Evening star., 1926-05-21

New York experienced new sen
sation the other day when the crowds
lined up along parts of the water
front watched the Baden-Baden slip
into her berth. According to the New
York World the ship looked like
Burbanked product Of a steamship.
Il ferry boat, a yaWl and merry go
round" This new arrival was the
Flettner rotor ship from Germany.
whose novel and original means of
propulsion aroused interest on both
sides of the Atlantic she has so sue
ceSsfully crossed.
THE famous rotor ship, in port
here after q successful 2J-ddy trip
across the Atlantic. is an interesting
scientific experiment. whatever it
may prove 10 be as a factor in practi-
cal ocean transportation. is the greet
ing of the New York Herald Tribune,
which considers that the economic
value Of the device will depend upon
the answers that time and experiment
tatiOn give to the following questions:
"Nill it withstand storms in the open
ocean? How will it's costs compare
with those of steamers or of sailing
vessels having equal cargo tonnage?
above the decks rose for 40 feet
what might appear to be two great
tunnels. We're it not for the closing
of the upper ends, the caps thereon
extending outward like the brim of
a hat" This is the description given
by the Boston Transcript. which, con-
tinuing, says: These towering struc-
lures, the rotors, have been likened
in appearance to seagoing silOS such
as may be seen by the side of many
a barn and are provided. with motors
which cause them to revolVe at q
rate of nearly 100 revolutions a min
ute
AnalyzinG the method by which
the rotors propel the ship. the Quincy
Whig journal refers to that naive
reply made by the spirit in the An
cient Mariner. who. when asked by
his companion as to why the ghostly
ship drove on so fast without wind
or sail, replied. The air is cut away
before and closes in behind That is
about what occurs when the alumni
mum stacks or rOtors are set re-
volving." explains the Whig Journal
The Uniontown Herald points out
that "the principle involved is the
Magnus effect, so called after Ger
man physicist who discovered it as
long ago as 1852. Anton Flettner.
the inventor of the rotor ship, and
already a distinguished marine en-
gineer, has merely applied this we'll
known physical principle to the prob
lem of ship propulsion" says the
Herald Discussing this same Mag
nus effect" the Nashville Banner
quotes the explanation that has been
given as follows: ''Magnus found
out that a cylinder revolving in the
wind exerted power at an angle OF
approximately 90 degrees to the di-
rection of the wind. The amount of
power supplied can be to a degree
controlled by the speed of revolution
of the cylinders" The statement is
simple, but the fact puZzling, as the
Banner acknowledges, saying: "The
oninions and reactions of the crowd
were we'll summed up in the remark
of the pilot. who said: Before / saw
II do this 1 didn't believe it possible,
but now I sure do" and its own
conclusion is that ''the rotor ship
possesses decidedly interesting posi-
bilities.'
The lack of speed shown by the
shin is one of it's drawbacks, accord
inc to comments in the press. Says
the Saginaw News-Courier: These
are the days of speed ana more
speed, and a ship that takes hVe
weeks to make the trip between Ham
burg and New York can scarcely be
expected to be given serious consid,
Grafton as a competitor for traffic,
The Springfield, H., State Journal /,
also. notes that 1.-THE ships progress
was slow, being at an average rate
of 16S miles a day." However. In tne
neriod taken to cross the ocean, lne
Springfield Union observes that the
hest day's run, 2O7 miles, was made
bv rotor" and is of the opinion that
..important improvements will be Ell
fected on this original model to Sc
cure increased speed.
] ECONOMY of operation is noted by