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business. It was this line which, in the early days of expansive working, obtained great economy of fuel, a thing much to be aimed at in the Eastern Seas where coal is so dear, by its arrangement of a compound tandem engine driving a single crank, with a fly-wheel on the shaft. An example of this class of engine could be seen in the famous steam yacht, Palais Royal, which, before she was purchased by "the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo" was for many years owned by the Blue Funnel Line. Mr. Holt, it is said, would never admit the use of a patent log aboard any of his vessels, and in other ways was wont to eschew new-fangled ideas. There are, of course, many patents which are of the most excellent and valuable character. But it may be doubted if the old instruments of navigation, which needed time and labour for their use, but which, if properly used, were practically infallible, were not really less like to lead to disaster than some of the elaborate new inventions which are being advertised and pushed in season and out of season, and which may in the hour of danger, fail without warning and prove to be mere pitfalls for the too confiding navigator.

The same company has since purchased the Shaw-Savill & Albion Company's s.s. Tainui, a very fine vessel of over five thousand tons, built twelve years ago by Messrs. Denny, of Dumbarton. She has triple-expansion engines and was one of the finest vessels in the New Zealand trade. Another purchase bas been the old Gallia, to whom I make a reference elsewhere in the present instalment of Notes.

A New Consulting Naval Architect

has established himself in Liverpool within the last few days. This is Mr. George R. Brace, who for many years has been at the head of the drawing office in Messrs. Denny's yard at Dumbarton. He has now determined to start business on his own account, and is opening an office as a consulting naval architect and surveyor at Liverpool, whilst he is also agent for certain well known specialities. A man of Mr. Brace's experience should do well in Liverpool. He has been trained in a good school, and has had experience of good work of every class. In spite of the fact that there are other gentlemen engaged in the same profession in

FIG. 2.

BEVER'S PATENT DUPLEX PUMPING ENGINE. (See page 276.)

The Spanish Transatlantic Company has had a great work thrust upon it in moving the very large number of troops which the Madrid Government finds it necessary to send out to Cuba for the purpose of coping with the rebellion there. The company has, in fact, been obliged to con. siderably enlarge its fleet. For that purpose it has purchased the last of the White Star single-screw cargo steamers. This was during the last days of August. Many months previously it had acquired a vessel which it re-named the Colon. This fact was much discussed at the time, and I certainly saw a picture of the vessel in one of the illustrated papers then. Yet in its issue of the 26th August the Shipping Gazette writes, "Already the chartered Orient steamer Colon has taken a detachment of men." I do not care to dispute whether this is ignorance on the part of the writer in the leading shipping paper, or merely looseness of expression. It may be both. But it would be interesting to be told why the expression "chartered" is used, and when the now-named Colon belonged (under that or any other name) to the Orient Steam Navigation Company. Which of the Orient vessels does the writer mies and imagine that this vessel represents ?

Liverpool it seems a wise choice to fix on the port cn the Mersey. There ought to be plenty there to occupy a nan of Mr. Brace's superior attainments and pleasant address.

The Cunard Company,

though slow perhaps to move until it sees that a policy which has commended itself in former days to its careful judgment is really out of date, always moves with great decision when it has resolved upon a plan of action. In the days when it determined to build big ships first of all, it gave us the Servia, and built her of steel, when other people were content to construct the Alaska and City of Rome of iron. When it made up its mind to outdo other lines in speed it gave us the Campania and Lucania, of fully 50 per cent. more power than anything then afloat. So now, having determined to get rid of the old vessels which have served it so well, it loses no time in carrying out its intention. Another of the older vessels is now reported sold, and she has gone to the Clyde to be dismembered. Then, too, the Gallia is disposed of. But she, of course, has fetched a good price, for she was bought by a concern which is in want of good tonnage, and can pay a

good price for what it wants. The good old ship must rot pass away without a note on her performance. Built in the famous Clydebank yard of Messrs. J. and G. Thomson, she came out at the beginning of 1879, when the Arizona held the Atlantic record, and the Gallia never touched her in speed. But she was a fine boat nevertheless, and a great favourite with passengers. Her power exceeded 5,000 I.H.P., and she made her passages with the utmost regularity. Something about eight days was her average from Queenstown to New York, running o'ten a quarter of a day ese. She had compound engines, but of the three-cylinder type, and her machinery ran with a noticeable absence of vibratien. In her long career she was commanded by several captains whose names will be remembered as long as Cunard's flourish. Captains Cook, McMickan and Haines all had her in turn, but perhaps the name most closely connected with her was the late Mr. Michael Murphy, who died when in charge, though not when at sea. Her career was quite uneventful. On one occasion she broke a blade off the Irish coast when outward bound, and putting back to Liverpool for repairs docked and fitted a new blade, and resumed her trip. On another occasion she broke her shaft when bound east. Her engineers succeeded in making temporory repairs at sea-though they did not get as much credit in the public press for their work as did some of their comrades on another occasion-and the voyage was completed at a speed of about 10 knots. During the last few years the Gallia was taken off the New York line and sent to Boston during the passenger

ships n w and old through his hands, and it is impossible at any given moment to say of what his fleet consists, what it may have cost, what it may be worth, or how it is adapted for the purposes of his business. For this reason I feel it advisable unless I have some inquiry upon some particular point-to leave the constitution of the Furness Fleet severely alone at present. I may however mention that the new company is called "The Wilson's and Furness-Leyland Line, Limited." Its capital is £350,000 in £10 shares. It will thus be seen that it does not altogether absorb the other lines, for their united capital would very largely exceed such a sum as this. It is only a com mon fund as it were for the purpose of joint working in particular trades.

A

The vessels now advertised for the London and New York service, are a very interesting lot historically. There are two of the old Hill Line, one of the more recent Leyland liners, a recent Wilson boat, and another Wilson liner which commenced her career as one of the Royal Exchange Company's fleet. similar analysis might be made of the London and Boston service. The joint services have already commenced ranning, and it is said, no doubt with truth, that vers ls of a class worthy to compete with the Atlantic Transport Company's best vessels twin-screw boats will be provided as soon as they can be produced. The Latest Castle Mail Packet.

On the 4th September, I had a very pleasant craise in the new

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season, and till the present year she held the record on that ronte in both directions. That record has now, as I mentioned at the time, been lowered by the same line's Servia.

The Steamship Amalgamation,

which I referred to as rumoured in the last issue of these Notes is now an accomplished fact. I had wished to give some account of the lines whose fusion has taken place. But I find there are reasons which render this impossible. As I have said, the Wilson Line owned 90 vessels. Some of these are fine and modern boats. Others, though very suitable for the trades in which they are engaged, are of very small dimensions, and an analysis of the fleet, on the basis of that which I made of Cunard's, is therefore quite out of the question, as I should greatly exceed the limits of space permitted to me. Then another reason altogether hampers me in dealing with the Furness Line. That is of comparatively recent origin. It sprang into existence some 15 years ago. Five years ago it amalgamated with the shipbuilding firm, and since that time it has conducted other businesses beside the mere running of ships. Shipbuilders have to build vessels on speculation at times, in order to find employment for their regular staff. They also have sometimes to finance customers, and to take old ships in part payment of new. The ordinary shipowner gets a ship built according to the requirements of his trade, and he runs her till she is, for his purpose at least, out of date. A mixed shipowner-if I may be allowed the expression-does the same as far as his absolute shipowning business is concerned, no doubt. But as regards the other branches of his business, he does as others do in those trades, and the consequence is that there is a constant flow of

mail steamer, Dunvegan Castle. An early start from Fenchurch Street was made for Blackwall, where the liner was lying in dock, surrounded by several other members of the Castle family, and at about 10.30 a.m. we passed out into the river. As we dropped down to the Nore there was plenty to occupy our attention. We passed close alongside the Orient liner Oruba, outward bound to Australian ports, and she brought back to my mind a very pleasant trip of the same character as that upon which I was then engaged, but enjoyed with friends who will never go tria's more. We saw the Atlantic Transport Missouri too, whose appearance suggested the smart rescue of the ill-fated Dunmark's passengers. The weather was clear enough, but there were passing showers, and the attractions of the interior of the vessel held the attention of most of the guests. As, I think, has already been noted in the columns of THE MARINE ENGINEER, the Dunvegan Castle was built and engined under Lloyd's special survey, and in excess of the requirements of their highest class, by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, who have turned out no less than eight vessels of the line. She is just under 6,000 tons gross register; she is, of course, built of steel, and has three steel masts with yards on the foremast only. The vessel is constructed with a long forecastle, bridge deck and pcop. Special attention has been given to the accommodation of the cheaper class of travellers, the third-class passengers being greatly considered. They are berthed forward and their privacy and comfort are cared for in a way which would surprise one who is used to the way emigrants in some other trades are housed at sea. The second-class passengers have a saloon the full width of the vessel, situated in front of the engine hatch. They have every convenience in the way of revolving chairs, pianos

and decorations, whilst their staterooms are practically undistinguishable from those of the first class. Part of the promenade on the bridge deck is reserved for their use. They, of course, have ladies' cabin, and smoke-room. The main saloon is aft of the machinery space on the main deck. It is placed in this position because it is considered more comfortable than one further forward in view of the special climatic conditions of the Cape trade. The apartment is almost 50 feet square, and is panelled in oak. There is a large dome in the centre, and the interior of this and the ceiling of the rest of the saloon are decor. ated in white and gold. This gives a lofty and airy effect which will certainly be appreciated in the tropics. The smoke-room on the deck above is large and also lofty. It is panelled in oak and upholstered in pigskin. There is a well-arranged bar here, communicating with the main pantry by a service lift. The ladies' cabin on the same deck is upholstered in silk, the panelling being beautifully inlaid in the Chippendale style. Here the ladies have for their own use a handsome Broadwood piano. Aft on the poop is the wheel-house, containing the steering gear. This is Brown's steam tiller, with, of course, hand gear as a stand-by in case of any failure. The steam tiller, which is as effective as it is simple and ingenious, is actuated by one of Brown's telemotors in connection with the wheel on the bridge. I may mention here that accommodation for the stewards, including lavatories and statercom, is provided in the poop under the wheel-house. This innovation will be appreciated generally. It will tend to the comfort of a very hard-working and obliging body of men; and it is not nice to reflect as one sits at table in the saloon that this is the sleeping apartment of the ship's servants.

The main staircase is faced by panels bearing the arms and motto of the Macleods, who are the immemorial holders of the Scottish castle from whence the vessel takes her name. In the case of the Dunnottar Castle and the Tantallon Castle, the two ships which immediately preceded this vessel in the Castle Mail service, it will be remembered there were very interesting publications giving historical accounts of the fortresses whence these ships derived their names. A little account was furnished to Messrs. Donald Currie's guests of the old ninth-century fortress which still dominates the northern end of the Island of Skye. It has, in its nearly one thousand years' experience, been associated with much of the history of Scotland, and with many famous men, including the great Rory O'More. It is still inhabited, and so combines historical interest with present com. fort-and comfort is the characteristic of its namesake of 1896. Such men as Dr. Johnson and Sir Walter Scott have in their day dwelt upon its beauties and associations.

Returning to the main staircase, whence I digressed into the historical retrospect, we find at the entrance to the main saloon the pantries and serving-rooms. In the former there is a carefully designed cupboard where bottles of varied contents can be cooled to any desired temperature in the tropics. This arrangement, like an ingenious coffee machine in the serving-room, is the invention of Mr. List, the clever superintendent-engineer of the company, who brings his experience and ability to bear on every detail of the ship, however apparently trifling it may be, remembering always that attention to apparent trifles make all the difference between comfort and discomfort to passengers and crew alike.

Under the bridge deck are houses containing most of the (fficers' quarters, the doctor's dispensary, the barber's shop, fitted with its electric appliances, and the sanitary convenience of the first and second-class passengers. The greatest attention, ›s is desirable in the Cape trade, has been paid to the sanitation of the vessels and the numerous marble baths provided with hot and cold, sea water, and sprays and douches, were greatly appreciated by the visitors. On the bridge deck are the separate promenades for the first and second-class passengers, and a big deck-house containing the 100ms of the first officer and captain, and also a number of excellent staterooms for saloon passengers. Here I may mention that drawers, cupboards, and wardrobes adapted for the stowage of the clothes needed in a voyage of over a fortnight are every where provided for the use of the passengers. Above this deck-house is the navigating bridge with its telegraphs, the wheel house, and chart-room. Above the fidleys are fan engines for the ventilation of the ship. Here I noticed another of Mr. List's inventions-a funnel stay which is always taut, the expansion and contraction of the metal being compensated for by an ingenious arrangement of springs.

The appliances for safety are very complete. The vessel has three complete decks, of which two are steel-plated and wood,

sheated, and has no less than ten transverse bulkheads. On her quarter are slung four boats hanging on davits in the usual way, and secured against booms. The remainder of her boats, including those of the greatest capacity, are carried on the rail of the bridge deck, ready to be pushed outward at a moment's notice. She also has a cellular double bottom arranged for water bailast. Last, and most important, was the visit to the machinery department. The Dunvegan Castle is driven by a set of tripleexpansion engines with three cylinders. The H.P. cylinder is forward, and 38 in. diameter. Then comes the L.P. cylinder, of 102 in. diameter, and aft of that the intermediate, which is 60 in. in diameter. All the cylinders are jacketed and the sequence is believed to contribute to steady running. Certainly the absence of vibration was remarkable. The stroke is 66 in., and the H.P. cylinder is provided with a piston valve. A Joy's assistant cylinder is provided.

Dunlop's governor is in use. It has a small engine interposed between its lever and the throttle. The ship has three doubleended and two single-ended main boilers leading to a single funnel. They are worked under natural draught. There is no donkey.boiler provided. Steam in port being obtained from one of the main boilers. In the auxiliary machinery is a set of three Siemens' electric light engines, and a Hall's refrigerating machine which provides cooling power for four chambers, where Cape products and passengers' food can be dealt with. It also cools drinking water for the ship's fountains. The question of water supply has had Mr. List's serious attention. A large amount of water is distilled for use of the boilers and the ship. She is fitted with Weir's evaporators and feed-water heaters, whilst a feed-water filter of Mr. List's own design is introduced. Here the purifying medium is coke, packed in layers, and laid in trays. The engines indicated 8,000 H.P. on trial, and the vessel's speed was 17 knots. She will average a full 16 knots on the long Cape voyage.

Captain J. Robinson, the commodore of the line, is in command, and was most kind to the company's guests, who after lunch spent the afternoon in seeing over the vessel and playing the fascinating game of tethered ball, which looks so easy till one attempts it oneself. Dinner was followed by speeches, commendably brief, save in the unfortunate instance when a gentleman who was made spokesman for the Fourth Estate emphasised the truth of the remark that the gift of happiness in speech does not always accompany facility in use of the pen Then came a pleasant concert in the saloon, where we found that our company contained artistes of no mean calibre, and then to the smoke-room, for the electric light was not shut off promptly at the hour prescribed in the company's passenger regulations. By the time we adjourned the engines had stopped and the anchor was in the ground near Spithead. In the morning we ran up the Solent, and entered the Empress dock soon after nine. Then to the Dock Station, where special saloons were awaiting us, and so to Waterloo after an all too brief experience of Messrs. Donald Currie's well-known hospitality. It is needless to add that the Dunvegan Castle had a full list of passengers, who joined her later in the day. She is already superseded in the position of the youngest Castle boat, for since our trip the Fairfield yard has launched the Tintagel Castle, first of four sisters for the intermediate service.

Foreign Competition.

The announcement that Messrs. Yarrow are about to transfer a great part of their establishment to foreign lands, where Governments are more appreciative of honest work and ingenuity of design, and where strikes are comparatively unknown, is a matter which-though it affects all my readers-perhaps comes more properly within the province of my Naval colleague. I will therefore content myself with the mere announcement, and remark that we must not, on the other hand, take the flattering unction to our soul that Germany cannot do without us, now that she has determined to treat one of her big twin-screw North Atlantic boats as our Union Company treated their Scot. It is true that the vessel is coming over in the winter to a British dock for the lengthening to take place. But that is only because dry dock accommodation is at a premium in the Fatherland, especially for mercantile vessels. We may be sure that those who built the ship could lengthen her, if they had opportunity. They evidently do not altogether like the prospect of having the work done here, for there is a determination to build a dock on the Elbe which shall, in its area, rival that of which Southampton is so proud.

So probably in a few years we shall lose even the work of docking and repairing the foreign-built express steamer.

New Steamers.

In this connection we may note that, having seen a big cargo boat, big beyond everything conceived (always excepting the Great Eastern) turned out from Messrs. Harland & Wolff's yard, the Hamburg-American Line is going to Messrs. Blohm & Voss, of Hamburg, for a leviathan to keep her company.

Still Messrs. Harland & Wolff seem busy enough, for they expect this December to break their own, and the world's, record for tonnage launched during a single twelvemonth with a magnificent total of 94,000 tons of steam shipping. They have already launched the second of the three "G's" which they have in hand for the Union Company.

The New York Passage.

We have been treated to some very fine steaming this season by the two new American Mail boats. When they get in on ahead of the crack Cunarder we generally hear a good deal about the fact, regardless of the circumstance that the Liverpool passengers leave London some time after the Southampton passengers leave Waterloo, and of the further point as to the Queenstown call for the benefit of the British mails. That the Cunarders are faster is shown by the way in which, whenever opportunity offers, the British steamer draws up to and pass her newer rival. This was very noticeable on the trip which terminated on the 19th September when the Lucania caught the S. Paul two-thirds of the way across, and then slowly drew ahead and passed out of sight. It would be curious and interesting indeed if the relative H.P. and consumption at sea of these two pairs of sisters could be attained by the public. From what I hear, it would be surprising indeed and probably very satisfactory to the Fairfield designers.

A Boon to the Travelling Public

will certainly be given by the new departure of the P. & O. Company. It has already been announced, and indeed it is fairly well known, that the India and China are but the pioneers of a whole family of improved Caledonias. Thus the Bombay service will very shortly be carried out by vessels of a very improved class, both as regards speed, accommodation and size, to those which, even in recent years, have been provided for the Indian passenger. Advantage is to be taken of the sailing of the India on her maiden trip at the beginning of October to inaugurate a call at Marseilles with these vessels. The experiment has already been tried sporadically with the Caledonia, and I presume it has met with the success it deserves. There are several reasons why the move is a good one from the company's point of view, but it is sufficient for the British public to know that it will now be able to get to the winter resorts in the Riviera in well-appointed British steamers instead of stuffy and uncomfortable French railway carriages, and many will no doubt avail themselves of the opportunity of making a P. & O. voyage when the facility becomes generally known, and the certainty, guaranteed by the stringent provisions of the company's mail contract with H.M. Government, of an opportunity once a week each way is brought home to people's minds.

Racing in Narrow Waters.

Lord Colville of Culross and, I think, certain less known people also, have been complaining in the papers of the waves which the great Southampton liners send up in the Solent. The unfortunate nobleman has been as severely handled by the local press as a country editor can handle any one. He has committed the unpardonable sin. He has spoken against the port of the future, or rather, against the foreign ships which deign to use it. He is plainly accused of having written the thing which is not. I am not a votary of Cowes yachting and do not often see liners go down the Solent. So I am not a competent judge of the facts. But I am as well able to weigh the probabilities as anyone else. Lord Colville of Culross holds a position both in the public and in the yachting world which is such as to make one attach great importance to his utterances. Moreover, he opened the ball, and therefore must have had some reason for writing. There must at least have been some suggestion of waves for him to think of airing the subject. Besides, the specific instances he gave can easily be investigated if necessary, and proved no doubt by other witnesses. But I do not think it is necessary. For the point

on which Southampton, by its press, bases its defence will not hold water at all. It says, "We don't raise waves because we have no object in doing so. We count our passages from the Needles, and we don't begin to drive till we get there." There are two answers to this defence. The first is that they like, we may be sure, to get a "flying start." The second is that though they may not, and do not, count their passages from any other start than the Needles, they have lately been trying to say, "We carried our passengers from London to New York-by which they mean Fire Island-in such and such time." Thus the South-Western Railway boasts and advertises the time in which it runs down its specials, and week by week we hear how short a period the mails were in transfer. So that as against Liverpool-which is their great rival-the American liners are really racing inside Hurst Castle and the Needles, and the contention that they have no object in running hard inside those points falls at once to the ground. The German steamers are not such sinners because they are not so keen after beating the through record, and besides, they are kept under tighter orders from headquarters. Lord Colville has done much good by his letter, and the Southampton press might remember that abuse is no argument.

WINN'S PATENT ADJUSTABLE SCREWING STOCK.

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E have pleasure in calling attention to the accompanying illustration of a very compact, simple, and powerful form of adjustable screwing stock, patented and manufactured by Messrs. Charles Winn & Co., of St. Thomas' Works, Granville Street, Birmingham.

The stocks are made in two types, the first with dies and guides for cutting, the smallest size, tubes from in. to in. diameter, the largest size of this type being capable of dealing with tubes from 1 in. to 2 in., while the smaller size of the second type is fitted with dies and guides for bolts ranging from in. to in., the larger size ranging from in. to 1 in. bolts.

As will, in part, been seen from the illustration these Winn's adjustable stocks possess the following advantages over the ordinary form.

The dies can be accurately adjusted and set to suit any variation in the size of the article to be screwed, and as there are no loose parts nothing can be lost, while further, as the guides also are adjustable they can be set to suit the thickness of the tube, being screwed, thus always ensuring a true thread, whether screwing gas, water or steam tubes.

There are no pegs, or projections, on the dies to break off, and being of the chaser type, and in sections, they can be taken out and reground, on any ordinary stone without altering their temper, and can therefore be maintained in good condition more easily than any other type, in addition to which the stock can be worked with less labour than the solid stock.

The dies cut a full thread at one operation, and do not require to be turned back to remove them, it being only necessary to slack back the adjusting collar a quarter of a turn to admit of the stock being lifted off the tube, after which, the collar having been readjusted to the desired indications on the scale, the stock is ready to cut another thread, a simple and time-saving process entailing the minimum of wear and tear.

As will be seen, the handles are hollow, thus ensuring the necessary combination of lightness and strength,

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