Evening star., 1925-02-09
HEAVY WINDS FAIL
TO STOP ROT0RSH|P
FIettner Device Makes Head.
way Where Sails or Motor
Would Have Failed.
- BY JAMES b. WHARTON.

BY JAMES b. WHARTON.
By Cable to The Star and North American
Newspaper Alliance.
HOLTENAU, Germany, February 8
Con Board Rotorship Buckau).-
After a rough three-day passage the
rotorship Ruckau, rotoring across the
Baltic, dropped anchor Off Holtenau.
at the mouth of the Kiel Canal, at
5 o'clock this afternoon.
Although winds were savage and
adverse during the entire voyage,
the ship was able to make consider
able headway by tacking. 1t demon
strated it's seaworthiness and proved
itself able to utilize wind power
which could not have been used with
sails. Capt. Peter Callsen and Frenz
Cont, F1ettner's representative, each
said they were satisfied with the
ships performance on this first stage
of the voyage from Danzig to Scot
land.
Engine Power Used.
Thursday evening, Immediately
after rounding the promontory of
Hela, a few hours from Danzig, the
Buckau encountered strong westerly
head winds that necessitated running
under combination power rotor and
Diesel motor. Even with dual pow
er, the speed the first night never
exceeded four knots. Without the
combine ed power it could have made
virtually no headway. The Diesel
motor alone could not have driven
us forward through the heavy sea
and winds. while an ordinary sailing
vessel would have been compelled to
heave to. With rotors alone, accord
ing to Capt Callsen, we might have
gone ahead at a speed Of one or two
knots an hour.
During the first night, and all Fri
day, the Buckau pitched and rolled
in wallow of heavy seas. Many Of
the crew were seasick, including even
the cook. veteran of 20 years in
various ships galleys. The seas piled
over the main deck. washing the
piles of lumber dashed fast there.
Friday night the wind died down
from 21 meters second to 10 meters,
and the seas abated somewhat, with
the result that we were able to make
about five knots Saturday morning,
and as high as seven yesterday and
today.
Obliged to Tack.
Due to head-on winds, we were
obliged to tack, just as a sailing ves-
sci in the teeth of the wind, during
the entire voyage. 1t is approx
mately 320 kilometers from Danzig to
Holtenau, but we covered probably
third again that distance by reason
Of our zig-zag course. The rotorship,
however was not obliged to take as
sharp taCks as it's canvas forerunners.
The strangest sight aboard this
strangest craft is trimming" the
rotors. When the wind is from port
the rotors must revolve clockwise, and
when from starboard, counter clock
wise. 1t is generally possible to con-
troll the rotors by a small wheel on
the bridge, connecting with the cleo
trio rotor motor, but twice, due to
the cold. it was necessary to pipe the
crew on deck to change the direction
of the rotors by hand.
The speed Of the rotors has varied
between 40 and 110 revolutions per
minute. A slight rumbling of the
two great towers is always audible,
while the vibration, unlike the pound
ing of steamer engines, is just per-
cepttble but not bothersome.
The Backau will lie in Holtenau
for two days for the installation of
wireless, prior to crossing the North
Sea, which is looked forward to as
it's real test.
Copyright. 1925. United States, Canada, ia
pan and south America. by North American
Newspaper Alliance. Copyright, Great Britain
by the Manchester Guardian: in Sweden by
Dagene Nyfeter; in Germany by Rudolph
Mosse.)