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i i i M. S. Seminole—Double Acting Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Diesel—Converted at Todd’s Tietjen & Lang Plant M. S. Seminole With D. A. Diesel — Made Good Speed on Sea Trials vessel to be dieselized in the gov- ernment’s conversion program, started off in the early morning with nearly 150 guests aboard for her offi- cial sea trials. Eight or nine hours later she returned to the Brooklyn army base having set a new speed record for this class of converted ship. The day was fine, being sunny, warm and calm, with a slight haze. Calculations based on a run of about two hours gave a speed of 13.6 knots. At the end of the trials it was announced that the vessel had attained a speed of 14 knots, which is a new high record for converted vessels of her class. The hull and auxiliary equipment is similar to that of several previous vessels of the conversion program which have been described in MARINE REVIEW. The deck arrangement dif- fers somewhat because the SEMINOLE is a freighter without passenger ac- commodations. The chief distinguish- ing feature is her main power plant, which is a double acting two cycle diesel engine of the M. A. N. type, built: by Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co., Hamilton, O. This is the first large M. A. N. type of diesel engine to be put into marine service in this country and is believed to be the largest double acting marine diesel engine in operation in the American merchant marine. QO: OCT. 27 the SEMINOLE, latest By H. R. Simonds The history of the development of this engine is a record of unusual busi- ness courage and initiative coupled with exceptional skill in design and construction. Some credit for the achievement must go, of course, to the German builders of M. A. N. diesel engines and much credit is due the shipping board officials who backed the American builders. Henrik Greger, chief engineer of the Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co., is responsible for adapting the design from the original. As to just which man had the first idea that it would be well to build large marine M. A. N. type engines in this country is difficult to say. It TABLE I General Characteristics of Vessel Length over all, ft., ins Hength: + Bi-Ps- Ps it nse Beam molded, ft., ins Depth molded at side to shel- ter deck, ft., ins Displacement at normal mean load draft, Gross tonnage, Net tonnage, U. S load draft, Normal ft., ins. Deadweight in tons on mean load draft Bale capacity, not including deep tanks, cu. Capacity of deep tanks—salt water, tons Capacity of fuel oil tanks, tons Normal speed, service condi- tions, knots mean MARINE REVIEW—December, 1927 is known, however, that officials of the Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co. conferred with officials of the ship- ping board in 1923 and that during that same year representatives of both of these organizations were in Europe studying diesel engine design. In 1924 the Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co. secured from interests in Germany license to build large M. A. N. type diesel engines at their plant in Ham- ilton, O. Contracts with the shipping board followed. A remarkable fea- ture of the negotiations at this point was the fact that the prospective build- er had no plans to show nor any precedent to point to in the manu- facture of diesel engines. The work of building these new diesel engines started at Hamilton without any hub- bub or excitement such as might have been expected. No new department was created and little new additional equipment was added. Gradually the new engine commenced to take form. The greater accuracy required in the construction of certain parts of the engines over the accuracy called for in many stock products of the plant was readily secured. Experienced ma- chinists, told to work to 0.001 inch instead of 0.01 inch as in the past, calmly met the new requirements and seemed to share the manager’s eager- ness and enthusiasm. At length the first of the new en- gines, the one which is now in opera- 25