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39 THE MarRINE REVIEW of an air pump. The propeller was illuminated in a definite position of each revolution, and to the eye it appeared sta- tionary. At a speed of revolutions corresponding to the Turbinia's original propeller, the experiments showed that there was cons:derable loss in the propeller efficiency, due to cavitation. . Following the success of the Turbinia, the torpedo-boat destroyers Viper and Cobra were built and fitted with tur- bine machinery for the royal navy, and achieved. remarkable speeds, the Viper taking the position of being the fastest vessel in the world, having attained the phenomenal speed of 36.86 knots per hour. Unfortunately, however, the Viper ran on the rocks of the Channel islands in a fog, and ulti- mately became a total wreck. The Cobra foundered in a storm: Thus, after two or three years of hard work, the Turbinia was the only vessel afloat fitted with turbine en- gines. The Parsons Marine Steam Turbine company had directed their almost exclusive attention to the introduction of the turbine in destroyers, as being the most favorable among vessels for the application of the tu:bine system, but, un- fortunately, owing to a report prevalent at the time, that the consumption at cruising speeds: was much greater than that of ordinary engines, and by the total loss of the only two sets of machine-y fitted at that period, with the excep- tion of the Turbinia, it had a very detrimental effect upon the introduction of turbine machinery generally. About this period, very great difficulty was expezienced in en- deavoring to induce railway companies, and owners of mercantile vessels, to build a turbine vessel; each company appeared to be very anxious that someone else should make the first experiment. Those closely associated with the development of the turbine were beginning to some- what despair of success when Captain John Williamson came forward, and the result of a conference between - Messrs. W. Denny & Bros., of Dumbarton, Captain Wil- liamson, and Mr. Parsons, was that it was resolved to build a turbine vessel for passenger service on the Clyde. It was in the year 1901 that the King Edward, the first, turbine vessel for the mercantile mazine, was built. So _ successful was this vessel during the first season's running on the Clyde (the year of the great exhibition at Glas- gow), that an order was placed fo- a second vessel, Queen Alexandra, and the performance of these two vessels run- ning on the Firth of Clyde, demonstrated the commercial advantages accruing from the adoption of the turbine sys- tem. Captain Williamson's name will long be associated as the pioneer ship owner adopting the turbine system for the mercantile marine. : . Since the King Edward. and Queen Alexandra were put On service, they have run every season with remarkable success, and the machinery has not given the slightest trouble. : _ The performance of these two vessels, and of two other similar vessels on the Clyde, fitted with reciprocating ma- . chinery, is given, by the courtesy of Captain Williamson, in these tables :-- Dis. ee Aver: No. of Length Bre'dth) Draft} place- en age | Passengers Feet | Feet | Feet | ™e"t peed' | Work- Vessel Knot ing certified Tons | 29S | Speed to carry Turbine eamer-- ; edward) 29 -| 80 |. 6-| 650. | 20% | 18% 1,994 Turbine Steamer--_ Oe andre 270 32 7 0 | 214 | 19 2,077 Paddle = hat aaa : ""Hamilton| 250 30 | 56 | 688 | 18 16 1,780 Paddle Steamer-- vee 245° | 29 (| 6.25 | 632} 19% | 17% 1.497 ; Milease cue erase are a ailin er Ton oa SEASON 1901 ae paeass ae per Day Miles Miles Days | Miles . ons King Edward . 12,116 153.5 79 S47, i 18.4 Duchess of Hamilto 15,504 140 iit 8.87 15.85 Juno. <<. 2 a 9,777 115 85 7.07 16.25 SEASON 1902 King Edward 3 15.605 142 110 8.24 17.25 o Alexandra .. 16,598 156.5 106 8.14 19.2 uchess of Hamilton 14,850 141.5 105 8 51 16.6 Juno... we aS 10,150 122.25 83 7.84 15.6 SEASON 19038 King Edward e 18,435 174 106 8.45 20.6 Queen Alexandra .. 19,421 155.5 125 8.11 19.15 Juno «3. Ss i 9,845 114 86 6.71 17.0 SEASON 1904 King Edward .. .. 19,253 182 106 8.23. 22.0 Queen Alexandra .. 19,978 162.5 123 7 44 21.82 Duchess of Hamilton 13,026 158» 85 8.90 © 17.25 JUNG ke oe. 10,497 116.5 90 6.85 17.0 SEASON 1905 King Edward - 20,906 172 122 8.9 19.25 ae Alexandra .. 18,489 164.5 112 90 18 25 Jamo. 3: a fe 11,310 123 92 1.03 16.0 Further interesting figures as to the coal consumption of the King Edward were made public by Captain John Williamson. He stated that a steamer of a similar type, and practically of the same dimensions and the 'same service speed, but fitted with ordinary engines, steamed 12,106 knots in 80 days on.a coal consumption of 1,909 tons, at an average speed of 18%4 knots. As against this the King. Edward steamed 12,116 knots in , 79 - days, on a coal consumption of 1,429 tons, at an average speed 'of 1814 knots. Thus the turbine vessel steamed to knots more in all, at the same speed, on a coal consumption of 480 ton's less. fe Other vessels very quickly followed the King Edward and Queen Alexandra. The first vessel to be fitted with turbines for cross- channel service was The Queen, for the Southeastern and Chatham Railway Co.'s Dover and Calais route. This vessel confirmed the economical results obtained in the King Edward and Queen Alexand:a, and when compared: with other vessels on the same route fitted with reciprocat- _ing engines, the earning power of The Queen has been found to be very much greater. Perhaps no clearer proof is required of this than that the owners have recently added two new turbine steamers to their fleet for cross- channel service--Onward and Invicta. The following table shows the earning power of the turbine-propelled channel steamer, The Queen, on the Dover-Calais route, as compared with three othe: vessels fitted with ordinary engines on the same route. The table shows the percentage, difference of coal, oil, and engine- room staff, per passenger each vessel is certified to carry, taking The Queen as a standard on which the figures are based. 'The figures from which the following table has been formulated were supplied by Captain Dixon, marine sup- erintendent of the South-Eastern and Chatham Railways. At or about the same time as The Queen was ordered, the London, Brighton, and South-Coast Railway Co. placed an order for a channel steamer for their New- haven-Dieppe service, viz.:--Brighton, and they last year added a second turbine vessel--Dieppe--to their cross- channel service. \ Per Passenger Vessels certified ' Service RLS Dimensions | Speed Coal Burnt} Oil used pee: Percentage Feet Knot Percentage|}Percentage i ors | Increase | Increase | Increase The Queen 823 by 43 21 -- -- -- B 824 by 34.9 18 74 197 108 C 280 by 35 18% 25 147 46.7 D 313 by 36 11% 107 169 73