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20° MARINE REVIEW. _ Dice). TORPEDO BOAT FOX. A PRODUCT OF THE WOLFF & ZWICKER IRON WORKS, PORTLAND, ORE., WHICH : EXCEEDED CONTRACT SPEED BY ALMOST A KNOT ON THE FIRST OFFICIAL TRIAL. "The picture herewith presented represents the torpedo boat Fox, re- cently built by the Wolf & Zwicker Iron Works, Portland, Ore., run- ning at a speed of almost 23% knots. The Fox on her official trial ex- ceeded her contract speed of 2214 knots by 91-100 of a knot, which con- stitutes in the belief of the builders the first instance in which a torpedo boat has exceeded her contract speed on a first official trial. Dimen- sions of this vessel are as follows: WenoTMeOV.ete alla Mention pic ccc s eh cc cee aha rs oete 146.00 feet. Bread tiexGhenlensOUengamleSar. cee tis <- sicinke "etic ae oe 15.30 feet. POCA tena ts Sixpence rot UCR Ursa cptcact ciemepece ¢ csnerce 14.60 feet. Depth from base line to top of beam at side......... 8.00 feet. Deiter yt Sit maine lg IN CMAN ae aiey sister cteicisye e-cies aiobeicis « cacrars 5.32 feet. DIS MiAceHemiectie sini McbeImties sii co sre | eee 117.00 tons. Total weight of vessel, equipped and with 6 tons GL coaleinacoalplmixens: saat clecacs oh oases: 110.40 tons. (Conhesp onciners dial isermencn sic ass eae aa eee 5.17 feet. Center of bouyancy from aft P. P. at 5.32 feet draft .. 70.22 feet. 'Center of gravity of hull, machinery, etc., at same draft 69.997 feet. Ditherentce (tombe saGfuSted accciec dost. eos s+ ces ee: 0.223 feet. ~ Metacentric height as computed from weight of hull, machinery, etc., at a draft of 5.17 and with 6 tons of SOc eee eae ICE ic eroric cae eee au rani bees 2.17 feet. Tons per inch immersion at eighth water line......... 3.53 Tons per inch immersion at sixth water line ......... 3.23 Tons per inch immersion at fourth water line ....... 2.55 .. 31.00 foot-tons. The weight of the outside plating amidships and for about one-half of the length of the vessel is 7% pounds per square foot, reduced at the ends to 5 pounds. The plate, of course, of increased weight around the Moment to alter trim one inch at sixth water line .. _ U.S. TORPEDO BOAT FOX MAKING 23% KNOTS. stern tubes and elsewhere. The plating is lap joined and double-riveted throughout, the butt straps in the keel plate and sheer strake being treble-riveted. The weight of bulkhead plating is 4 or 5 pounds. The outside plate of the deck weighs 7 pounds, being 4 feet wide amidship, and is reduced to 5 pounds at the ends. The conning towers contain steering wheels, telegraphs, binnacles, speaking tubes and other fittings. Cabins and living quarters and the joiner work for lockers, berths, etc., are of white pine and Port Orchard cedar. The crew space has twelve folding berths. Particular attention has been given to the ventila- tion of the vessel by means of cowls, so arranged as to form downcasts and cowls. The Fox is fitted with two vertical four-cylinder triple-expansion di- rect-acting surface-condensing engines, with one cylinder 117% inches, one 19 inches and two 227% inches in diameter and 15 inches stroke. The engines are estimated to develop 1,750 horse power when making 395 revolutions. All valves are piston valves, there being one for the high pressure cylinder and two for the other cylinders. The engines are borne 'by forged steel columns, trussed by forged steel stays. The hed- plate is of steel plates. The engine foundation is built strongly of steel plates and bars. The valves are worked by means of cranks on a shaft parallel to the main engine shaft and geared to that shaft. The con- denser has a cooling surface of about 1,400 square feet, measured on the outside of the tubes, and one single-acting independent air pump is fitted for each engine. Propellers are of maganese bronze. ig Boilers are of the water tube type. Each fire room has a blower dis- charging into the fire room. There are two boilers of sufficient capacity to develop 1.800 horse power under forced draft. The working pressure is 250 pounds. The grate surface is about 45 square feet on each boiler, and the ratio between grate and heating surface is 1 to 55, The smoke- stacks are 18 feet in length above the grate. The main feed pump is of the vertical, single-act'ng plunger type, driven from the main shaft. The auxiliary feed pumps have a capacity of 50 gallons per minute and are so connected as to draw frem the sea, feed tank, bilge or boilers as desired and they will deliver into the fire main, feed pipes or overboard, The blower engines are designed for a working pressure of 150 pounds. The distilling apparatus has a capacity of 900 gallons in twenty-four hours. The Wolff & Zwicker Iron Works is also building the torpedo boat Goldsborough, and there is every reason to expect that she will dupli- cate the favorable record made by the Fox. The Golds : barring accidents, be launched on July 4. € Goldsborough will, POWER CANAL AT THE SAULT. A LETTER ON THE SUBJECT FROM MR. FRANK J. FIRTH, PRESIDENT OF THE LAKE CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION. aes Although the Michigan-Lake Superior Power Co. is going ahead with the construction of a power canal at Sault Ste. Marie contrary to. recommendations of a board of army engineers appointed to inquire into the company's canal plans, President Frank J. Firth of the Lake Carriers' Association, who has given some attention to the project, says that per- sonally he has no doubt whatever of the ability of the company to operate the canal and fully protect lake navigation interests by the construction and permanent maintenance of proper remedial works. | Answering in- quiry from the Review as to what attention was being given to the mat- ter by the Lake Carriers' Association, Mr. Firth says: "T received from the secretary of war a copy of the report of the board of engineers to Brig. Gen. John M. Wilson, chief of engineers United States army, Feb. 23, 1899, on the 'Soo' power canal, together with a copy of the letter addressed by the secretary of war to Mr.-E. V. Douglas, president of the Michigan-Lake Superior Power Co., March 92, 1899, reading as follows: oe Be "'Referring to. your application for permission to construct certain works in the St. Mary's river, and a canal which shall tap the waters of. Lake Superior near the mouth of said river in the State of Michigan, I have to advise you that under your express statement that the works you propose will not, under the plan contemplated, impair or obstruct the navigability of any waters over which the United States has Juris- diction, it is not necessary for this department to grant you permission or license to execute the works. The permission of this department is only necessary in cases where proposed works will alter or modify the condition or capicity of the lake or the channel of any navigable water of the United States, which, under your statement, will not be done by the execution of your proposed plans. If you are correct in this statement, then you need no permission from this department to proceed with your works.' "T have had an interview with Mr. Douglas upon the subject and he authorizes me to say that the Michigan-Lake Superior Power Co. will not take any water from Lake Superior into the canal they are constructing at Sault Ste. Marie until they have completed remedial works in the rapids acceptable to the United States government and to the Lake Car- riers' Association as fully protecting lake navigation interests against any possible lowering of the lake levels by the withdrawal of water from Lake - Superior to supply the power canals upon the United States and the Canadian sides of the rapids. I have, personally, no doubt whatever as to the ability of the company to operate their canal and fully protect lake navigation interests by the construction and permanent maintenance of proper remedial works. : "Questions affecting the lake levels are of such vital importance to all lake vessel owners, both in the United States and Canada, that the Lake Carriers' Association should, in my judgment, cordially endorse and advocate the formation of a competent international commission com- posed of representatives of the United States and of Canada to consider and decide upon rules to govern all such enterprises as the 'Soo' power canal; the 'Soo' locks; the Chicago drainage canal; the Niagara power' canals, etc. All such enterprises, if allowed to exist, should be under rigid rules for their operation including the construction and maintenance of remedial works, so that there should be no possible interference with navigation interests under any circumstances." LAUNCHING THE COLUMBIA. Ship builders will, no doubt, be interested in the method to be fol- lowed at the yard of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. at Bristol, R. L, in launching the yacht Columbia, the prospective defender of the Ameri- ca's cup in the international races next October. A dispatch from Bristol referring to the launching says: "Every precaution will be taken to make it perfectly sure that no mis- hap will befall the boat. The launching will be different from the launching of other cup defenders, from the fact that this vessel was built on a launching cradle. All it will be necessary to do will be to slacken the connecting cable that holds the cradle to the purchase drum. The ctadle is fitted with heavy wheels of small diameter, running on steel rails, and these latter extend quite a distance out into the channei. The cradle will run along the rails as long as the weight of the boat is bear- ing on it, but when that bearing down ceases the boat is afloat for the first time. 'She will then be hauled alongside the wharf to be rigged, where there is a channel with a depth of nearly 24 feet at low water. Much delay has been occasioned in adjusting the stern piece. Its elliptical shape and slightly curving outline consumes considerable time in getting the exact fit. The bolting on was another slow job, but when once en- tirely completed it will give the yacht a fine appearance. It resembles the stern piece of the Defender very much, although not as deep. The work of planking the deck is nearly completed. The caulkers have start- ed to work on the forward end of the boat. Following close after the men laying the deck planks are a number of other carpenters fitting ana fastening the hatch coamings in their places. These latter are formed of light wood." The twin-screw steamer Pennsylvania, building at the Roach yard, Chester, Pa., for the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad Co.. was designed by Gardner & Cox, well-known naval architects of New York city and will embody the flat stern which the designers some years ago introduced in the Feiseen, which was sold for torpedo boat service to the Brazilian government. The only other large vessel of this type of construction is the English channel steamer Teisme. It is claimed that a stern of this type will prevent the boat from settling by the stern at high speeds and will also insure the propellers being submerged at all time. The vessel now building is 260 feet in length, 41 feet beam, and 9 feet 6 inches draught. 'She is to maintain a speed of 20 miles and is fitted with four-cylinder triple-expansion engines, to which steam«will be supplied from six Almy water tube boilers.