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M. S. Tampa—First Shipping Board Freighter converted from steam to diesel—Anchor test, Hampton Roads Va., Nov. 8, 1926 M. S. Tampa Performed Well On Her Sea Trials VER two years ago the United QO States shipping board by au- thority of congress began a program of converting 14 steam cargo vessels to diesel drive. In due course contracts were signed for building 14 main drive diesel engines for as many ships. Due to failure of one of the engine builders the present program calls for the conversion of 12 ships. The first of these converted vessels to be completed was the M. S. TAMPA. Without preliminary trials at sea, with her regularly commissioned crew on board and with 50 invited guests besides many representatives of the shipyard, engine and equipment build- ers, this vessel completed successful sea trials on Nov. 8, 1926 off Hamp- ton Roads, Va. The day began clear and mild with a light sea run- ning. Guests of the shipping board gathered at Old Point and were taken out to the Tampa lying at anchor in Hampton Roads on the Newport News. Shipbuilding Co.’s tug IDEAL. Leaving her anchorage at about 10 a. m. the M. S. Tampa made a run of 105 nautical miles, due east to Cape Henry then southeast, then north to Cape Charles returning to Old Point at about 6:00 p. m. The average revolutions per minute dur- ing the trials was 98.3 with a brake- horsepower of exactly 2900 and a BY A. H. JANSSON speed of 18.22 knots. The average indicated horsepower was 3970. The draft forward was 8 feet 6 inches and the draft aft 19 feet 5 inches. She had 800 tons of fuel, 1400 tons of CAPTAIN R. D. GATEWOOD ballast and about 150 tons of stores on board during the trial trip. The fuel control valve except for short periods while Professor Lewis 15 of Webb Academy was making tor- siograph experiments to check criti- cal speeds between the lowest (28): and highest (100) revolutions per minute, was left in the same position during the entire eight hours of the trial run. On account of the late- ness of the hour in returning to Old Point and as a number of the guests were bound for Washington on the steamer leaving at 6:30 p. m. most of the maneuvering tests were omitted, though the main engine was reversed from full speed ahead to full speed astern eight times during ihe trial. Engine Operated Perfectly It was a remarkably — successful trial throughout. No untoward in- cident happened. The TAMPA sailed that evening for Savannah where she loaded cotton for a voyage to Bremen thereby immediately rendering a valuable service to Southern cotton growers now in a desperate plight for ships to move the cotton crop due to shortage of tonnage on ac- count of the British coal strike. The performance of the TAMPA re- flects great credit on the Worthing- ton Pump and Machinery Corp. de- signers and builders of the main propulsive unit, the first American double acting diesel engine in the first of the 12 vessels to be completed.