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428 built in the engines, and _ have a tube surface of 7,200 sq. ft. and on trial a vacuum of 28 in. was ob- tained without difficulty. An auxiliary condenser of the Wheeler type with a cooling surface of 1,000 sq. ft., and air and circulating pumps attached is also installed. The propellers are of the four-blad- ed 'built-up type, the hubs of semi- steel and the blades of bronze. The diameter is 14 ft. 9 in., with a pitch of 14 ft. 3 in., and a developed area of 66° sq. it: - The installation of pumps is as fol- lows: Two circulating double suction centrifugal pumps with 12-in. suction and discharge and driven by an 8 x 8 in. engine. Two air and bilge pumps attached to low pressure crosshead ot main engines. Two vertical simp!ex feed pumps 14 x 10 x 24 in. One vertical duplex fire pump 10 x 7% x -12 in. One vertical duplex ballast pump iz x 14 x 12 in. duplex sanitary and fresh water pump, Sy x 4344 x 5S in. Two evaporators of the Griscom- Spencer type are installed, one for feed make-up and the other for drink- THE 2 iv" N earlier articles reference has been made to the waste of money in the building of departmental colliers. Seldom is such complete and sat- isfactory proof available as that which is now at hand in connection with this subject. As early as April, 1908, the Review called attention to the clamor of the navy for more colliers and the delay in proceeding with the construction of the two authorized four years earlier and at that time not yet even launched. The appropriation for the two was $3,1000,000. The department was at that time asking for $7,000,000 to build four more of 7,000 tons capacity each. The Review claimed that three bet- ter ships could be built for the money the navy was spending on one. A month later the department secured authority to purchase three ships of 7,200 tons capacity at not over $525,- 000 each, practically the figure set by the Review. Probably no one was more surprised than the department at the promptness with. which bids were re- ceived offering to build the three ships for considerably less than .the limit *See introductory note in August issue. One vertical. "Tre Marine ReEvVIEw ing water. In connection with the evaporators is a distiller of the same make. The electric installation consists of one generating set of 15 K. W. cap- acity, 125 volts direct current. This is direct connected to an:8 x 6 in. single vertical engine. The ship is wired throughout on the two-wire system with enameled steel conduit. An 18-in. 8,000-C. P. search light is located on the flying bridge. There are 135 16-C. P. lamps fitted through- out the ship. An examination of the drawings will show an exceedingly simple and suitable design admirably adapted to the intended purpose, and in fact for bulk freighting in any trade. They probably foreshadow the ore ship of the Atlantic coast, as with slight mod- ification as to hatch spacing and ex~ cepting for the bulkheads, they would work well under the same type of rig as is employed so advantageously on the great lakes ore docks. The engines are of an unusually simple and pleasing design and, as well as the entire ship, as the REvIEW November, 1909 takes pleasure in testifying from per- sonal inspection, bears all the evi- dence of first class workmanship. The keels of all three ships were laid Oct. 5, 1908. The Mars was launched April 10, 1909, the Vulcan May 15, and the Hector July 3. De- liveries were made to the govern- ment Aug. 28, Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, which, as will ibe seen, is well within the time fixed in the specifications. On the 24-hour trial the Mars main- tained an average speed of 12.6 knots, the Vulcan 129 knots, and the Hec- tor 13 knots. The of first views the navy-built fleet colliers Vestal or Prometheus so far published are also presented herewith. It will be noted that in comparison the Maryland Steel Co's design loses nothing in respect of simplicity and business-like appearance, and_ further comparison with the plans published in the September Review will only make satisfactory explanation of the enormous disparity in cost more diffi- cult, though the handsome. appearance of the Bureau design will be freely conceded. NAVAL WASTE placed. by congress, and in September, 1908, a contract. was made for . the three ships at a total of $1,470,000, or $490,000 each, .with delivery not ex- ceeding 14 months for all. Now mark the result. The first ship was delivered in August, 1909, the second in Sep- tember, and. the third and last in Oct- ober, before the two government-built ships authorized in 1904 are ready for sea, As a matter of interest it may be noted in passing that according to the monthly summary of construction issued by the bureau of construction and repair the Vestal, building at the New York navy yard, advanced one- tenth of one per cent in six months.* Superiority of Private Design. It will hardly be necessary to invite attention to particulars in order to dem- onstrate the superiority of the private design for the purpose intended. That the design makes for cheaper con- struction is not to be 'denied, but it is infinitely better for the purpose and the ship will not only last just as long as the bureau design but will cost *In the September number of the Revirw are to be. found plans and description of this ship and her sister, the Prometheus and elsewhere - will be found plans and descrip- tion of the three colliers built under contract. much less for maintenance and will carry and handle her cargo for a fraction of the cost. Moreover, the coal handling apparatus will clear out the cargo holds of the contract design to the last ton, while the wings of the after holds in the bureau design can- not be cleared without shovelers, The one is modern and up to date and the other is antique. Note the tabulated comparison : Bureau Private design. design. Cost Come Shin): 66... 5k $1,550,000 $490,000 ime: building 0.4.0. 3... o4 years 11 tol3 [months Cargo «capacity. tons...... 6,400 7,200 ee Ger IO eee eek $242 $68 Displacement, loaded, tons 12,500 11,220 Ship, percent of total, inc. HCl oe oe 53 28 Grew itotal 232 60 HOpsepOWer = ............ - 7,500 3,800 mpeeds knots sc ee 16 12 fon. knots... per. hour. ..... 102,400 86,400 Coal per hour, Ty Ibs. Mens PP 6 P1250 30,240 Ton knots per ton fuel... 15,930 30,240 Ton knots per ton fuel per dollar investment... 1.00 3.5 Thus to move a ton of coal a mile with the bureau design the cost is 3% times; the interest and depreciation 3% times; fuel nearly double; wages and subsistence four times, as great as in the contractor's design, saying nothing about the difference in time of con- struction, I am not overlooking what will be