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38 venting the formation of a ring of empty spaces." We intended to represent this diagrammatically, but our artist who went out for a minute shortly after being given the assignment has not come back, and we are advised that he has developed alarming symptoms of dementia. However, of course readily understand what is meant. The doubtless that in those instances referred to the scoffer will suggest performance must have been somewhat but nothing will some people. To be sure, Joest in 1841 and Maudslay in 1848 anticipated H. R. H. but their failure was only to be ex- indifferent, pected in as much as they totally failed to grasp the ring of empty spaces, and besides they were not grand dukes. Why, the good ship Seidlitz, fitted with one of these propellers and driven pre- sumably by Seidlitz powders--but what's the use? THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE FLORIDA'S BOILER IN- STALLATION. The controversy which has arisen over the bids submitted for install- ing the boilers of the battleship Flor- the navy yard, involves two entirely dif- ida, now building at Brooklyn ferent types of water tube boilers and is interesting in that it compels the the seemingly just claims of the newcom- navy department to recognize er in the field of battleship equipment. One type has to its credit battleship service extending over many years in the navies of the world, and has practically been the only type of wa- ter tube boiler installed.in our heav- The other type has been successfully op- ier ships in the past few years. erated on torpedo boats, destroyers, and a monitor of the navy and has rendered satisfactory service wherev- er afforded an opportunity of doing so, That the builders of the latter type of boiler are capable of coming up to specifications there can be little doubt; past experience and record would point that way. Their offer, also, to furnish a bond to indemnify the gov- ernment in the event of the failure our readers will - convince THe Marine REVIEW of their boiler to accomplish all that is required of it would demonstrate their confidence in this capability. On the other hand, the navy depart- ment can, to a certain extent, be ex- cused for preferring to equip the new $10,000,000-battleship with boilers which have had the opportunity of proving their efficiency on ships of this type, although this logic is much in the same lines as that of the old lady who sternly ordered her boy not to enter the water until he had learned to swim, It is a matter of record that the cost of installing the older type of boiler on the Connecticut was $3.91 per sq. ft. of heating surface. interesting to note that the bid for the Florida contract set the cost at $3.76 per sq. ft. of heating surface. In comparing the figures of the compet- ing concerns a difference of $69,000 in cost and about 200 tons in weight of installation is shown in favor of the newer type. Hence it would ap- pear that, everything else in the bids being satisfactory, only the desire to avoid innovations in battleship equip- ment ,would excuse the ignoring of the lower bidder by the board of construction. It is claimed for the lighter boiler that it strongly resembles the Yar- row boiler, now much in favor .with the British admiralty. Both are of the semi-vertical type and have two sets of tubes leading direct into the steam drum. In the American boiler there are a greater number of rows of tubes to each set, thus absorbing the corresponding heat more thoroughly with a lower stack tempera- In the British boiler the tubes nearest the fire side onty are curved, ture. whereas in the American boiler all the. tubes are curved. Experience has proven that expansion strains are much better provided for when curved tubes the British curved tubes after exhaustive tests with the Yarrow as a straight-tube boiler. are used, navy only adopting There are several advantages with the semi-vertical boiler as compared with the older tubes type equippéd with resting in a _ semi-horizontal Leas: position, not the least of which js its adaptation for higher forced draft, There is also less likelihood of sed iment depositing in the tubes, A comparison of details of construction between the two boilers under dijs- cussion shows that the newer type of boiler has much to recommend it There can be no doubt, also, that the boiler which has enjoyed the confidence of the powers-that-be during the past from an engineer's standpoint. few years has many commendable In opening bids for the equipment of a_ battleship, however, features. the layman could be excused for sug- gesting that, as both types of water tube boiler are known to the officer of the line, satisfactory comparisons of their individual first-hand. There are merits be obtained several types of good water tube boilers on the market, though the builders may not be de- sirous of installing their product on the like. again, should not have a virtual ,mo- battleships' or One type, nopoly of the equipment of the bigger vessels of our navy, due to its havy- ing been tried out over several years This would hardly seem to be fair to the and given' efficient service. others which have given satisfactory of fighting ships or in the merchant service, and service in other classes whose builders are desircus of earn- ing in honest competition some of the money disbursed by the navy depart- ment. SUMMER MEETING OF THE SO- CIETY OF NAVAL ARCHI- TECTS AND MARINE ENGINEERS. Heretofore the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers had held one meeting annually, usually in New York in November. At the last annual meeting it was decided to make a departure from this practice and hold an additional summer meeting, that for this year to 'be held in Pitts- burg or one of ithe lake cities and an expression of opinion from members led to a choice of Detroit. The meet- ing point and the time has been fixed upon tentatively as between June 20 and July 20, but it is hoped that 4 definite date may be decided upon