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S.S. President Hoover Exceeds Guarantee on Sea Trials ITH a top speed of 22.2 knots W an average of 21.558 knots for the five high runs during standardization trials off Rock- land, Me., June 18, the S. S. Presmpenr Hoover exceeded her guarantee by over one knot. This ship, with twin screw turbine electric drive, is the largest and highest powered merchant vessel thus far built in the United States. The sea trials, including complete stand- ardization runs, are the most extensive ever held for a merchant ship and the results in every respect were highly satisfactory to the owner, the Dollar Steamship lines, and the builder, the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. With a total of five hundred in crew, observers, and guests, the S. S. PrrEst- DENT Hoover sailed from Newport News, Va., at five a. m., June 16, ar- riving Rockland, Me., Wednesday eve- ning, June 17. The standardization runs were held over the measured nautical mile on. Thursday, June 18. Twenty runs were made, five of which were at high speed. The average of the top speeds was 21.558 knots at 141.48 revolutions per minute and 31,050 shaft horsepower with the ves- sel ballasted to 26 feet mean draft at a displacement of 24,400 tons. The highest speed was 22.2 knots at 143.36 revolutions per minute and 32,823 shaft horsepower. She made her guaranteed speed of 20.5 knots with something over 3000 horsepower to spare. On the return from Rockland, an eight hour trial at sea was held at an average speed of 20.86 knots at 26,495 shaft horsepower with a fuel consump- tion of 0.676-pound of oil per horse- power per hour for all purposes. The standard method of the United States navy was used in determining the fuel consumption. After the eight-hour trials at sea with one generator in use, the vessel operated at a cruising speed of 16.5 knots plus, developing 11,000 to 11,800 shaft horsepower at 101 to 104 revolutions per minute. Full speed ahead, reverse to stop and full speed astern, a figure eight at full speed with helm hard over, were some of the maneuvers carried out. Both bow an- chors were let out to 75 fathoms. The vessel arrived off the Capes at midnight on Friday, June 19, and docked. at the shipyard at 8:00 a. m., June 20, after what was generally con- ceded by all on board to have been one of the most thorough and satisfactory sea trials of a merchant ship thus far held in the United States. Among the guests and observers on board were J. Harold Dollar, Mrs. Dol- lar, and Mrs. Keith Ferguson; W. L. R. Emmet, Eskil Berg, and Charles Scott 22 of the General Electric Co., builders of the machinery; Captain Roger Wil- liams, vice president, in charge of the trial; J. B. Woodward, assistant gen- eral manager; C. F. Bailey, engineer- ing director; J. F. Nichols, chief engi- neer, and H. F. Norton, naval archi- tect of the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.; J. H. King of Bab- cock & Wilcox Co.; S. W. Wakeman, vice president; H. R. Gould, general manager; Hugo P. Frear, consulting naval architect, and John Burkhardt, chief engineer, of the Bethlehem Ship- building Corp. The American Bureau was _ repre- sented by Capt. C. A. McAllister, presi- dent, and David Arnott, chief surveyor. ‘Vice president and commissioner, E. C. Plummer represented the United States shipping board, Capt. L. Westdahl, ma- rine superintendent, and J. Bullock, superintending engineer, who _ repre- sented the owner in the building of the ship, were also on board, as were Capt. F. E. Anderson and Chief Engineer Frank Littlefield, who are to take over the new ship when she goes into con® mission. Capt. A. T. Wright (CC) U. S. N., superintending constructor at the yard, and Capt. O. L. Cox, U. S. N., bureau of engineering, represented the navy. The trials were conducted by the Shipyard, and Capt. Jos. I. Kemp was in command. N. Christiansen, super- intendent of machinery at the yard, was in charge of machinery. The ship will be delivered about July 11, and will sail on her maiden voyage from New York to Manila, via the Panama canal, Los Angeles and San Francisco, on Aug. 6. The PResmENT Hoover was launched on Dec. 9, 1930, recorded in an article in the January issue of Marine RrE- view. A complete article and a full report of the trial will be published in the August issue. New Liner Makes Record The Canadian Pacific liner EMPRESS OF Briratn docked in Quebec, June 22 from Southampton and Cherbourg with a list of distinguished passengers who had just made the fastest cross- ing of the Atlantic ever recorded by a passenger vessel. She tied up at her dock in Quebec in a _ total elapsed sailing time of 4 days 12 hours 30 minutes. She averaged .26.22 knots. Capt. R. G: Latta, asked by report- ers what he had to Say about his fast crossing, remarked, “There is no need for me to Say anything, the Empress has said it for herself.” Chief Engineer Harry Donald was MARINE REVIEW—J uly, 1931 equally modest. “We have just been 4 treating good machinery with re. _ spect,” he said. “We are running the engines in easily, and still have a few thousand horsepower in hand.” On her maiden voyage from South- ampton to Quebec where the Empress OF Britain arrived June 1, she made the crossing in five days, five hours and 42 minutes, an average Speed of — 22.638 knots. Sale of American Diamond Line Is Authorized Acceptance of an offer to purchase the American Diamond lines received from the Black Diamond Steamship Corp., New York, present managing operators of the line, at the rate of $16.25 a deadweight ton was author- ized by the shipping board on June 3 under certain terms to guarantee per- formance of conditions set forth in a certified ocean mail contract cover- ing the route. The total price to be réceived for the line is $1,660,181.25, which is to be payable 25 per cent in cash and the balance over a period of seven and one-half years, with inter- est at the rate of 444 per cent payable semiannually. The American Diamond lines com- prise freight services between North Atlantic ports of the United States and the Continental European ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. There are 12 typical cargo vessels aggregating 102,165 deadweight tons. Under the contract of sale the owner will be re- quired to make not less than 72 round voyages a year of which 24 will be semi-monthly sailings from New York to Rotterdam, 24 will be semi-month- ly sailing from New York to Antwerp, and the balance will be semi-monthly sailings from north Atlantic ports of the United States other than New York to the foreign ports named. The price agreed to for the line is predicated upon the performance by the purchaser of considerable im- provements to the character of the vessels maintained by the line. These improvements ‘are stipulated in the certified ocean mail contract cover- ing the service and will consist pri- marily in the construction of five 16- knot passenger-cargo steamers during a 10-year period, and the reconstruc- tion of five of the existing vessels to give them a speed of 13 knots. This would involve an outlay of many mil- lions of dollars before the building program would be completed. The sales contract with the ~ shipping board, however, will specify the price for the line will be at the rate of $28.65 a ton in the event that the im- provements are not made. American shipping passing through the Suez canal in 1930 de- creased in all categories, as com- pared with the preceding year. PS eee ne Fe eee Ra rey