The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-06-03

say-that is, they must pass the
stationary parts at the exact tiny
fraction requisite, and the exact
amount of fabrication needed for
this can be learned only with time,
since new machinery, as it works,
throws off infnitesmial showers of
steel particles.
1t is most unlikely that on the
Majestic, as on Kipling's sea hero
me, the bottom plates will com
plain of unforeseen strains or that
the upper deck stringers will cry
out resentfully at the mid-Atlan-
It's heaving, so unlike the Mer-
sey's or the deck beams shrek to
the capstan, you didn't wiggle
this way in the shipyard!" The lit
tie riyets will not have to plead,
by the thousand, Hold on" nor
experienced steam to shout
A"Hush"! to the whole talking
ship. For the process of finding
herself will not be for the Males
tic like that necessary for a YES
sci Of 20 years ago, as Mr.. Gibbs
pointed out. "While there are ex-
pensive joints, and the ship must
nave elasticity and learn a good
deal of give-and-take, the crucial
point with such a steamer is the
machinery. When the Majestic's
engines are all working smoothly
she will be seasoned for the
ocean" That can't be done by
trial trips, even in the North Sea.
And trial trips these days, you
must remember, are a far more ex-
pensive undertaking than they
were in times of simple machinery
and no electricity. 1t would
hardly be practicable to take the
Majestic across the ocean three
times for the sake of getting her
engines in tune before she was
put into service! But at the end
of her first "trip the engineers
knew just how many knots she
could comfortably do, and under
what conditions"
Here it is interesting to recall
that while the Majestic's engines
were rated By the builders as cap
able Of developing $4,000 shaft
horsepower at 1870 revolutions, yet
on the vessels trial trip it was
found that they developed about
10000 shaft horsepower at 1870
revolutions.
Consider how many of them
there are to learn their tricky
chorus and sing all their undimin-
ished and augmented scales to-
gether in tunel First, four sets
of ahead turbines and four of re-
verse, attached to four shafts and
driving quadruple screws. Then
the engines that drive the great
retigerating plant to make the
ships ice and preserve 900 tons
of meats. Third. the engines of
the mighty electric generators,
bearing the heavy responsibility
OF providing light for $4,000 bulbs
and of running seven elevators;
all the deck machinery including
and hosting apparatus;
the pumps and complex signalling.
devices; 1000 fans, telephones,
and push buttons, and not to be
ignored, the Hat irons of the valet |
and the curling irons of the Golf E,
feur. Why, little too much stiff
ness in one Of the Majestic's en-
gines might interfere with mar
eel,
Vast indeed, the machinery that |
drives this Armanda-in-one, and |
the central sources of its motion
are the 48 boilers, fed by 240 /
fires. There is no stokehole on
the Majestic. No Hairy Apes
shovel, in dirt and darkness. |
Those 240 fires are fed by oil that
spurting through a tube as fine
Is the point of a lead pencil, ex
Dands with a spiral motion in the}
raging hot fire chamber. Oil,
creating steam, is the source of
he energy Of the moving ship. Att
% knots the Majestic will use
500 tons of fuel oil a day to
lrive her 5000 tons of machinery.
There are 5000 gallons of oil in
he tanks to be used for lubrica
ion but nobody yet knows just
What the ships consumption will
)e. The Olympic uses 80 barrels
lay, but it is expected that the
Majestic may prove to be more
economical. Her oiling system
needs to be changed only occa-
:ionaIly for the lubricant is used
1ver and over again. But the life
If the oil and the consequent rate
If renewal cannot be determined
until the Majestic has made a /
loyage or two.
So with all the changes in
that have come since
iipling told US how a ship must
ind herself, it still takes more
han christenin' to make ship"
Ter engineers must cultivate her
.cquaintance-the Majestic's sew
.nty have been on board since
Ianuary-but it's the Atlantic that