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dropped. "cargo 504 Launch Turbine Liner Messrs. Cammel, Laird & Co, Ltd, into the water at their Birkenhead, England, shipbuilding and engineering works, in December, 1919, a large twin screw passenger and steamer for the South American service of the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. She was given her trial trip late in September. The vessel, named Oropesa, is of the following dimensions: Length, 552 feet; breadth molded, 66 feet; depth molded to shelter deck, 45 feet; gross tonnage, 14,500 tons. She has a loaded displace- ment of 24,000 tons and is designed to steam at a speed of 14% knots per hour at sea, when loaded to a mean draft of 28 feet. A cellular double bottom extends fore and aft and is subdivided into numerous winches substantially fastened to the deck by girders. A large specially de- signed crane is fitted on the forecastle head for working the anchors when required. : The coaling for the ship is done by means of large coaling hatches on the boat deck which extend to the bunkers and 'tween deck holds. Four steel der- rick posts are fitted with two 3-ton steel tubular derricks attached to each for working the coal, power being sup- plied by the four 8 x 12-inch boat winches. The new vessel is fitted with two powerful warping capstans and two spe- cial fairleads for working the ship when going through the Panama canal. The main machinery consists of two sets of Parsons double reduction geared steam turbines of the latest improved type, driving twin screws. Each set of PACIFIC STEAM NAVIGATION CO.'S LINER OROPESA watertight compartments which are used for carrying ballast, fresh and reserve feed water. Fresh water tanks are ar- ranged also alongside the shaft tun- nels. Accommodation is provided for 143 first class, 131. second class and 366 third class passengers. Second class passengers are accommodated in state rooms at the aft end of the upper deck. Third class passengers are accommodat- ed in state rooms under the forecastle and upper decks and in open berths at the fore end of the upper deck. First class passengers are quartered on the shelter deck amidships. Single berth cabins with cot beds are a feature of this accommodation. Cargo is handled by means of steel tubular derricks fitted to the masts and four special steel derrick posts, two forward and two aft, giving two 10-ton and two 5-ton on the main mast, four -10-ton and four 5-ton on the fore mast, four 5-ton on each of the after posts, two 5-ton on each of the forward posts. The cargo is worked by 11 8 x 12-inch turbines consists of one high pressure, one intermediate, and one low pressure turbine, coupled to the main shaft by means of double reduction gearing; com- pound astern turbines of the impulse reaction type being incorporated in the intermediate and low pressure casings. Propeller revolutions at full power will be about 95 per minute, while the turbine revolutions will be 3500 per minute for the high pressure and intermediate tur- bines and 1800 per minute for the low pressure turbines. The main condensers are suspended from the low pressure turbines and are designed for a high vacuum. The main thrust blocks are of the Michell type and the twin propellers have bosses of cast iron with separate blades of manganese bronze. There are four double-ended boilers of the cylindrical marine type working at a pressure of 190 pounds per square inch. Each boiler has eight furnaces and the boilers are designed for natural draft: Z20ME MARINE REVIEW { November, 1920 Analyzes Rhine Traffic Shipping possibilities on the Rhine are analyzed in a recent report of the American consul at Coblenz, Germany. The Rhine is navigable, for at least two months of the year, for over 500 miles, or as far upstream as Basle, Switzerland. Except for occasional winter floods and very rare ice jams it is open throughout the year as far up as Mannheim. Sea- going vessels of light draft (9 to 10 feet) operate up to Cologne. Before the war some 60-of such vessels called regularly at Cologne, but now only about six vessels make that port. The swift, shallow nature of the Rhine compels the use of strong tug boats and barges of light draft. Thus upstream to St. Goar, a 1000- horsepower tug draws about four barges of a total of 4000 tons burden, From St. Goar to Bingen, count of the swift current, only two such barges can be towed by tug. So in the vicinity of St. Goar and Salzig, barge tows are split up and extra tugs used. From Bingen to Mannheim the same tug tows six or seven barges; from Mannheim to Strassburg, the river being very shal- low (only 2 meters) only three barges make a convoy; from Strass- burg to Basle, only one barge at a time is towed, and this only in June and July. The river from the sea is without locks or other --hin- drances to navigation. The bridges, which are rather numerous, have am- ple. clearance tor the craft. .at present operating on the river except at very high stages of the water. The depth of the river fluctuates considerably. In the summer, the water at itimes falls so low as to require that barges be loaded to about 60 per cent of their capacity. In winter, the high Basle to the water stops all navigation on ac- count of the impassability of the bridges. Ice appears to be a _ neg- ligible factor in impeding navigation except in conjunction with the floods. The velocity of the current varies considerably in various, portions of the river frem 1 to 5 miles per hour, depending on the width and depth of the stream. The average upstream speed is about 3 kilometers per hour. For example, it takes about 15 days for a barge to navigate from Ant- werp to Coblenz. From Duisburg to Mannheim the time occupied is. eight to 10 days, or about ..70 steaming hours. This section of the river is the one mostly used for freight trans- portation. The Rhine has a number of canals and streams flowing into it, which si Ra a Shi on ac-. - i 4 ; 2