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- TAE Marine ReEvIEw _ "IN THE MERCHANT. SERVICE" Fresh from the ship yard, the latest addition to the fleet was lying at her. berth across the dock, and some of the engineers of the old Alroma had gone over to have a look at the new ma- chinery. They had gently refused the assistance of the new ship's First, who was making preparations for spending the evening ashore, preferring to have a look around at their own sweet will. ' SSSR SSS WS SS SRS SEs arm. ira ATLA points discussed across the dock. They found fault with the location of the pumps and decided that they were "cramped." The feed check valves also came under their condemnation, and, "would be mighty hard to get at if a joint should happen to blow out.' Someone didn't think she had enough of head room on her middle platform, and an unnecessary amount DT WU MY | na yy bo | j j ; eal ae Da SS WAY 4 ' Hi NU elt ae (I ee is N \" | Bp a Vy =|! NI ny wy --{F ai OQ i A \\ { ° Why A A Sy iY SS .Y , : 2 Ws 4 oS SRSA a ed AL Aeee Te epee PELE L UZ, eT MEX AA 7 Z WZ fe a Ie Af LP bra Z fj Ti Llp WT LS, Ta ULF SPA SALT) Ff Zi ae Ty EZ o PTD Wi cs LZ C7 BUTI If Hie rz a7 Fas Hite we {7 Wl (i ay "iN (I Y Weel HENS Putt h TANT ATA --1 ---- j LMU == ee (CATA eet dt | (illu tug alust fae CEcCTCCC HC ATLA CET Ce UAT) AC UCI AUTTCUN CCCUCE ae eed ATTA -- \ i ae ee ee es IT . <= It is hardly proper courtesy to point out a ship's faults to one of her engi- neers--especially as he is probably well aware of them--and it is usually. the faults that such _ self-appointed committees of inspection endeavor to dig up. But that was not their only reason for refusing the pilot. They knew that the First had in bringing the ship round from the yard (with all its attendant worries) probably seen enough of his "job" to last him a little while, and was glad to escape to parts. where strange unexpected noises with the accompanying hur- ried inquiries for the First could be heard not. On their return to the Alroma they aired their views to those who had remained behind and re-discussed the THEY HAD BEEN OVER TO SEE THE NEW MACHINERY. below, and, in fact, could have done with her grating about a foot lower. There were several other features not in keeping with their views of how an engine and boiler room should be de- designed, and they discussed them Bile ; "Well," ventured a junior making his maiden trip, "it seems funny to me that, if the ship has all the faults in her machinery you fellows mention, the engines can't be designed to rec- tify these mistakes. I should think that the men who design the general layout of the machinery ought to know something of the practical end. Why, when Brown and I were fix- ing that joint in the donkey house at sea, I recollect Brown saying that the man who designed the pipe line ought to'be made to €at it"" "Yes said Brown, "that's right about that pipe line, and it is only one instance. Take as another, our smoke-box doors. I've 'been on ships where the door was in two sections, with a small door held by two catches at the eo the 'catches being at- tached to the casing. To clean the box, all that was necessary was for the fireman to knock out. the two catches, rake out the ashes, and push the door up with one hand while he knocks the catches on with the other. One man--one job--one 'min- ute. Here, you muster all the spare men with every available fire tool. You knock up all the catches, which are attached to the door, but one. Probably when you knock up the last catch the vibration causes one or two of the others to fall back and lock. Eventually you somehow. get the door open and the ashes pulled out-- and the real trouble starts. You line up the men on an average of 'one man to each catch, carefully raise the catches ready to fall into position, and, with one combined effort, slam the door to. Of course, the first few times you will find that a catch- has fallen' a fraction of a second too soon, and you make numerous fresh Starts... The 'air is thick with fire tools, dust and language. Eventually you get the door closed and catches right, and find that the steam has dropped a pound or two. One job-- six men--six minutes." : "Yes"? remarked the third, "and you neglected to mention that the men who are supposed to be firing have eased up temporarily to watch the fun and admire your flow of epithets. Look at the many systems there are of getting ashes from -the boiler rooms overboard and how many could do with considerable im- proving. The last old hooker I: was on had the usual winch attachment on the main deck, the ashes being heaved up through the ventilator. The skip- per sent down word one night that the passengers objected to the coal _ passer's signal to heave up--the sig- nal consisting of a portion of slice bar being brought in violent contact with the lower end of the. ventilator --and advised the passing of- the word. As was to be expected, this plan didn't work altogether , satisfac- tory. It is out of the quéstion to ask a coal passer to call gently up a 50- foot ventilator, so the next night or two the passengers had to listen to the oe