Page:EB1922 - Volume 32.djvu/469

Rh This vessel, 320 ft. long, 3,427 tons gross, and fitted to burn oil fuel, was a great success. On arrival in England with a cargo the holds were found to be absolutely dry. Table XV. gives the total tonnage recorded of vessels of this type.

TABLE XV. Ferro-Concrete Vessels Included in " Lloyd's Register,"

1921-2.

Country

Steam and Motor Vessels

Sai Ves No.

ing sels

Total

No.

Tons

Tons

No.

Tons

United Kingdom

13

4,222

46

31,625

59

35,847

Canada (coast).

I

320

i

320

United States

(sea). .

15

73,894

15

73-894

Denmark

3

2,413

3

2 4I3

France.

3

2,383

I

816

4

3,199

Italy.

3

602

3

602

Norway

u

6,093

14

6,093

Spain.

I

273

i

273

Total

50

89.598

50

33,043

IOO

122,641

Large Liners. Particulars of notable Atlantic liners of recent construction are given in Table XVI. When the " Lusitania " was sunk during the war, the " Mauretania " (30,704 tons) was the only pre-war 25-knot Atlantic liner left. She was followed, how- ever by the " Aquitania " (45,647 tons), of 24 knots, launched by John Brown & Co., for the Cunard Co., in 1914, and the " France," of 23,666 tons gross, launched at St. Nazaire for the Cie. Generate Transatlantique in 1912. The " France " had turbines of 45,000 H.P. on four shafts for her 24 knots, and carried 1,926 passengers besides her crew of six hundred. The " Aquitania " was completed during the war as a hospital ship, but saw very little service as such. After the war she was overhauled and fitted to burn oil fuel, so as to carry 3,250 passengers.

In 1917 another great French liner was launched, the " Paris," of 33,700 tons; it was not completed until June 1921. She could carry 98 passengers in cabins de luxe, 468 first-, 464 second-, 1,100 third-class (in cabins), also 1,100 steerage in open berths the total, including crew, amounting to 3,900 persons. She was fitted with four screws driven by Parsons' turbines, manufactured at Havre. During completion she was modified to burn oil fuel on the Wall- send-Howden system. On her first trip, with 12 boilers out of 15 in service, she averaged 21 knots.

Of the great White Star liners, the " Adriatic," of 24,541 tons gross, capable of carrying a total dead-weight of cargo and fuel of 19,710 tons, at a speed of i8J knots, may be taken as typical. A later ship, the " Belgic," of 24,547 tbns gross, which was put prematurely into service during the war (1917), could carry 22,025 tons at the same speed. The " Adriatic," " Baltic," " Cedric " and " Celtic," averaging 22,600 tons gross, with a total dead-weight capacity of over 55,000 tons, became well known to Atlantic passengers as the " Big Four."

The White Star policy of combining comfort for passengers with a large cargo-carrying capacity found its highest expression, how- ever, in the " Olympic," of 46,359 tons, launched by Harland & Wolff in 1911. She could carry a total of 12,770 tons dead-weight on a draught of 34 ft. 7 in., with a displacement of 52,300 tons, and could take 2,400 passengers, besides her crew of 900, across the Atlantic at 21 knots. Having been altered to burn oil fuel, she could take sufficient at New York (7,500 tons) to provide for the double journey. Her maximum speed is 22j knots at 55,000 horse power. The " Olympic " was in 1921 the biggest British-built vessel, but her dimensions had been exceeded by the " Britannic," of 48,158 tons, which was launched by Harland & Wolff in 1914, and was sunk in Greek waters while serving as a hospital ship in 1916.

Still larger, however, were the three great liners built in Germany during 1912-4. The largest of these (and in 1921 the largest in the world), the " Majestic," (fig. 45) launched by Blohm & Voss in 1914, and acquired by the White Star for entering service in 1922, is of 56,000 tons gross. Turbines of about 100,000 H.P. on four shafts, the greatest installation yet fitted in any merchant vessel, give her an ocean speed-capacity of 23 knots. She is 956 ft. in length, 100 ft. in width, and 102 ft. in height from keel to boat deck. Parsons' turbines, arranged for triple expansion, are fitted on four shafts, and steam is supplied by Yarrow water-tube boilers at 260- Ib. pressure. The machinery weighs 8,500 tons, and 5,700 tons of fuel are consumed on one trip. The funnels come up at the side of the ship, joining together above, and thus leave the central part clear for dining-halls, etc. The ventilation involves 18 m. of piping, while there are 15,000 electric lamps, and 225 electric motors for various purposes, requiring a total of 1,565 horse-power. She can carry 4,000 passengers, while the food for one voyage includes 12 tons of fresh meat, 12 tons of vegetables, 14 tons of milk and about 5 tons of eggs.

Amongst the latest additions to the White Star line up to 1921 was the " Homeric," of 35,000 tons, carrying 2,700 passengers at 21 knots; she was launched at Danzig in 1913 as S.S. " Columbus." The " Homeric " is notable as being the last Targe ship propelled by reciprocating engines only, of which she has two sets, triple expan-

sion, cyls. soj in., 86 J in. (2), 96 in. and 70 in. stroke; but these were exceeded in size by those of " Britannic," (fig. 46) which were 54 in., 84 in. (2), 97 in. and 75 in. stroke, to give 32,000 I. H.P. on two wing shafts, and in addition " Brittannic " had l.p. tur- bines to give 18,000 S.H.P. on two central shafts. The engines of " Britannic " were probably the most powerful single sets made for an ocean liner, while the " Kronprinzessin Cecilie " (now " Mount Vernon ") had the greatest total I.H.P., as she had two sets of 4-cyl. engines on each shaft; they were 37! in., 49 in., 75 in., and 112 in. (quadruple expn.) and 71 in. stroke. Other new vessels being added by the White Star line are: " Regina " (16,314 tons), and " Rim- ouski " (9,281 tons) for Canadian service; " Laurentic " (18,000 tons), " Doric " (16,600 tons) and " Pittsburgh " (16,600) for U.S. services.

The Cunard Co. acquired the " Berengaria " (formerly " Impera- tor ") of 52,022 tons, launched by Vulcan Works, Hamburg, in 1012. This vessel has Parsons' turbines of 60,000 H.P. on four shafts and can attain a speed of over 22 knots with 185 revolutions. She carries 4,000 passengers and a crew of 1,200.

The Cunard Co. decided immediately after the war to build a large number of intermediate vessels somewhat of the " Olympic " type, but smaller and of less speed. The first four were 600 ft. ships of about 21,000 tons gross and 27,000 tons displacement, at 3O-ft. draught, and were named " Scythia," " Samaria," " Franconia," " Laconia." The " Samaria," (fig. 47) which may be taken as typical, was built by Cammell Laird & Co. in 1921. Her engines (turbines) are fitted with double helical speed reduction gear, to drive the propellers at an economical speed. The boilers are of the cylindrical type, fitted to burn oil fuel with forced draught on the Wallsend-Howden combined system. They will give steam at 220 Ib. with 200 F., superheated by means of Schmidt's smoke- tube type of superheater. Her twin screws are operated by Brown- Curtis turbines, which run at 2,750 revolutions. Triple expansion is arranged for as follows: On each side of the ship a H.P. and I. H.P. turbine are fitted in tandem on the shaft of the first driving pinion, and the l.p. turbine is fitted on the shaft of the second driving pinion of the first reduction gear, both then operate through the second reduction gear and give the propeller shafts a speed of 90 revs, per minute. The total S.H.P. of 13,500 gives a sea speed of 16 knots. The astern turbines are compound, and are incorporated in the exhaust casings of the intermediate and low-pressure ahead turbines, and give a total power equal to about 70% of the ahead power. This may be taken as typical of the best turbine arrange- ments of 1921. The " Samaria " can carry about 350 first-, 350 second- and 1,600 third-class passengers. Her deck machinery is driven by electric power through hydraulic variable-speed gear at each of the machines. Two large sets of turbo-driven generators are provided for this purpose, and an oil-driven emergency dynamo is also fitted. A gyro-compass installation is fitted, the master com- pass being on one of the lower decks, with three separate controlled compasses at suitable positions for navigation. Her subdivision is on the most approved principle, with increased numbers of water- tight bulkheads, the water-tight bulkhead doors being operated on the Stone-Lloyd hydraulic system. She is further subdivided by fireproof bulkheads-, and the " Gronwald " system of fire extinguish- ing is installed. Electric passenger hoists are provided.

Among great pre-war German liners which came into the service of U.S. shipping companies were the " America," of I^J knots and 22,622 tons, launched by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, in 1905, and the " George Washington," (fig. 48) of 18 knots and 25,570 tons, launched by the Vulcan Works, Stettin, in 1908. In addition, the " Leviathan," of 54,282 tons, and 21 knots, launched by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, in 1914, was still in 1921 awaiting renovation and allocation to service. During the war these great vessels were util- ized to transport immense numbers of American troops across the Atlantic. For this service they were specially prepared and ballasted, and, on sailing, the " Leviathan" had what may perhaps be a record draught for a vessel leaving port, viz. 40 ft. II in. " Leviathan " carried as many as 1 1,000 troops on a single trip.

Among American liners the place of the old " St. Paul " has been taken by ships of the " State " class, which were started as 522-ft. troopships (fig. 49). The first on the Atlantic service were the " Panhandle State," and the " Old North State," vessels of 10,500 tons, completed in 1920. There were five other vessels also of the same type, 522 ft. overall, with 502 ft. between perpendiculars. Supplemented by the great ex-German ships named above, they enabled the Shipping Board to send their faster (535 ft.) State type of vessel to the Pacific.

Germany in 1921 retained the old " Deutschland," which had now only machinery for 15! knots, and was named " Hansa." Just prior to the war Germany was building a series of splendid vessels, most luxuriously fitted out, and supplied with every modern device for the attraction and comfort of passengers in order to cap- ture the S. American trade. They were fitted with a combination of reciprocating engines and turbines. The best-known vessel, " Cap Trafalgar," 18,710 tons, 17^ knots (1913), was, as an armed merchant cruiser, met and sunk after a stiff fight by the Cunarder " Carmania," also fitted out as an armed merchant cruiser. Other vessels of the type were the " Cap Finisterre," 14,503 tons, 17 knots, (1911) (now the " Taiyo Maru '), and the " Cap Polonio," 19,500