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20 The Marine REVIEW ... -THE 25-KNOT TURBINE CUNARDERS. 'There are herewith presented four views of the great 25-knot Cunarder now building at the yard of Swan. de Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, England, through the courtesy of The Engineer of London, The pic- tures illustrate in a striking way a great ocean steamship "in the making," and in the earlier stages. They also give a fair idea of what the facilities are in an up-to-date modern ship yard provided with overhead electric crane equipment for dealing with the erection and conveyance of material, and with the transporting, and holding of their work, of FIG. I.--MIDSHIP PORTION OF STRUCTURAL CELLULAR BOTTOM, hydraulic and other appliances for drilling and riveting material of the heaviest scantling now worked into merchant ship structures. The covered-in ship building berth on which the great Cunarder is being built at Wallsend is 740 ft. long-- but can at any time be extended to 900 ft.--with a clear inside width of 100 ft. and a height of 144 ft. All the covered-in berths are equipped with numerous electric overhead cranes. The leading dimensions of the vessels are: Length, 785 ft. over all; between perpendiculars, 7eo tt. beam, 88 ey and rn. ZX Ko ae. Ma ra Zo oe a a CZ n> el LL' os ii ea AN ih PO AMAT, 14 oa FIG. 2.--DOUBLE EOTTOM AND SIDE FRAMING FROM FORE END. depth molded, 60 ft. 6 in. They will have accommodation for over 500 first-class, 500 second-class, and about 1,200 third-class passengers. Accommodation will also be provided for a crew of about 800. With a "full complement," there- fore, each of these great vessels will have a population of 3,000 souls on board. The propelling machinery, which is on the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co.'s principle, is being constructed by the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Co., at Wallsend. There will be four turbines driving four shafts, each having one propeller, and the vessels and machinery are being constructed under agreement with the government to attain a sea speed not. less than 24%4 knots. In ordinary Atlantic weather this will enable the vessel to traverse the distance of about 2,900 knots from Daunts Rock lightship, Queenstown, to Sandy Hook, New York, in five days. Should they even fall something short of this performance these Atlantic express steamers will undoubtedly represent the highest attainment in naval architecture and marine engineering. Fig. 1 shows the midship portion of the cellular double bottom of the vessel. The whole of this part of the struc- ture, including the bottom shell plating, is riveted by hy- ia! Le kD weer § 5 a ey = ey aa A Me FIG, 3.--FORWARD PORTION OF FRAMING ERECTED, AND INNER BOTTOM PARTLY PLATED, draulic pressure, and from this view, as well as several others, a good idea may be gathered of the method of carrying out the work, and the heavy tools employed in doing it. The floors with bars attached, having been riveted to- gether, are brought into position by means of five electric overhead cranes with which the covered-in berth is equipped-- and are riveted to the center keelson by means of large-gap hydraulic riveters, these having gaps up to 6 ft. These FIG. 4.--FRAMING OF FORE END COMPLETED, AND BULKHEADS ERECTED, machines are carried by light swinging jib cranes fastened to the columns of the covered-in berth. These swinging cranes are portable, and can be easily transported by the electric overhead cranes and fixed anywhere required. The over- head cranes are, of course, much in demand for transporting and erecting the heavier items in the structure. Fig. 1 in our series, taken in the latter end of November last year, is followed by Fig, 2, taken about the middle of February this year, which, besides showing the double bottom, also shows the side framing erected. Taken from the fore end this view also shows portions of the stem bar in position. Fig. 3,