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14 a MARINE REVIEW. Sor [January 23, SHIP YARD NEWS---PHILADELPHIA AND VICINITY. Philadelphia, Jan. 22.--The torpedo boat destroyer Bainbridge, built by the Neafie & Levy Ship & Engine Building Co. of this place, is gener-- ally considered to have been unsuccessiul on her recent official trial run in the Chesapeake bay. The vessel did not make her contract speed. of 29 knots and was remiss in other features of the strict requirements. But an entire or partial failure of this species of craft does not astonish ship builders in this locality. It is a known fact in such circles that the Neafie & Levy Co. did not approve of the design of the Bainbridge or of her sister ships Barry and Chauncey. It has been found that the displacement of these vessels is greater than that indicated by the calculations accom- panying the drawings from which the builders have to work. There is no question but that the ship building company labored faithfully to make a success of the trio of destroyers, notwithstanding the fact that their operations were hampered from time to time by changes which the gov- ernment considered necessary in the original plans. The Bainbridge, Barry and Chauncey have been severely criticized as of faulty design, and several months ago there was a disposition, even among the naval officers on duty here, to exonerate the builders in the event of failure. Serious defects have been discovered on every one of the twenty-six torpedo boats' and torpedo boat destroyers built for the government, mainly in that they are deficient in their speed requirement. The official data of the trial of the Bainbridge is not as yet available. Those interested in the successful performance of these vessels say that the Chauncey, now ready for her trial trip, and the Barry, which is still on the ways, may demonstrate that they can be accepted. A rather serious problem is confronting the William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Co. in regard to armor plate needed to complete the battleship Maine. Tardiness in the delivery of this important adjunct has ever been a source of annoyance to the great Kensington ship yard. It is feared that this will be intensified in the instance of the Colorado and Pennsylvania, on which the preliminary work has been very rapid, The Cramp company makes no secret of its resolve to render a bill against the government for every hour of the delay occasioned them from this: source. In the instance of the battleship Alabama their claim was nearly $250,000. Since the time when the construction of the Alabama was in order the armor plate mills have not materially increased. their output, so it is logical that delay in the instance of the three ships mentioned is inevitable. Officers of the United States Steamship 'Co. in this city are as yet unable to state definitely to whom all of the contracts will be let for the construction of ten steamships to be added to its line. The Bath Iron Works will build two of the vessels at an estimated price of $510,000 each. Two will go to the Maryland Steel Co. and two others to the Delaware. In all probability either the Cramps or the Harlan & Hollingsworth Co. will secure the latter. The new line will trade between the principal United States ports on the Atlantic seaboard to Cuba and the West India islands. The new vessels will be fitted with refrigerators and all recent devices for the rapid handling of freight. Spacious quarters will be pro- vided for passengers. It is interesting to note that the statistics of the oil export trade as compiled by your correspondent at the request of the local branch of the Standard Oil Co. indicate that Philadelphia now leads the world as a distributing center for petroleum. The exports since Jan. 1, 1902, have been 14,758,470 gallons, which is an increase of 1,694,965 gallons over the corresponding period of last year. The exports of last week were 6,533,847 gallons. At present thirty-five vessels are in port to load oil for Europe and the far east. The list includes seventeen tank steamships, four ships, thirteen barks and one schooner. 7 PRODUCTION OF PIG IRON IN 1900. The production of pig iron in Pennsylvania by districts in 1900 was as follows: Lehigh valley, 545,198 tons; Schuylkill valley, 441,118 tons; Upper Susquehanna valley, 141,123 tons; Lower Susquehanna valley 538,- 209 tons; Juniata valley, 126,424 tons; Shenango valley, 800,214 tons; Al- legheny county, 3,118,761 tons; Western Pennsylvania, except Allegheny county and the Shenango valley, 651,466 tons; charcoal (whole state), rare total, oo. egheny county produced more than one-half the pig iron made in Pennsylvania in 1897 and 1898 and more than duedourih of the country's production in each year, but in 1899 it made slightly less than one-half the production of Pennsylvania in that year and considerably less than one-fourth the country's production. In 1900 it again made less than one-half the production of Pennsylvania and less than one-fourth the country's total production, its production in 1900 being 186,917 tons less than in' 1899, although the country's total production in 1900 was 168,539 tons more than in 1899. The Shenango valley increased its production 167,538 tons in 1899 over 1898, but its production in 1900 was 187,001 tons less than in 1899; Western Pennsylvania, outside of Allegheny county and the Shenango valley, lost 24,761 tons in 1900 as compared with 1899; the Lehigh valley gained 117,549 tons; the Schuylkill valley gained 18,771 tons; the Upper eran valley lost 22,111 tons; the Lower Susquehanna valley lost 22,511 tons; the Juniata valley gained 14,347 tons; charcoal lost 309 tons. The production of pig iron in Ohio in 1900 by districts was as fol- lows: Mahoning valley, including the Leetonia furnaces, 1,002,862 tons; Hocking valley, 50,501 tons; Lake counties, 497,584 tons; miscellaneous bituminous, 667,811 tons; Hanging Rock bituminous, 244,916 tons; Hang- ing Rock charcoal, 7,737 tons; total, 2,470,911 tons. e increase in the Mahoning valley in 1899 over 1898 tons, and in 1900 the increase over 1899 Was 70,197 tons; in the Tebereete: ties the increase was 32,888 tons, against an increase in 1899 over 1898 of 75,820 tons; in the miscellaneous bituminous district there was a decline in 1900 of 56,625 tons as compared with 1899; in the Hanging Rock noe seth ao was an Los of 20,774 tons; in the Hanging ock charcoal district an increase of 1, a i merease a3 Shon ae 61 tons; in the Hocking valley an e production of pig iron in the Mahoning valley in Ohi i the Shenango valley.in Pennsylvania in 1898 was Diner ete Wk ese the former, producing 769,334 tons and the latter 769,677 tons. In 1899 the Mahoning valley, including the Leetonia furnaces, made 932,165 tons and the Shenango valley made 937,215 tons. It was a close race in these with the Sieianso val sigh eS But 'a 1900 the Mahoning valley went away aheac 0 its rival, producing 1,002,- 362 os: against 500.214 tons in the Shenango valley. In 1901 the She- nango valley has increased its pig iron capacity.-- Bulletin of the American Iron and Steel Association. a valleys in both years, PRACTICAL TEST OF FUEL OIL. © Particulars are published in the German papers of results obtained in a practical test of the value of fuel oil in the generation of steam on an ocean steamship, recently made in the case of the North German Lloyd vessel Tanglin on a voyage from Singapore to Sydney, a distance of nearly 5,500 miles. The 'Tanglin was chartered to convey to 'Kerguelen island the dogs, equipments and coals for the German Antarctic expedition, She is a steamship of about 2,000 tons capacity, built last year for the North German Lloyd by Workman, Clark & Co., Belfast. She was in- tended for the East Indian trade and was fitted with apparatus for burning oil and saving labor in the stokehold. Her ordinary bunkers are used for the storage of the oil, all apertures being closed and made water-tight, and the oil is pumped in from craft lying alongside. The oil used by the Tanglin came from Borneo and was taken'on board at Singapore. By the method adopted on board this boat the oil is converted into spray and blown on the grates by means of injection-tubes and nozzles pierced with fine holes. The service of only one man 1s required in feeding the fires, and the supply of oil and the steam: pressure are always directed to the - required point by means of special valves. The Tanglin's bunkers are so constructed that they can be used either for coal or oil. Compared with the old system of coal-stoking the following results were arrived at: The weight of each day's supply of fuel was much less, and a great saving of labor was effected, inasmuch as only one man per watch was required instead of five. The Tanglin took 300 tons of oil on board for her voyage (her capacity for coal is 300 tons), and with a con- sumption of 13 tons per day an average speed of 11% knots per hour was attained. This means an increase in the speed amounting toa knot per hour. The most disagreeable task connected with coal-stoking is cleaning out the furnaces; when oil is used there is no cleaning to be done. The chief engineer on board the Tanglin expressed his entire satisfac- tion with the result obtained. He is of opinion that liquid fuel will soon be extensively used on board great ocean steamships and in his report to the directors of the Lloyd company he strongly advocates the adoption of the new method. The Tanglin used coal on her outward voyage as far as Singapore and after shipping oil there she proceeded to Bangkok, consuming 13 tons of oil daily, against 18 tons of English and 20 tons of Japanese coal. The report adds that the oil gives off no odor and that the heat in the engine room was quite insignificant, while the required pressure of steam was maintained with ease. : As regards the cost, the oil was put on board at. Singapore at 30 shillings per ton and the whole quantity--350 tons--was got into the bunkers in three-quarters of an hour. The cost of coal at the same port, brought alongside, was 25 shillings per ton. The mere comparison of the daily expenditure for fuel, namely, 20 tons of coal at 25 shillings, equal to £25, against 13 tons of oil at 30. shillings, equal to £19 10s, a saving of £5°10s per day in favor of fuel, does not represent the whole gain to the ship owner. There is the extra freight that he may earn as represented by the difference between 13 tons and 20 tons deadweight of daily consumption, which, on a twenty days' run would be equal to 140 tons. There is also the extra measurement » cargo which he may carry by stowing the fuel oil in the ballast tanks and peaks and there is the saving of firemen and of time in bunkering ports. Tt is evident that 350 tons of oil bunkers taken on board in three-quarters of an hour can find no near comparison in the case of any recorded instance of coal bunkering and the cleanliness of taking on board liquid fuel in com- parison with dirtying the decks and passenger accommodation due to coal bunkering is also an appreciable financial asset upon routes where passen- ger competition is at all keen. The extra speed of the Tanglin when using oil fuel illustrates the experience that has been reported in respect of other vessels, namely, that boilers which are hard to steam with coal become quite easy to steam with oil on account of the greater intensity of the heat generated by the new fuel. REAR ADMIRAL SAMPSON DYING. Rear Admiral W. T. Sampson is a physical wreck. He has been fail- ing rapidly during the past few months and is now confined to his bed. Much of the time he fails to recognize those about him, even his wife. The end seems only a question of a very little while. The sad and tragic circumstances surrounding the passing of this man seems to justify the assertion that republics are ungrateful. The people, as a rule, are an unthinking lot and popular approval is.not always the criterion of merit. Go into any theater in the country or stand in any crowd in the public forum and let Sampson's picture be shown and it will be generally hissed. And yet'this man planned the campaign and executed the blockade which resulted in the destruction of Cervera's fleet off Santiago. The mere fact that his flagship was temporarily absent is an unimportant detail. The battle was his. _F,_W. Carlton of Bath, Me., has closed a contract with the Eastern Ship Building Co. of New London, Conn., for building the outboard launching ways for the two large cargo and passenger steamships that are being built for the Great Northern Steamship Co. for duty on the Pacific coast. These launching ways extend about 250 ft. into the river, and wil cost about $50,000. Mr. Carlton will also build for the New London com pany a very large mooring wharf, extending out into the river about $50,000. low water mark. This wharf will cost in the neighborhood of A contract has been signed for the construction at the Brooks ship yards, East Boston, of a six-masted wooden schooner for a syndicate managed by Capt. Crandall, formerly steamboat inspector at Boston. e. schooner will be built from designs by W. S. Burgess and will be nam for his father, Edward Burgess. The vessel will carry about 6,000 tons 0 coal and will cost about $175,000.