Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-26
ELECTRIC DRIVE
FOR GIANT u. S.
WARSEIIP NOW
Recently Launched 'Califor-
MIA Marvel for Scientific
Advancement.
PROPELLERs WEIGH TONS

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2e.-Tne Cali
fornia, recently launched at Mare Island,
is the third electrically driven super
dreadnought to be added to the United
States navy, the only navy in the world
which has thus far equipped its fighting
I craft with this method of propulsion
Several years ago w. L. R. Emmett,
consulting engineer of the General Elec-
trio Company, interested marine en-
gineers in the prophecy that electricity
would provide the motive power for YES
sells of every description. The first ex-
periments were made with the collier
Jupiter with apparatus designed and
manufactured IN the shops of the big
plant at Schenectady. Thus the ancient
Dutch city on the banks of the Mohawk
river became in a sense the birthplace
of electric drive.
The advantages were seen to be so
great that naval officers. commended the
installation for capital ships, and when
the giant California was put into com
mission last month electricity operated
her propelling machinery, her militant
equipment, her lighting, heating and ven
tilating systems, down to the kitchen
devices and soldering and glue-pots. The
California, which is the "last word" in
battleship design and fitting. has many
electrical features. She is the first vessel
Of her kind to be turned out in Pacific
coast shipping yard.
KEEL OF BATTLESHIP
LAID THREE YEARS.
Her keel was laid three years ago,
but during the war her builders turned
their attention to the output of smaller
craft. Upon the signing of the armistice
an army of workmen took possession Of
the floating city and bent all their en-
ergies towards her completion. Chris
tened by Mrs. Randolph Z. Zane, daugh-
ter of Gov. William D. Stephens of Cali
fornia and widow Of hero of the battle
of Belleau Woods, she slipped down the
tide cheered by many thousands. Her
great turbo generators, capable Of de-
veloping $4,000 horsepower, are among
the principal units of the CALIFORNIA;
electrical drive. She has four motors,
connected to four propeller shafts. Each
motor is twelve feet in diameter, weighs
sixty byyo TONS and the combined ca
pacity is sufficient to supply light and
power to a city of 100000 population.
Nine boilers produce steam at a pressure
of $50 pounds to the square inch Part
of the steam is diverted to six auxiliary
turbo-generatOr sets in different parts Of
the ship, which produce electricity for
all purposes aside from propulsion.
It is the belief of many persons that
electricity is a source OF power which
merely needs Harvesting to produce re-
suits, Independent of coal and oil This
Is not true, for an electric ship burns
fuel in much the same way as the older
types of engines. The California and New
Mexico burn oil exclusively and accom-
plish their ''coaling" through a six-inch
hose. Their oil capacity is 1900 tons, but
the saving is great, fer it has been dem
onstrated that it amounted to nearly 20
per cent
BETTER PROTECTION
THAN OTHER WARSHIPS.
The California is estimated to have 80
per cent better protection than any other
American battle ship. She carries twelve
fourteen-inch guns, four submerged tor
1pelo tubes, twenty-five two-inch rapid
Ere guns, four six-pounders, two one
FOUNDERS, four three inch anti aircraft
guns, one three-inch landing. gun and two
thirty-caIiber machine guns. Two firing
cages located in the huge steel mast di-
rect the work of the guns, which have a
range of eighteen miles, and one broad
side, from which could hurl six massive
touring cars from Sandy Hook into New
York City.
The California viii have a crew Of
lO22 men and IS officers. She has a
length of 624 feet a breadth Of So feet
and weighs (displaces) $1,000 tons. She
has an estimated speed of q knots per
hour.
The West Virginia. Maryland and other
superdrea dnaughts being planned and
under construction are to be similar In
practically many details.
One OF the single apprehensions ex-
pressed in the beginning by naval off
GERS was that the shock OF gunire might
prove disastrous to the electrical install
Lation. especially the insulators, cable
supports and instruments firing test
was made by discharging all OF the four
teen-inch guns broadside at the same in
slant. Careful inspection revealed the
aact that not a single failure or derange-
meat occurred in connection with the en-
tirefSystem.
ThA weight of the electrical propelltng
machinery is less than GOO tons, and the
space occupied is comparatively little In
the center Of the ship, where 1t is I'M
mune from attack and from danger by
collision or grounding.
ELECTRIC DRIVE TO BE
MORE EXTENSIVE.
Now that the electric drive has proven
to be clean, economical, safe and efftc-
lent, 1t will be tested on cargo carriers
and passenger vessels, and there is nc
doubt but that 1t will revolutionlze the
field of marine activity.
Two nineteen-knot passenger vessels
propelled by electrical machinery, are tC
ply between San Francisco and -Loi
Angeles In the spring. The hrst electri
cally propelled trawIer in the world Ii
being tested in New England waters
She is known as The Mariner and il
stauneh enough to wearther the STORM
est fishing trips in the North Atlantic.
Two 1,600-ton coast guard cutters arr
in building and are to be QUILTED will
electrical propulsion. They are the larg
est ever ordered for the service One
may De placed on the great lakes FOL
duty, and the other is designed to b.
a derelict destroyer.
The recent coal strike gave added i'm
petus to the movement to make fuel oil
the ship propeiling power OF the future
The arguments In favor are the reduc
ton In the cost Of operation, the siz
OF the crews, the elimination of Goa
stokers and the release Of much cargC
space that is now given over to coal
Dirt and other discomforts attending
the loading and use of coal are don
away with, and uniform steam pressur
is more easily maintained. ,insuring I
steady rate of speed and reducing tn
degree OF deterioration of furnaces am
boilers resulting from uneven tempera
lures.
The pioneers Of the electric drive ar
SO convinced of it's superiority. that the!
believe vessels without it viii prove I,
be objects Of as much curiosity in tim
to come as the quaint sailing craft o
bygone DAYS is to the present genera