The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

M A UN UE IMPORTANT BRITISH TURBINE INVENTION. Liverpool, July 4--An important invention affecting steam turbines and one which provides a solution to the one difficulty which has hitherto puzzled engineers and others since the new motive energy was introduced has just been perfected at St. Helens, near Liverpool. The power and efficiency of steam turbines 1s now acknowledged, and the one drawback to 'their general adoption for naval purposes has been the fact that, while they have provided enormous power for a forward movement, there lacked an invention to give the same power and speed in the reverse direction. Turbines have, however, been able to go astern, but this has been done at some sacrifice of the forward efficiency, and the results, so far as the back- ward movement is concerned, have not been altogether satis- factory. So great has this difficulty been acknowledged that Professor Rateau of Paris, the well known expert of the French government, in a paper read at the last session of the Institution of Naval Architects in Londen, expressed the opinion that no turbine could be constructed that would give the same power and efficiency both ways without a great loss of the general efficiency of the turbine. But that difficulty has just been overcome as the result of a long and patient series of experiments and tests wnich have been carried out at the works of Messrs. John Forster & Co., Ltd. engineers and boiler makers of St. Helens, Lancashire, and a steam turbine has been there erected which gives exactly the same speed, power and efficiency in -both directions. It is needless to say that the invention has been patented in every civilized country of the world, and the full patent rights as affecting Great Britain have been completed only today, July 2. The im- portance of the new invention is testified by the fact that already the British admiralty authorities have had a repre- sentative at Messrs. Forster's works inspecting the new machine, while many of the principal ship building firms have also sent their experts on the same errand... The admiralty inspector is expected to pay another visit in the near future, and it is remarkable that in practically every case, it has been admitted that the reversing difficulty has at last been solved. On Thursday, June 30, by the courtesy of Alderman John Forster, head oi the firm cf Messrs. Forster & Co., a number cf press representatives and others interested were shown the rew machine in actual operation. It was explained that the new turbine is the invention of M. Jeremias Ferri, a represent- ative of the Arzeatine Republic at present staying at St. Helens, and it has been constructed from his drawings and under his supervision, in conjunction with Mr. John Forster at the works of Messrs. Forster & Co. The present turbine has only tnree sets of discs, working a 12-H. P. or 25 amps. dynamo by an ordinary belt, and it attains a speed of from 1,500 to 2,000 revolutions per minute. Certain valves and vanes form- ing the basis of the patent, work with absolute accuracy and freedom, and every expert who has seen the turbine in motion has spoken highly of the simplicity and thorough success of the starting, stopping and reversing operations. The semi- public trial on June 30 was successful in every way. The tur- bine attained full speed in the course of a few seconds and by the simple movement of a lever, full speed in the reverse direction was attained in exactly 16 seconds. Various tests were made and it was clearly demonstrated that the turbine can be reversed when under a full load with perfect freedom by the movement of valves which can be regulated while the turbine is running, without touching the steam valve. It was also shown that the steam can be shut off at any desired point .for expansion from one series of discs to tae next, and it was clearly demonstrated that the turbine is all that the contract- ors claim for it. It may be added that M. Ferri, the in- ventor, was trained in some of the best ship building yards of the country, where he is well known, and was educated at University college, Liverpool. The British consul general at Havre states that a British a a i ata SP ie SE ae i AN BF KR 2. Ey 19 I line of steamers has been :tarted, called the Canadian Lines, Ltd., running twice a month from Rotterdam, calling at Havre, for Quebec and Montreal, taking both passengers and cargo. This line has been subsidized by the Canadian government and is already carrying a large number of emigrants. and first- class passengers. In the opinion of the consul general, it looks as if the great difficulty which has attended the establish- ment of a line of steamers between Continental ports and Canada has been overcome. I learn that the first of the three huge Cunard liners now being built at Clydebank by Messrs. John Brown & Co. is tu be launched on July 13. The vessel is: the Caronia, one of the two 21,000-ton sister ships. 'She is to be fitted with engines of the reciprocating type driving twin screws, but her sister ship the Carmania will be equipped with turbine engines, dis- tributing power through three shafts,:each driving one pro- peller. At Clydebank the keel plate of one of the Cunard express turbine steamers which is to be 790 ft. long and ot 24,500 tons, has just been laid. She is designed to work with quadruple screws and to make 25 knots, which will make her the largest as well as the fastest ocean liner in the world. The names of the two turbine express steamers have not been chosen, but there appears tu be a consensus of popular opinion in favor of Britannia and Columbia, the former recalling to mind the diminutive pioneer Cunarder of that name, which first cleaved American waters 64 years ago and was in her day the finest ship afloat, while the Columbia is suggested by way of a compliment to the American people who support and dis- play an equal pride in the fine Cunard fleet. 'In regard to the new departure of Messrs. Elder, Dempster | & Co. which has for its object the development of Canadian trade with South Africa, I have received from the firm a com- munication in the following terms: Having taken up the steamship service between 'Canada and South Africa by ar- rangement with the Canadian government, we are naturally desirous of doing all possible to promote the trade between the two colonies. We believe there are great possibilities, but so far there has been a lack. of effort to secure for Canada the share she ought to have of the Cape trade. Therefore, with a view of promoting more interest and doing what we can towards bringing the two colonies into closer business rela- tionship, we have decided upon an exhibition movement, by placing at the disposal of the Canadians, entirely free of charge, a certain number of passages, as well as room for samples.of goods, each passenger representing a particular branch of commerce being allowed.a section of about 10 to 20 tons capacity in the 'tween decks to place the goods for exhibition at the different Cape ports. The selection of ex- hibitors to be made mutually by our Montreal representative, the president of the board of trade at Montreal and the secretary of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association at To- ronto. The steamers we propose for this are the Melville and the Monarch, the latter of which leaves Montreal about the middle of July for Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London and Durban. - The announcement is made of the purchase by the Cincin- nati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Co. of the Pere Marquette and Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville railroads. The new sys- tem will be known as the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton rail- road and Eugene Zimmerman of Cincinnati has been elected president. This deal creates a new railroad system of great importance extending over 5,co0 miles of road and reaching from Chicago to Buffalo and Cincinnati. The steamship Minnesota, one of the largest vessels in the world, has been chartered to carry coal from New York to the Pacific coast. She was built for the Great Northern Steam- ship Co. by the Eastern Ship Building Co. at New London, Conn. She is expected to carry over 20,000 tons.