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224 spared, when far bigger and more im- portant interests are endeavoring to secure a fragment of the attention and assistance that the navy hogs for it- self. Tue Marine Review is desirous of obtaining for a subscriber copies of THE Marine Review of Sept. 6, Sept. 20, amd Oct. 4, 1906. The sum of $1 per copy will be paid for these issues. NORTH GERMAN LLOYD STEAM- ER GEORGE WASHINGTON. The steamship George Washington of the North German Lloyd line ar- rived in New York on June 20. She is the largest German trans-Atlantic liner afloat. 'The George Washington is con- structed as a first class twin-screw THe Marine REVIEW even though two adjoining compart- ments should fill with water, the ship's stability would in no wise be affected, The bulkheads are constructed in ac- cordance with the rules of the Ger- manic Lloyd and are so strong that one-sided water pressure can easily be withstood. Two separate stairways are provid- ed for all rooms below the saloon deck, between every two water tight bulkheads, making it possible, without disturbing communication, to keep all bulkhead doors below this deck closed during the night or in foggy weather, adding greatly to the safety of the ship and its passengers. Of the 36 water tight doors, 11 below the water level are equipped with the Lloyd- Stone closing device, first installed on the steamships of the North German Lloyd and now adopted by every great line. This device enables the doors to be closed by the simple turning of July, 1909 hydraulic pressure, it may be shut by hand. Other safeguards for the ship and passengers are a bell system for fire extinguishing purposes, with 14 alarm bells leading to the main quarters of the crew; a complete alarm bell sys- tem, with 30 bell stations for the ship and engine room system; a fire report- ing system, with 18 fire alarm stations scattered over the vessel; and subma- rine bell signaling wireless apparatus. She also has Welin davits for launching life boats. The George Washington was built in the yards of the Stettiner Vulcan at Bredow. Her dimensions are: Length, 722 ft. 5 in.; beam, 78 ft..; depth from upper saloon deck, 54 ft.; depth from awning deck, 80 ft.; speed, 18.5 knots; displacement at 33 ft. draught, 37,000 tons; gross registered tons, 27,000; H. P., 20,000; cargo capacity, 13,000 tons. < NortH GERMAN passenger and freight steamship with keelson and flat keel, vertical stem, elliptical stern and bilge keels. The vessel is equipped with a water tight double bottom, extending the entire length, divided into 26 compartments. Twelve water tight transverse bulk- heads, all reaching to the upper deck, and some even to the upper saloon deck, divide the ship into 13 water tight compartments, so arranged that a wheel on the bridge deck. These doors may be closed and the ship practically hermetically sealed within 15 seconds. Hydraulic power closes the doors, but in order that the cap- tain and the ship's officers may know whether or not a door is closed, there is a diagram in the chart house, and as each door closes a small incan- descent light flashes up. Should, for any reason, a door not close by the Lioyp LINER GEORGE WASHINGTON. THE YEAR'S SHIP BUILDING. During the year ended June 30, 1909, 1,362 merchant vessels of 232,816 gross tons were built in the United States and officially numbered by the bureau of navigation compared with 1,506 of 538,627 gross tons during the fiscal year 1908, which was the record year of American ship building. This year's output was the smallest since 1898,