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Marine Smoke Abatement Successfully Effected HE two and one-half year history i fe the Marine Smoke Abatement association of Hudson county, New Jersey, should be of more than Cas- ual interest to all operators of float- ing equipment ... for two good rea- sons. It saves money and it is win- ning public favor. In the early part of 1931 the ma- rine departments of the ten trunk lines terminating in the metropolitan area were confronted with smoke ordi- nances which they were not organized to comply with. They were not “armed” to fight smoke. On the other hand, groups of metropolitan home- owners were organizing in an active way to see that the laws were en- forced. Consequently, month after month, railroad marine departments found fines becoming a regular ex- pense, and still no concerted attack had been made on the problem itself. About this time Stevens Institute of Technology and Hudson county be- came “partners” in a drive to elimi- nate smoke. The idea was to attack it with engineering knowledge. A re- search department, headed by Col. Elliott H. Whitlock, Cleveland, was set up at Stevens. A department of smoke regulation, staffed with engi- neer-inspectors, was installed as part of the governing body of Hudson county, to teach fuel users how to abate smoke. Marine Department Interested At this point the representatives of railroads saw their opportunity, and in April, 1931, came the birth of the Marine Smoke Abatement association of Hudson county. Under their own initiative the railroads joined hands with the Stevens smoke research de- partment and the county engineers to get rid of smoke by better com- bustion. The various representatives of the railroad marine departments set a regular monthly meeting at Stevens Institute to consult with the Stevens research department and the county department. Since that time marine operators have steadily reduced smoke; by get- ting better combustion in the fire-box. By means of experiments, followed by actual installations of air jets over the fires, changing grate areas, “spac- ing” or “timing” the firing of green fuel, alert, organized supervision . the foremen have educated their forces well toward the ultimate goal of com- plete combustion. They have reduced smoke by 70 per cent, based on the reduced number of violations noted by the engineer-inspectors of Hudson county. (A regular monthly aver- age of 250 observations are taken.) Fuel costs have been lowered. Fines have been practically eliminated. Pub- lic good will has taken the place of public animosity toward the railroads. Greater operating efficiency has gone hand in hand with better combustion and reduction of smoke. The success of the Marine Smoke Abatement association, originally con- sisting entirely of railroad interests, has brought new marine operators into the fold. Now large steamship com- panies and towboat companies are sending representatives, usually the port engineer or the marine superin- tendent, to the monthly discussions at Stevens Institute. The Marine Smoke Abatement association, because of its success- ful venture, invites the consultation of marine interests of other ports with a view to a satisfactory solution of this problem through proper organization. Increased Business Seen The New England Steamship Co. which operates the Fall River line, the Providence line, the New London line, and the New Bedford line, late in May completed arrangements to handle a large number of passen- gers on its various services during the summer season. Passenger fares have been substan- tially reduced for the 1933 season which promises to be one of the best in the company’s history. Automo- bile rates have been reduced and in some instances will represent say- ings of as much as 25 per cent. The various vessels of the New England Steamship Co. are equipped with big sideports for the handling of uncrat- ed automobiles. The company has noticed a marked increase in the num- ber of cars taken along by passen- gers for tours in New England. Long Record of Service for North German Lloyd UST under 10,000,000 people have voyaged across the North Atlan- tic between Europe and America in the 75 years since the first North German Lloyd steamer, the BREMEN, sailed out of the Weser river on her maiden voyage to New York, June 19, 1858. On this trip the BREMEN, a three- masted steamer of 2687 tons, car- ried 22 first class and 93 steerage passengers. She arrived in New York July 4, 1858. These 115 voy- agers were the vanguard of a total of 9,998,100 passengers who have crossed on Lloyd liners in the three- quarters of a century following. Dur- ing this period Lloyd liners have made 8253 round trips across the North Atlantic, aggregating a total of 66,998,140 miles covered. The first Bremen was 302 feet long and in addition to her sails was equipped with an engine of 700 horse- power. She could carry 400 passen- gers and her crew numbered 70. The express liner of today, the fourth vessel of the Lloyd line to bear this name and the present holder of the “blue ribbon,’’ has a gross ton- nage of 51,656. She is 938 feet in length and has a beam of 98 feet. Her turbines develop 110,000 horse- power. She can accommodate 2200 passengers and the crew numbers 1000. As reported more fully in an- other item in this issue the BREMEN recently broke her own previous east- bound record establishing a new mark of 4 days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes, against the 15 days of her ancient predecessor. STEEL THAT IS MAKING HISTORY: First cargo of steel to be shipped entire- ly by water from Chicago to New Orleans by the Lakes-to, Gulf deep waterway consists of 1200 tons of steel sheet piling produced by the Inland Steel Co., Chi- cago. The piling is for use in the La Fruita dam, La Fruita, Tex., for Corpus Christi, Tex. The contractor is J. L. Simmons & Oo., Ohicago and Decatur, Ill. The shipment was handled by the Illinois River Navigation Co. MARINE REVIEW—July, 1933 27