel engine available
for installation in American ships are
the Wcrkcnspoor, Holland patent, and
the Burmei3tcr e. Vain, Denmark
patent The New York Shipbuildng
Company, Of Camden, N. j., and the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company
hold licenses to install the Werkens-
poor engines, and Cramps, Of Phia-
delphia, that for the Burmeister e.
Vain.
The Submarine Boat Corporation IS
contract calls for construction of $50
ships Of $500 tons each. Twenty tn rec
of these have been completed, save for
the faulty engines, and twenty eight
more are on the ways. One hundre d
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