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18 THE MarINeE REVIEW speed gave an average advantage of the Manxman over the two reciprocating engine vessels of 8.9 percent: The ad- vantage of 'he Londonderry over the Antrim..on trial was 3 percent, but it changed to a disadvantage of 1.3 per- cent on service, making the Antrim. 4.3 'percent better on service relatively to the Londonderry than she was on trial. The similar figures of the Antrim and Manxman showed the latter 14 percent better on trial, but 8.2 percent on service, a gain for the Antrim of 5.8 percent as between trial and service conditions. The efficiency on service, there- fore, seemed to be less marked in the turbine than it was on trial. It might be that with the increase of resistance due to sea wind and foul bottom, the turbine propellers were less efficient relatively as they were so small, but it was reported that in bad weather there was less racing in the turbines. Until they had careful water consumption tests systematic- ally carried out, the point would remain doubtful. It seemed certain, however, that eight or nine percent of gain might be relied upon if the turbines were as efficient as those of the Manxman. The weight of the Manxman's machinery, 'and the part of the hull lightened, turned out to be 115 tons less than the Antrim, a saving of 15 percent in the total weight of engines and boilers, etc. With reference to war- ship machinery the professor said the British admiralty built four vessels of the same form and dimensions. Into one they put turbines, and into the others reciprocating engines. The vessels' dimensions were 360 by 40 by 14 ft. 6 in. draught; displacement, 3,000 tons. The reciprocating engines de- ' veloped: 10,000 I. H. P. and the vessels attained. a speed of 22.1 knots. The.turbine vessel attained a speed of 23.6 knots. Water consumption trials gave at 22.1 knots 215,000 Ibs. per hour in the reciprocating engines, against 190,000 'Ibs. at 23.6 knots in the turbine. The difference in speed of 1% knots at the same efficiency of propellers represented about 20 percent. difference of power, and one would expect to. find the same difference in water consumption. This would increase the 190,000 to about 230,000 lbs., as against the 215,000 actually used in the turbine. This showed a gain in favor of the turbine of 7 percent. Here again they had only the combined relative efficiency of turbine and_ pro- peller, but if the small propeller was inefficient it was.a necessity of the turbine, and if it was more efficient than the large propeller it might be taken as an incidental advantage of the turbine. The former was probably the truth. Four. 2,170-ton turbine vessels of dimensions 275 by 44 by 16.6 had been built and were running for the British India. com- pany from the Persian Gulf to India, having speed of 18 knots, which involved about 6,000 H. P. A vessel of 2,448 tons, of dimensions 300 by 43 by 25, named the Loongana, for the Union company of New Zealand, having a speed of 20 knots and about 6,000 H. P. on trial, had steamed from Scotland to New Zealand and was there successfully running. Proceeding to discuss ocean turbines Prof. Biles gave par- ticulars of the Allan line Virginian. Her displacement on trial was, he said, about 13,000 tons, her speed on trial 1914 knots, and the revolutions of her propellers 285. She had nine boilers 17 ft. diameter by 12 ft. length. Her steam pressure was 180 lbs., heating surface 30,800 square feet, and grate surface 726 square feet. The use of the turbines enabled her to carry 60 more passengers, and there was a saving in the weight of machinery of 4oo tons. Her mean speed across the Atlantic was 17 knots, and the coal con- sumption was practically the same as for triple expansion engines of the most modern type. There was no doubt that when a proper adjustment of form, area and pitch of pro- peller to the boiler power and the form of the ship had been reached in these ships the turbine system would: prove an advance upon, and indeed supercede, the reciprocating engine for vessels of this class. The best results obtained had not yet been as good as the steamers were capable of, and. there- fore there was no possibility of saying anything more defi- nite as to the efficiency of turbines in ocean liners at present than that they had justified their adoption. There would be at some time not very remote he was convinced turbine ocean liners on all the routes. Today it might be said there was every indication that in the largest installations an econ- omy of power and cost was assured, as it had been in the Channel steamers. There seemed little doubt that the tur- bine would completely displace the reciprocating engine in all moderate and high speed lines. AS BUFFALO VIEWS THE CHANGE Buffalo, Sept. .5--It seems too bad that perfectly correct theory should be capable of either making a bad showing on its own account or capable of being made the fabric fo: supporting the very worst sort of superstruc- ture. Still it is not best to drop a good thing because it has such possibilities, any more than it is best to go out of the poultry business because eggs are about the easiest to spoil of. anything going. That is the way we shall have to deal with the many new and large things in the business world. And to begin with we ought to make little account of the minor and individual changes they bring about. | I go down to the foot of Main street now, when I do at all, mainly to take another look at a ruin. Up to with- in the few wonderful years that have been used to mark the present century that was a sort of charmed spot for marine men. Nota captain on the lakes but liked to spend his spare time down there, either. in the tug offices, or in the brokers' offices, while they lasted, not to mention the many steamer lines that centered there. There were once five or six of the latter on a single street corner, but only one now. If the others were to be sought for a few would be found in fine offices up town, scattered aimlessly here and there, some under new names, some, alas! not to be found under any name. They were swallowed up by the growth of things marine. The brokers one by one fled up town and the only tug office left is so far from the foot of the street that it owes nothing to the locality. The block that held such offices and marine people of all sorts to overflowing once now knows very little of that sort of people and is a mere makeshift for chance occupants. On the other side of the street wonderful Central wharf, the mere mention of which sends a thrill of fond recollection through the soul of any old marine man of the days olden and some days not so very olden, Central wharf, the bee hive of every- "thing marine, wheze one could see the lake fleet coming and going from the upper floors, has long been merely the place for rushing package freight up an inclined rail- road platform for dumping into a freight car. Nobody goes there but people in that line. There is no longer any sort of rallying place for marine men in the port. I sometimes wonder how the captains, yes, and still larger vessel men, manage to relieve them- selves of the many stories and much chaff that must be ac- cumulating in their anatomies in these sordid humdrum days of mere business. I sometimes think that some of © them, like the Dutchman who must talk or bust, must be so filled up with recollections that they are feeling very uncomfortable. Of course they do meet now and then in some single broker's office up town and they have their clubs and their. special chums when ashore, but the actual contact with the business, as it used to be afforded "on the dock," is lost and most of the flavor has gone with it. Well I recall an occasion that illustrates what I am try-