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j | ; 3 ; 4 1902, | | MARINE REVIEW. 19 can ship yards make a specialty of this government work, or else divide up their plant into different departments. The United States is now the world's greatest exporter, as well as the greatest trading nation on the face of the globe, and yet it has practically no merchant marine engaged in foreign commerce, and the total tonnage of its floating property is only one-fifth of that of Great Britain, and only about equal to that of Germany. Is it not time that American ships car- ried American products to the markets of the world? Is it not time for the American people to protect their export trade by encouraging the building of a merchant marine that will be independent of foreign influ- ences? The American trade invasion is alarming the nations abroad, and foreign legislative methods may be adopted that may seriously cripple our foreign trade. Other countries are fast becoming great producers of food and raw materials, also of manufactured goods, and if Americans are com- pelled to ship their product to the world's markets in their competitors' ships, how great will be the handicap? The time is ripe for congress to substantially encourage the con- struction of an American merchant marine which will control American exports, increase sea power, develop the ship building industry, and make the United States, as a great nation should be, independent, powerful and self-reliant. As its merchant marine increases, so will its foreign markets and the demand for American goods, and as the demand for its product increases, so -does the prosperity of the entire country increase. If foreign markets should be closed today, the result would be a hopeless glut in production, stagnation of manufactures, strikes, panics, and general pros- tration of industries and trade. The prosperity of the United States as a nation depends upon the expansion of its foreign commerce. As before stated, American ship builders need protection only to bring them on even terms with their foreign competitors. American ship owners are handi- capped in operating their vessels just as much as the ship builders are in building them. It is said that the rate of wages paid the crews of the American transatlantic line is 25 per cent. more than the British, whereas the German rates are 32 per cent, less than the British. A well planned ship subsidy bill is essential, for the maritime welfare of the country depends upon it, and the continued prosperity of the entire nation likewise depends upon it. Such a ship subsidy measure, once adopted, would give American ship builders the opportunity that they are waiting and longing for. America has the yards and the men to manage them; give these yards and men the work, the proper kind of work and the required quantity of it, and in a few years, with appropriate legislative assistance and the proper attention bestowed upon its steel markets, etc., the Americans will lead the world as the builders of the best, most eco- nomical and cheapest merchant vessels. Mr. Fairburn believes thoroughly in the doctrine of the survival of the fittest. American ship builders are destined to lead the world in economical construction and output, as well as in quality and originality, but they can never take their true stand until they are given an oppor- tunity to work unhandicapped, and with the same encouragement -and opportunities as are given their foreign competitors. That congress should promptly adopt effective methods to encourage and foster Ameri- can ship building and the American merchant marine, ought to be the earnest desire of every thinking patriotic American. SHIP BUILDING ON THE DELAWARE. Philadelphia, May 21.--The launching of the steamship Nebraskan took place last Monday from the works of the New York Ship Building Co., Camden, N. J. The ceremony was a private affair and only a few spectators were present. Mrs. Henry G. Morse, wife of the president of the ship building company, christened the new vessel. The Nebraskan, which is a sister ship to the Nevadan, is 271 ft. long, 46 ft. beam, 34.8 ft. depth of hold and has a tonnage of 5,500. Her contract speed is 13 knots. The Nebraskan is for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. and is in- tended for the Pacific merchant carrying trade. : : The American-Hawaiian 'Co. has determined to convert all of its ships now in commission into oil burners and will withdraw them, one by one, until the change is completely effected. The experiments in this line with the vessels now under way at the New York Ship Building Co.'s works have been eminently successful. This was notably the case in the recon- structed tanker J. M. Guffey, which is now in service between Sabine Pass, Tex., and Philadelphia. On her trial trip in the Delaware bay and river this vessel made a wonderful showing from a fuel economy stand- point. During these experiments and in those now in progress on the Nevadan, particular attention has been given by the experts to the effect of the oil flames on the boiler sheets and tubes. It is said that with oil fuel there is practically no deposit. The tubes were clean swept after four- teen hours' steaming and it is believed they will show greatly increased longevity under the new conditions. : The auxiliary schooner Apriadne, building in the Harlan & Hollings- worth Co.'s ship yard at Wilmington, is due to be launched tomorrow. The-vessel is a handsome craft, measuring 140 ft. over all, with a water- line of 110 ft, Her beam is 26 ft. and her draught 14 ft. The model of the new vessel is almost the same as that of the yacht Endymion. The Apriadne is expected to make 8 knots under auxiliary power, for which she has compound engines and water-tube boilers, but she will make her best cruising passages under the wide spread of canvas which has been allotted her. On her first voyage she will double Cape Horn on an ex- tended cruise. : The Delaware River Iron Ship Building Co., otherwise the Roach yard, at Chester, Pa., has the keel well down for the new passenger and freight steamship ordered by the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Co. This contract is one that was particularly desirable, not only to the builders but to the entire city of Chester as well. It is a matter of general con- gratulation that the Ward line has returned to the Roach yard for another 'vessel after having abandoned it for so long a period. It is said in this connection that the Roach yard was awarded the contract largely in re- cognition of the wonderful record of the steamship Niagara, built there for the Ward line a quarter of a century ago. This craft was recently over- hauled and marine engineers and ship. builders all over the Atlantic sea- board were amazed that the old steamship evinced so, few marks, of the | Tavages of time,..A notable instance was that of the shaft, no section of - Which has been renewed since it was placed in the vessel's hold,;and her timbers are as sound:as on their first survey. Marked progress is being made at the Cramp works on the new bat- tleship Maine. Contrary to the pessimistic opinions so freely expressed only a few weeks ago, the delivery of armor plate for this formidable craft has been rapid and there has been no material delay arising from this source. The engines and boilers are practically installed and it can be confidently predicted that the builders' trial will have been run before the end of the present year. The Cramp company is prepared to bid on the next contract for battleships and will undoubtedly be represented among the builders., Their present most active work is in finishing up the American liner Kroonland, which is scheduled to sail on her first voyage from New York the latter part of next month. The new Clyde line steam- ship is also well under way and it is expected that quite a record will be made in her construction. - STEERING GEAR FOR TWIN-SCREW SHIPS. Mr. V. de Michele of Higham, Rochester, England, has introduced a new steering gear for twin-screw steamers. It is shown in the accom- panying engraving. Its object is to avoid the:loss taking place due to its retarding effect when an ordinary rudder is used, and also, it is said, to render unnecessary the use of steam steering gear under ordinary sea conditions, Under this system the steersman has control over the admis- sion of steam to the engines, the whole being done direct from the bridge without any signalling to the engine room. It will be seen by glancing at the illustration that the tiller is connected by means of two systems of bell cranks and links to two throttle valves placed in the main steam pipes going to the two engines. The valves are so designed that when they are half open the engines are running at their normal speed, and the gear never closes them so far as to entirely stop the engines. The tiller is split horizontally, the upper half controlling one valve and the lower half the other. Ordinarily when steering these two halves are held together by a ° x ve < ig ts tees < F x . aA \ 4 5 a Zt \ " . ' N ; 1 SRE oe (ol 2 BELL CRANKS 10) 8 | ye 1 oo ' aS ' ' ' ! | I 1 ! ! | I \ ' ' | ' I ! ! | I ' \ \ ' \ ' 1 ' i] ' \ ' ' 1 ' 1 \ \ ' { ' ' ' | ' I | ' ' | ' ' { ! \ . I ey ! ! 1 spon h-t---f------ 4-+4.----4 So es oe > 4 (ens ¢ | Ss i ! Se a { ' A 012; BELL i) CRANKS fo) t be 1 vis | ? te 4 pin dropped through holes in either of them. When the tiller is held cen- trally an equal amount of steam is being given to both engines, that is to say, that the throttle valves are equally opened. If, however, it is moved to one side or to the other, one valve tends to close, and the other to open, with the result, so it is claimed, that the steering is performed with great accuracy. The pin holding the two portions of the tiller together can be removed if required, and then the two halves of this tiller can be thrown over, the one in one direction and the other in the other. According to the way they are thrown, this will either result in the valves being both thrown further open, or both nearly closed, thus increasing or reducing the speed of the vessel. The engineer is to have control in starting, stopping and regulating the engines; the steersman can only influence their running relative to each other. We can hardly imagine, however, that the proposal is likely to meet with approval from naval engineers. To have anyone but themselves altering the speed of their engines is, we think, likely, on the other hand, to meet with their -strongly-expressed disapproval. The new station steamboat New Jersey, now under construction at the works of A. C. Brown & Sons, Tottenville, Staten Island, for the New York & Sandy Hook Pilots' Association, will be launched on May 30. The New Jersey is a wooden vessel built under the supervision. of Capt. John Phelan, the treasurer of:the association, ati;aecost of $75,000. he will be equipped with wireless telegraphy apparatus. The new boat is 155 ft. long, 28 ft. beam and 19 ft. deep. She will have compound engines of 600 H.P. and a speed of about 14 knots. Her tonnage is 520 tons. EE Sip AA SORA IN RSA ER TSG Maen Ye eM Ry OS ah ae