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IN THE ENGINE ROOM. IT PAYS TO COVER STEAM PIPES. Albert Haacke has fitted up an apparatus for measur- g the amount of heat lost by radiation from steam ‘pipes, and has published thé results of some of his first experiments. The tests were directed to determine the relative losses of heat from (1) bare pipes; (2) pipes cov- ered with one inch of composition, and (3) pipes cov- ered with one inch of composition and three layers of hair felt. The testing surfaces consisted of three cast iron steam pipes of five inches internal diameter and six feet long, with blank flanges on each end. Those ‘test pipes are supplied with steam that has been dried, and are placed so as to be subject to radiation and con- vection under precisely similar conditions, one being bare, the other covered with composition one inch thick, the third with one inch of composition and three layers - of No. 3 felt, each one-half inch in thickness. The re- sult of experiments with steam in the different pipes under pressure of from 45 to 60 pounds upwards goes to show that a covering of composition one inch thick saves out of a possible loss of 100 per cent as much as 83.57 per cent, and if over this covering 114 inches of hair felt with canvas is added, the extra saving is only 8.25 per cent. If one pound of coal is required to evap- orate eight pounds of water into steam of 60 pounds pressure, then 6% cwt. of coal are required every year to make good the loss of heat from every square foot of uncovered steam pipe. This loss is even greater in winter, or when pipes are exposed to cold air, or where steam of high temperature is used. — Improvement Bulletin. STEEPLE COMPOUND MARINE ENGINES. There are numerous small steam craft doing business on salt water in which one of the ‘‘pretty’’ but lightly built compound yacht engines is somewhat out of place and a useless extravagance. We refer in particular to the all around, steady going, hard-working and money producing boats that require substantial, easily op- erated, condensing machinery; the economical kind that can be relied upon at all times with absolute certainty; boats for general utility and continuous service, in which cargo space, fuel space,and even passenger room is of especial value. fe For such craft in particular is this Steeple Compound Engine designed and built by the Marine Iron Works, Chicayo, as here described and illustrated. The outline sketch (reduced from scale drawing) shows for itself to the engineer and requires no partic- ular explanation from us further than to say that all proportions and bearings correspond with the crank and crank-pin dimentions given in the table. It will be seen that access to the stuffing boxes, be- tween cylinders, is provided for and that the greatest weights to these engines are low down, requirements so manifestly simple, that our only excuse for mentioning them, is the prejudice against the old type of steeple en- gines, that in small sizes, especially, omitted one or both of these very essential features. That perfect rigidity of framework is of importance to any engine of this character is obvious, and this one has it to a noticeable degree, the design alone permit- ting it to a greater extent (sizes considered) than any other form. The high-pressure cylinder is fitted with balanced piston valve, the low pressure cylinder with slide valve, All rods are made from steel forgings and the boxes and cross-head gibs are'the best of bronze composition. The crank shaftis made from a solid block of ham- mered steel, with crank cheeks of liberal proportions, while the disc counter-balances are accurately adjusted to equalize the weights. For general work and with steam pressures of 140 to 160 lbs. the best proportions for propeller wheels on these engines are as given in the following table: THE MARINE RECORD. The larger wheels (in diameter) are for towing. The Marine Iron Works make a line of sectional blade propeller wheels, in sizes ranging from 48 inches to 72 inches diameter; the ‘“‘pitch’”’? or ‘‘lead’’ of these wheels being adjustable (at the time the wheel is built) to meet the exact requirements of each particular case, and fre- quently one hub is fitted with two sets of blades, one set being for heavy work, such as towing, freighting, etc., the other set for speed, or cruising, as the case may re- quire; a sufficiently convenient arrangement for many ‘boats, to more than offset the higher first cost of such wheels. Very thorough and yet simple arrangements are pro- vided for taking up the wear, and even the minor wear- ing points receive the same careful attention that is given to the most important parts. The oiling devices are so arranged that every part of the engine may be STEEPLE COMPOUND MARINE ENGINE. BUILT BY MARINE IRON WORKS, CHICAGO, conveniently lubricated while it is rnnning full speed. The ample bearing surfaces and rigid proportions for easy action, insure long life. EMPEROR WILLIAM of Germany, on Feb. 28 gave an audience to Col. Ludlow, Military Attache of the Ameri- can Embassy in London, who has been inipecting the Corinth and North Sea Canals. The meeting was in re- sponse to an invitation from the Emperor, who request- ed Col. Ludlow to come from Kiel to meet him. He is receiving every facility at the disposal of the military authorities in the pursuit of his mission of inspection and is the recipient of the exceptional courtesy and honor of being permitted to inspect the artillery drills, the military school, and, in fact, all.of the details of the German Army. DIMENSIONS. iameter of Height above | Diameter above | castat? Diameter of Pitch of Wheel. No. ey nee Segal - timbers. Crank Shaft. nee pe Wheel. y— 5 yaa 2% inches. | 24 x3 34 to 37 inches. 48 to 54 inches. : 3 oat 8 5 ft. 6 inches. 4 2 inches: ’ °*| 4 x5 | 44 to 46 inch: -. 56 to 60 inches. BR 8 —14 10 5 ft. 10 inches. 4% inches. 66 to 72 inches. | 52 to £6 inclie-. 44%x5% a THE CASE OUTWARD-THRUST PROPELLER. Mr. A. Wells Case, of Highland Park, Conn., is the patentee of ‘‘Case’s Perfected Outward-Thrnst Propel- ler Wheels.” During three years of severe tests, Mr. Case has come in contact with the best propellers made in this country, and on vessels that had previously been subjected to extensive propeller tests. The very naimes and characters of the firms that are now the makers of his wheels—the Harlem & Hollingsworth Co., the Gas Kogine & Power Co., S. F. Hodge & Co., the Globe Iron Works Co., The Lockwood Mfg. Co., Kast Boston. Mass., The Atlatitle Works, Hast Boston, Mass., the Bertram Engine Works Co., the Maryland Steel Co., and the Marine Iron Works, Chicsgo—some of them previously makers of famous propeller wheels—show that real merit is inherent in the Case propellers. In a circular just at hand Mr. Case says: “I have no hesitancy in predicting that the first steamer crossing the Atlantic in five days will do so with the Case wheel.”’ Results justify this confidence, There may be some division or opinion as to whether or not the steam yacht Vamoose is the fastest vessel of her kind afloat, but there is none who disputes that she is one of the fastest. Last year the Case wheel (Model D) made a run of a knot in 2 minutes 2114 seconds on the Vamoose. The Case propeller was 10% seconds faster than one of the other wheels, and 14% faster than the other, ; The lake steam yacht Bonita, owned by Mark Hop- kins, has, itis said, had as many as thirty different types of propellers tested on her. Before permitting Mr, Case to try his propeller he was required to agree to defray all costs of the experiment, inclusive of dock- ings, and taking off and putting on propellers, unless he gave an increased speed of 1% per cent. His wheel made 5 per cent. greater speed. It has been paid for, and is still on the Bonita, Instances might be multiplied, with similar showings. The crack steam launch Glad Tidings, of Alton, Ill., carries a Case wheel which beat the best one furnished to that boat up to that time, and her owners write that the Case wheel backs faster than any other they-ever tried, also. The owner of the launch Idlewild, of Syra- cuse, N. Y., reportsa gain of 2 minutes 57 seconds with a Case wheel, in a5-mile run, over the one that was previously on that launch. The owner of the Vanita, of Woburn Mass., tried the Case wheel on his boat, and declared it to be a ‘‘dandy,’’ sending a check in settle- ment even before he had made comparative tests. The Toxotes, of Hartford, Conn., made about 50 minutes better time on a run of 58% miles with a Case propeller than she had ever done with other wheels, and her owner writes Mr. Case that he thinks he can do better yet. The owner of the Boies, of Des Moines, Ia., says the Case propeller on his boat gives him more speed than ever able to get from other wheels, and Messrs Clay & Torbenson, of Gloucester, N.J., on July 16, 1895, wrote to Mr. Case saying: ‘'We have just finished the test of the propeller wheel, and find that your pro- peller was eight seconds faster than our own in a one- mile run.’’ A similar gain on a run across the Atlantic would reduce the time by six hours forty minutes. In the whole domain of marine engineering nothing is so alluring, either to experts or amateurs, as experi- ments with propeller wheels. No single equipment of a steamer has had more patent grants granted for it than for propellers. And yet the Case wheel throws all the- ories to the winds, says that the rearward thrust is me- chanically and scientifically unwise, in that it is not against solid, but against receding water, whereas with the outward thrust the resistance is always against solid water, and the cant of his propellers toward the hull instead of from it, or forward instead of abafta perpendicular line (as will be noted inthe illustrations in the advertisement on page 11) are so radical, and yet so successful, that the experts are completely non- plussed. qx +> + ae San Francisco M. EK. B. A., No. 35, has chosen officers as follows: President, George R. Kingsland; First Vice President, Thomas Malcomson; Second Vice President, Frederick Nixon; Recording and Corresponding Secre- tary, Wm. Warin; Financial Secretary, Frank Bragg; Chaplain, Edward Bradley; Conductor, Joseph Dolan; Doorkeeper, Wm. Wiggins; Outer Doorkeeper, Chas. Schoppe.