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132 THE "ATLANTIC GREYHOUND." By Frank A. SmiTH, SIxTH ENGINEER of S. S.. LusiTania. HE average passen- ger crossing the Western Ocean in our express trans- Atlantic liners is little aware of the debt they owe to engineers for their ability and untiring energy in placing at and maintaining under 'their disposal all conditions such triumphs of ma- 'rine architecture in speed and comfort 'as we have today. The days of the well-decked and hurricane-decked there is Powadeys. from ship builders. The fast ships steaming across the "Atlantic at 25 knots per hour are 'nothing wonderful, seeing the im- mense power applied to their four _ Screw propellers. Suppose the vessel had not steamed at that high rate of speed, then there would have 'been something to wonder about, and a _ power loss to account for; the result 'Is a.mere matter of Cito. and nothing more. steamers are past; The question is frequently asked: why 'build these floating palaces; and is it necessary to drive them iat such a speed? Comparisons are odious, 'but the following will illustrate: Take the four-wheeler cab that is seen in the streets of our large cities, dragged along iby a quadruped that has seen 'better days and driven by a biped looking equally miserable, at a pace of say five miles an hour, and the fare demanded is in keeping. Take again a carriage drawn by a pair of spanking horses doing their utmost in speed, driven by a dashing coach- mian; then the express speed has to be paid for. Just in the same way is the so-called ocean tramp steamer a comparison with the ocean greyhound. So long as passengers are willing to pay handsomely for express passages and increased comforts, the shipowner will always come forward to meet their requirements; it is all 4 matter of business. Distribution of the Crew. The crew of one of the fast ships number over eight hundred, viz., deck department, 70; steward department, $50; engine department, 384. Taking this into consideration and the value 'Of the ship, the mails, and a- full complement of passengers, having something more demanded > dashed by the. The MaRINE REVIEW command is no sinectre, and all on board wish the commander well and a speedy journey across the Atlantic. At certain times of the year more or less fog prevails, which causes great anxiety, and at these times the question of risk has to receive the most serious consideration. With ev- ery attention exercised to discover and avoid danger, and fitted with the most improved detector bells and electric sounding machines, the vessel, al- though going at a high rate of speed, is under perfect control, and thus diminishes danger of accident to all those "who go down to the sea in ships." : The navigating officers who charge of the bridge and deck, ceive their early training on 'board other ships, and passing in all the different grades, ate qualified to take a command before entering the com- pany's service. In winter months, posted on the bridge sixty feet above the sea level, exposed to all weathers, take re- driving into the storm in the watches their straining eyes sleet and wind, the officers of this section of the mercan- tile marine exhibit courage and valor OL as° heroic' a. character as* 'ever adorned the pages of history; and that gentlemanly courtesy which is by no means confined to the -drawing rooms of the wealthy. The catering department have to cope with the stupendous task of looking after the gastronomic welfare land accommodation of upwards of three thousand souls, providing the food for' several nationalities in a manner that compares favorably with the most fashionable and _ best equipped hotels. ofthe night, Examining the Engine Room. One day is set apart for the passen- ers tO exatmine thé heart' of 'the mystery of these speeding monsters and to enter the sacred precincts of the engine room--one huge "box of machinery. Steam is generated in 25 boilers of the Scotch type, placed in four separate water-tight compartments or boiler rooms. The boilers are fitted with Howden's improved forced draft, and consume 1,000 tons of coal per day. The coal has to be passed from the 'bunkers' which line the sides of the ship to the furnaces, which number 192, This department gives employment to a class of men which is a case of "survival of the fittest,' a matérial at times very difficult to handle, and when handled successfully, so much to the good. The work done (by these 'gineers; supplying air June, 1909 men is most hazardous; smoke, dust and sulphurous atmosphere to labor in, and no one knows he is on board ship until the stokehold is seen. ft must be remembered that firemen and coal trimmers are much like other men; they cannot accomplish much more work than the majority of other workmen and are not altogether the underground savages that some people appliarently consider them. The crew under the chief engineer are divided into three watches, i. e., four hours on duty and eight hours off' duty. Compare the turbine engine of to- day with the compound engine of a few years back. We will take a com- pound engine of say 5,000 H. P.; the complement of engineers were seven; 14.000° He: Py 'eomplement' 10 en. twin-screw 28,000 H. P, twenty-two engineers; present day, 70,000 H. P., thirty-one engineers. So much for the turbine of the present time, the largest plant afloat. Again, supposing reciprocating engines were used developing the same horsepower, the lubrication for the internal rub- bing surfaces would have to be used in such quantities, that it would be a great danger to the heating surfaces of our boilers, even with the best known filtering apparatus for the feed water; such a plant on board ship would be impossible to run with the minimum of risk in comparison with the turbine. Papers have been read recently by our foremost engineers which show that, taking into consideration the displacement, speed and consumption of coal, there is nothing to compare with the turbine for this class of ship and that this type of motor has come to stay. Duties of the Chief Engineer. The chief engineer is held responsi- ble for all the machinery on 'board. Apart from the main engines, the auxiliary miachinery includes the fol- lowing: windlass gear for heaving the anchor, capstans, warping engines, winches and steering gear, refrigerat- ing and condensing plant, air, circulat- ing, feed, fresh water, sanitary and other pumps, and miles of piping of all sizes. The electric plant alone is capable of supplying power sufficient for a town of 20,000 inhabitants. Fans to the different parts of the ship for ventilating 'purposes are all motor driven, and the air be- ing regulated in temperature before entering the compartment, serves the double purpose of being used for both heat and ventilation. This system also comes under the chief engineer's