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

M AR 2 R £ VW 8 £ Ff. against the rows of blades on the drum, causing the latter, which is built on the propeller shafting, to revolve, and thus drive the propeller. The "fixed blades" (those in the cylinder) act as guides to deliver the steam with proper direction and velocity against the "moving blades" (those on the drum). Thus the full power of the steam is utilized, and in a direct and continuous way. The term "blades" when used in con- nection with the machinery of an ocean liner seems to sug- gest a' screw propeller or something equally formidable. But these turbine blades are surprisingly small--no larger than a lady's little finger. Their number, however, is prodigious, there being no less than a million and a half separate pieces used in the blading of the three turbines of the Victorian. The center propeller moves only in one direction; but two reversing turbines have been placed in the low-pressure casings, enabling the vessel to go astern when required, and here it should be remembered that, croakings to the contrary, the turbine claims a great superiority over the reciprocating en- gine in its power to stop a ship quickly. The peculiar con- struction of the blades exercises, when the turbines are rota- ting in a contrary action to the steam which is passing through them, a turning moment, two or three times as great as the turning moment when the engines are running in the direction they were made for; whereas in a piston engine there is prac- tically the same force whether the engine is going with the steam or against it. A notable proof of this was seen when the turbine steamer Queen, when going at 19 knots, was stop- ped in two and a half times her own length. It is a most interesting sight to visit the special engine shop where the turbines are being made. One would scarcely be- lieve that the slender blades fixed to the ponderous casing drum on each of the low-pressure turbines would propel such a big ship, even at the slowest speed, or rather supply the pro- pellers with the necessary propulsive energy. It is expected, however, or indeed looked upon as certain, that the speed of the Victorian will be a great advance on that of any other steamer on the same route, and it is confidently expected that, under favorable conditions, the voyage to Canada will be shortened by over a day, so that this vessel will prove an im- portant item in the development of colonial trade. One reason for anticipating a good speed is the fact that the energy of the steam is used up to the last fraction in its passage through the turbine. There is also a marked absence of the vibration caused in ordinary steamers by the old reciprocating engines, which pound away for dear life, and shake the vessel from stem to stern. Anyone who has traveled in ocean-going "fliers" will recall with mixed feelings the eternal throb not only of the screws but also of every portion of the hull. This distressing vibration is at times particularly irritating, and there is no escape from it except perhaps for a short time, should a bearing become over-heated, and then the ship rolls about until matters are put right. The banishment of these unbalanced forces will, in the case of the turbine, very much enhance the pleasure of an Atlantic trip, and make what was once a source of dread a genuine pleasure. By those who think nervously of a possible breakdown in mid-ocean the Parsons' invention will be warmly welcomed. 'There are no moving parts to break or get out of order. Generally speaking, it is the fracture of a crank shaft, connecting rod, or some other vital portion of the machinery that causes these mishaps; but where the steam acts directly, driving the shafts of the ship evenly, the strain is very materially reduced as compared with engines which have to endure the stress to which the ordinary marine type are subjected. : Thus everything would appear to be in favor of the Victor- ian, and her maiden voyage will be watched with more than ordinary interest by the mercantile world. The naval authori- ties, too, will doubtless keep a watchful and attentive eye upon her performances, for it would appear that the turbine is an ideal type of engine for warships Situated away down in the bed of the ship they are as remote as possible from the damage caused by high-velocity projectiles, while economy of space leaves greater room for the offensive working of the ship. This saving is apparent in the vessel under notice, and it has been utilized for the advantage of the passengers of all classes. Instead of endeavoring to fill the ship choc-a-block with pas- sengers, air space and comfort have been aimed at, and pos- sibly no other steamer afloat today has such accommodation for the third class. It is certainly comfortable enough, while the reputation of the company in the matter of catering is too well known to require any further remarks under this head. No secret is made of the fact that the Victorian is largely an experimental ship, but everything points to the fact that: she is one of those experiments which carry in themselves the secret of success. LAUNCH OF SUCTION DREDGE CAUCUS. The James Reilly Repair & Supply Co. of. New York launched the second of the two large sea-going suction dredges for the United States government at the Greenport yard, Greenport, L. I, at noon on Saturday last. The vessel was christened the Caucus by Miss Anna M. Bowman, daughter of Mr. M. K. Bowman, manager of the Reilly Co. The two'ves- sels, which have been under construction for the past twelve months, are intended to remove the sand from the mouth of the St. John's river, Fla., and also the harbor of Pensacola, Fla. These vessels are of a type which has sprung into use during the last few years to meet conditions where the ordi- nary dredging apparatus would be entirely inadequate. In order to combat the inroads of the sea it is necessary to handle very large quantities of sand, and therefore high powered machinery is absolutely essential. In appearance the vessels resemble a coasting steamship, with the addition that on each side of the vessel there is located a large tube, swivel- ing amidship, which tubes are lowered or inclined so that the free ends, fitted with heavy scraper nozzles, will drag on the bottom. The vessel is then propelled under her own steam at a moderate speed, and large centrifugal sand pumps in the vessel draw the sand mixed with the water and discharge it into the main body of the vessel, the forward and after holds of which are arranged to receive the sand. When the com- partments holding 1,600 tons are filled, which operation takes only a time of about forty-five minutes, the tubes are drawn up and the vessel proceeds to sea where the sand is discharged by means of numerous sluices in the bottom of the hull. The hulls of the vessels are built of heavy timber in order to stand the racking strain due to frequent grounding on the sand, They are 200 ft. long, 40 ft. beam, and 23 ft. 2 in. in depth, and are fitted with two large Scotch boilers of about 2,000 H. P. capacity. The propelling engines are of the verti- cal inverted compound type of about 1,200 H. P. capacity., The sand pumping machinery on one vessel consists of two centri- fugal pumps each driven by a vertical compound engine of about 700 H. P. capacity, each pump being connected to one of the aforementioned suction tubes. Each vessel has the usual auxiliary machinery fitted to regular steamships and' carries a crew of thirty-six men. The navy department has been informed that the cruiser Tacoma has arrived at Rio Janeiro, having cruised from San Francisco down the west coast to South America around the Brazilian port in search of the missing merchant marine Conemaugh. The Tacoma failed to find any trace of the Conemaugh which has now been missing for several months. The cylinder head of the steamer Ogemaw blew off in Lake Huron off Au Sable last week. The Ogemaw was picked up shortly afterwards by the steamer Langell Boys and towed to West Bay City.