The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

XY BSS SS Trial T Tip: of a fabricated Eight, Vessels Delivered by World's Largest Shipyard Make Satis- factory Trial Trips--All Are Oil-Fired and Operate Economically IGHT of the type-A cargo vessels EK built at the Hog Island shipyard -have been placed in commission, and the ninth is practically ready. The performance of these vessels has brought forth considerable favorable comment. This type of boat is 7500 deadweight tons in size and they are being assigned for operation upon the tramp principle. In measuring the performance of the Hog Island boats, therefore, they should be compared with the ordinary tramp vessel of commerce. . Tis yard is to build a second type of boat which is larger and which will be somewhat differently equipped, but it is not ex- pected any of the latter type will- be ready for lisé until next fall.- In the meantime the 7500-ton boats will be turned out. rapidly and just as speedily assigned to private shipping lines for operation. The SaGaporack is considered typical of the first of: the boats produced at the yard. who looked her over, she is about as good a boat as could be expected from the class of labor which the yard is now able to obtain. The results of the: tests made upon her trial trip therefore are considered to be a fair measure of the vessels which the Emergency Fleet cor- poration is obtaining. Efficiency Tests' Are Made The dock trials of the SAGAPORACK were completed on March 19 while she was moored to pier B in the wet basin at Hog Island. The following morning 'she was taken out for her light trial. She left the dock at 7:44 with the aid of two tugs, headed down the Delaware river and started her speed test at 8:30 that morning. 'The minute the speed test was started tests of efficiency were made of all the auxiliary machinery, the steam from the general boilers being used for this purpose. Even the fire- hose; was tiiened-on:.and.-the decks flushed, the steam winches worked, etc. Each boat of the A-type. built at Hog Island has 10 steam winches on its main deck for the working of the cargo derricks. Upon the start a light air from north northeast arose. This was not sufficient, however, to affect the speed of the ship, although the tide was strongly in her favor. The weather was ideal in every , respect throughout the trial. Upon her outward trip, the SAGAPORACK -- main- ~ According to the surveyors. -with mechanical oil burners. ~has two: settling tanks, 'board and the other to port. side of the tanks, tained a speed of 12.9 knots per hour. She was drawing not quite 13 feet of water. All of her tanks had been filled to give as much weight as possible but the displacement was extremely small. With a normal load, it is estimated, she will draw 24 feet of water. The type-A boats, such as the SAGAPORACK, are 7500 tons deadweight and measure 401 feet in length. They are propelled by a Curtis steam turbine 'on a single screw. The turbine is 2500- horsepower. On the light trial trip the propeller was making approximately 94 revolutions per minute, which was suffi- cient to speed the vessel to near 13 knots. The requirements are for 11% knots. Furnaces Are Oil Fired The vessel is equipped with boilers, each of which has a_ natural draft. capacity of 150 pounds. boiler room, however, is equipped with two fans to induce forced draft. To maintain the maximum speed it is -pos- sible to operate on two boilers and the on all three boilers without The furnaces are equippeu The vessel one to. star- fafis,. OF the - fans. boiler room. The pumps on. the star- board side pump the oil out of the and pumps placed on her port side pump the oil into the tanks from the' double bottom of the vessel. By this arrangement an adequate supply of fuel is assured at all times. A double system of pipes is used, This permits the use of the superheated steam for the main unit, the propulsion 'machinery, and ordinary steam for the auxiliary machinery. The whole may be switched off and ordinary steam used for the propulsion, just as is desired. The vessel is completely self-sustained. It can pump fuel oil from a barge lying alongside through its own power. Pumps are installed for this purpose. Water- tube boilers are used. Extra tubes are carried and it is estimated that a new tube can be inserted within an hour without loss of speed to the ship. In the colder climates, Texas fuel oil looses some of its fluidity and it would be difficult to pump through the pipes. The Sacaporack is pumped into the oil to make it easy to handle. The whole of the engine 219 three ae therefore equipped with a radiator and steam is and boiler rooms are largely self-sus- taining. The hands of the crews never come in contact with the oil and the work consists chiefly in keeping a watch on the gages and making slight adjust- ments. Throughout the trial five inspectors from the Emergency Fleet corporation were aboard. Beginning at 10:30, after the engines and machinery had an op- portunity to get slightly heated and accustomed to being worked, thermom- eters were placed around in all con- ceivable places. Delicate instruments . were adjusted and every temperature and the force of every draft was reg- istered. The, SaGaporack carries 1100 tons of oil as bunker. This gives ker a steam- ing radius of 10,000 miles under full steam. It was estimated that at sea she will make about 10 miles on one ton of oil normally. : Some important tests were made of the boilers by the inspectors. The an- alysis of the flue gases showed CO? 12.4, 04.9, and CO nothing. The furnace temperature was found to be' between 2400 and 2500 degrees Fahr. The tem- perature of the gases passing from' the boilers was found to be 880 degrées Fahr. m the top first pass, 660 degrees in the middle pass, 575 dégrees in the third pass, and the temperature of the escaping gases was 515 degrees Fahr. The oil consumption then was 365 gallons per hour. The temperature of the steam was 475 degrees, and but 90 per cent of superhéat was being used. The steam pressure was 196 pounds. "All Machinery Was 'Tested. All machinery on board was worked, including the condenser to supply the slack of fresh water which may become present on board the ship at sea at any time. Similar tests and temperature readings were taken on the turbines, gears, etc. The propeller, it was esti- mated, had made an average of 90 revolutions per minute. After taking her steamer time at 8:30 in the morning, the SAGAPORACK was run at full speed ahead for six hours: At 10:23 Reedy island was passed and at 11:30 she started the - turning test. The helmsman ported the helm to 30 degrees. The ship swung' the complete circle of 360 degrees in 5 minutes and 56 seconds, while the propeller made 517 revolutions. The