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ry) MARINE REVIEW. [February 18. Se SCOTCH SHIP BUILDERS AND THEIR WORK. By BENJAMIN TAYLOR. Glasgow, Feb. 1.--Our ship builders begin the year not only with a large amount of work on hand (though not so large as at the beginning of last year), but with the advantage of easier prices for material. The North of England steel makers took the initiative last week in reducing steel ship plates 5s. per ton, and the price is now about £2 per ton under the maxi- mum reached in 1900 and near to the lowest point touched during the depressed portion of last year. Among the work on hand, the London & Glasgow Ship Building Co., Glasgow, have a first-class cruiser and a 4,000- ton cargo boat. William Beardmore & Co. have a first-class cruiser and three large boats, and are rapidly completing their new yard at Dalmuir. The Fairfield company have a County type cruiser, a big liner for the Ocean company and two liners for the Pacific Steam Navigation Co, A. & J. Inglis have four British India liners and other craft. D. & W. Hender- son & Co. have a big Anchor liner and three other large boats. Barclay, Curle & Co. have three large steamers just begun, and two smaller ones fairly forward. Charles Connell & Co. have four large boats and two smaller ones. Alex. Stephen & Sons have five large steamers in various stages. John Brown & Co., Clydebank, have large boats for Sir Chris- topher Furness and other owners, and also some river boats. William Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, have enough work on hand to keep them busy all the year. A. Rodger & Co. have still two big sailers to build for. the Anglo-American Oil Co. Caird & Co. have two 10,000-ton P. & O. liners and two 6,000-ton boats for the Pacific company. Scott & Co. have a 12,000-ton boat for the Anglo-American Oil Co., two 6,000-ton cargo tramps and a British India liner of 4,000 tons. These notes refer to vessels actually on the stocks, not to vessels already in the water and awaiting completion; and this is but a fraction of the work on hand on the Clyde. What is now being looked for is a share of the admiralty contracts to be placed within the next few weeks. Tenders have been sent in for five armored cruisers to be built by contract, as well as for the machinery for a sixth to be constructed at Chatham dock yard. The Yarrow large-tube boiler is to be adopted for these vessels, the tubes of which being only a few degrees inclined from the vertical, and water-drowned at both ends, give an effective water circulation. The tubes are expanded into the lower water drums, which have a flat surface to receive them, and also into the upper central steam drum, so that the boiler is free throughout from the screwed joints said to be the chief source of loss of water in the Belleville boiler. The coal consumption is regarded as a doubtful quan- tity. In Holland and Denmark the large-tube Yarrow boiler is largely adopted. The new cruisers are to be of the County class, similar to ten vessels now under construction, five on the Clyde, one on the Tyne, and four in the dock yards. The vessels will have a displacement of 9,800 tons and the engines will indicate 22,000 H.P., giving a speed of 23 knots. The principal difference from the last lot is in the substitution of a cen- trally-mounted 7.5-in. quick-firing gun for the two 6-in. guns on twin mountings in a turret at the forward end, and a similar substitution aft. As in the earlier boats there will be ten 6-in. quick-firers.in casements, five on each broadside. According to the original program, there were to be two new battle- Smios built in the dock yards and one "by contract, but. it \ has now been decided to let out two on contract. Tenders are be- ing considered for these as also for two _ protective-deck cruisers included with the five armored cruisers in the program. These two protected cruisers are to be third-class vessels, but their displacement of 3,000 tons marks an increase for this class. Twelve years or so ago the third-class cruiser was a vessel of 1,700 tons of the Scout class; but when the naval defence fleet was arranged ten years ago there was a desire to get a higher speed, 19 knots, with considerable gun power, eight 4.7-in. quick-firers being adopted. Five years ago the introduction of the water- tube boiler enabled a reduction to be made with at the same time an in- crease of speed. The Pelorus, built at Clydebank, was the pioneer of a new fleet, attaining fully 20 knots in limited weights. Ten more boats of the class have been built with a displacement of 2,200 tons and 7,000 I.H.P., but as only 175 to 180 tons could be allowed for machinery the small-tube boilers had to be worked under a forced draft of from 234 to 3% in. Thus, 20 H.P. was got per ton of machinery. The increase in size now designed will make it possible to ensure a further development of speed, while enabling the gun-power to be heavier. These two new cruisers are to be of the following dimensions: Length, 360 ft.; beam, 40 ft.; molded depth, 21 ft. 9 in. Ata draught of 14 ft. 6 in. they will dis- place 3,000 tons, or 800 tons more than the former third-class cruisers. Their speed is to be 2134 knots, which is 134 miles per hour more than the former lot, and to attain this the power of the machinery has been increased from 6,000 to 9,800 H.P. There will be two sets of triple-ex- pansion engines, which will resemble more the machinery of the torpedo- boat "destroyer" class than those of the ordinary cruisers, since they are to run at the very high piston speed of 1,000 ft. per minute. There will be four cylinders, the high-pressure cylinders being 24% in., the inter- mediate 3814, and the two low-pressure 4214 each, and the stroke is 24 in. There will be ten water-tube boilers of the small-tube express type, the heating surface of which is specified 26,000 sq. ft., or 2.65 sq. ft. per horse power. The area of the grates collectively is 490 sq. ft., sufficient for 20 H.P. The weight of machinery is not to exceed 548 tons, which is equivalent to rather more than 1734 I.H.P. per ton, as against in the Pelorous class 20 H.P. per ton. There is to be an armored deck, within which will be enclosed all the machinery. The armament will consist of twelve 4-in. quick-firing guns, firing a projectile of 25 lbs. with a velocity of 2,300 ft. per second, and eight guns firing three-pounder shots, and three Maxim guns. Each cruiser will have two submerged torpedo tubes. It is now reported that during last year there were launched for the French navy, four armored cruisers, two torpedo-boat destroyers, three torpedo boats, and six submarine boats, with four other submergible boats, the total being 40,757 tons, with machinery of 104,500 ILH.P. This compares with thirty-two vessels of 209,100 tons for the British navy, of a total of 389,200 ILH.P. The British list includes six battleships ten armored cruisers, three sloops, two gunboats, two torpedo-boat destroy- ers, four torpedo boats, and five submarine boats. France has laid down -- for construction two battleships, an armored cruiser eleven torpedo-b : 4 ' , om oat destroyers, eleven first-class torpedo boats and twenty-three Nears onnage being about 54,000 and the horse power 92,000. oiaf ep tecioadh there have been laid down twelve vessels, all, with two exceptions, of large dimensions, the total tonnage being 102,700, while the collective power of machinery 1s 180,100 I.H.P. This is about double the new work begun by France, but within the next few months will be laid. down, in addition, three battleships, six armored cruisers, and two third-class cruisers, with an aggregate of 130,300 tons and of 200,000 I.H.P. Most American visitors coming to Europe, and landing or embark- ing at Queenstown, make the passage between Dublin and Holyhead. A vessel for this service, the fourth built by William Denny & Bros,, has just been launched. She is built to an extremely beautiful model, the lines being very fine, in order that the high rate of speed required in this Service may be maintained. The draught of water both at Holyhead and Dublin being extremely limited, great care was necessary in designing the vessel. She is sub-divided into numerous water-tight compartments, so that she will remain afloat with any single compartment bilged, and in several cases with two. Trimming tanks are provided so that the vessel may be brought to any desired trim, regardless of the condition of loading. The leading dimensions are: Length, 338 ft. 3 in.; breadth molded, 39 ft; depth to awning deck, 24 ft. 9 in. The Scotia, as she is named, is built of mild steel throughout, with straight stem and elliptical stern, and awning deck extending continuously from end to end, above which the boats are carried on a boat-deck out of the way of the passenger promenade. There is a long range of casings and deckhouses on this deck containing special state-rooms and ladies' and gentlemen's deck cabins. The propelling machinery consists of two sets of triple-expansion engines, supplied with -- steam at 160 lbs. per square inch by eight single-ended boilers. There are four cylinders to each set, having cast-steel pistons, the high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders having piston valves, with telief rings on back, and Joy's balance pistons on top of spindles. The piston rods, connecting rods and valve gear, are of mild ingot steel, and the valve gear is con- trolled by Brown's-combined steam and hydraulic reversing gear. The crank shaft is built of mild ingot steel and is hollow as are also the crank pins. The sole plate and guide columns are of cast steel, which material is also used generally throughout the engines in place of cast iron, in order to obtain greater strength and lightness. The engines are balanced on the Otto-Schlick principle, so as to avoid vibration. The circulating pumps are of the centrifugal type, and are arranged to pump out the machinery spaces and holds in case of serious leakage, thus forming a valuable aux- iliary to the main pumping system. The feed pumps are also independent of the main engines, and are two in number, each being able to do the whole work if required. The feed water passes through a feed heater and filter, or may be sent direct to the boilers by means of an arrangement of by-pass valves and pipes, as desired. The boilers are constructed of mild steel to board of trade requirements, and each is fitted with three corru- gated steel furnaces, with independent combustion chambers. The boilers are grouped in two separate stokeholds, and are arranged to work under forced draft, for which purpose four large fans are fitted. The system of duplication has been carried out wherever possible, so that the vessel may be considered perfectly safe, even in the very remote contingency of a breakdown of half her machinery. These Holyhead and Dublin packets are among the swiftest vessels afloat. A vessel of peculiar interest was launched a few days ago by the Grangemouth & Greenock Dockyard Co., Greenock, viz: the pioneer of a new line of cotton steamers. La Porte is a boat of 4,000 tons, named _ after the new harbor in the gulf of Mexico, from which she will bring cotton direct to Manchester, in the service of a London company. Much is expected from the opening up of this new port in Texas, which is said to be 120 miles nearer to the center of the United States than any other port in the gulf, and the nearest harbor to Houston, Texas. By the time the dredging operations are finished at La Porte the harbor, La Pore the steamer will be ready for action. Her dimensions are: Length, 300 ft.; breadth, 44 ft. 6 in.; depth, 22 ft. 1 in. molded. She is single-decked and fitted with all the latest appliances for cargo handling. An important addition to the Elder-Dempster line has just been launched by Robert Duncan & Co., Port Glasgow. This is the Melville, a vessel measuring 385 ft. by 46 ft. 6 in. by 29 ft. 9 in. molded, with triple- expansion engines 27 in., 43 in., 72 in., by 48 in. stroke; two boilers 15 ft. Sin. by 11 tt 6 in.--to German law--180 lbs. pressure; Howden's forced draft; seven steam winches and large multitubular donkey boiler. Be- sides the usual water ballast in double bottom, and after peak, there is a deep-hold tank abaft the engine and boiler space, fitted with water-tight hatches, and capable of containing about 1,000 tons of water (or about 2,000 tons in all) to which are connected powerful water-ballast pumps controlled from the engine room. The cargo capacity is about 400,000 cu, tt, and the capacity for bunker coal about 700 tons. A cattle tank is fitted on the bridge deck and is connected by pipes with a Davie & Horne distilling apparatus and the different fresh water tanks, in order to dis- tribute fresh water along the vessel, fore and aft, when cattle or horses are being carried. Cattle doors are cut in the sides of the bridge space, and the poop, bridge, and forecastle erections are made to a height of 8 ft. beam, the sides pierced and fitted with 10-in. brass side-lights, and also with Collinson's patent scuppers. Large gangway doors are fitted on each side of the bulwarks, opposite every hatch, while in each hold in between decks are fitted large cargo ports for the convenient working of all kinds of cargo. The vessel is fitted with extra sized ventilators and an extra number to all the holds, extra water-tight doors, and an extra number of coaling hatches in bridge and main decks, ice-house in bridge of ample dimensions, additional fan engine for forced draft, increased height of all erections and engine and boiler casings, additional appliances for load- ing and discharging cargoes. The Clyde Steamship Owners' Association received last year an ac- cession of 415 vessels, with a total tonnage of 808,806 tons. In the annual n it is stated that_an anomaly in connection with --