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Practical Ideas tor the Engineer _ Moving a Coal Bridge--Makes Quick Repairs--Square Masts--Machining Propellers -- System of Dry Lock -- Setting Valves -- Drilling Square Holes WO developments in marine en- gineering, resulting from the war, were discussed at a recent meet- ing of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders at New- castle, England. The increased use of speed reduction gearing in turbine in- Stallations has brought about some re- markable changes. For the first. time in maritime history, it was stated, 20,000 shaft horsepower passed through one set of gearing on the cruiser CHAMPION, which is said to be a marked advance- ment in marine engineering practice. High efficiency was also attained in speed trials before putting ships in com- . mission. High-powered vessels, during the war, went to sea after basin trials without exhaustive preliminary tests. The cruiser CouraGeous was gradually worked up to approximately one-third of full power and after an interval of 2% hours the designed full power was exceeded. The ResoLution, after her basin trial, steamed straight out in the North sea, got up full power in an hour and ran at full speed until late in the after- noon when the order was passed to slow down. The destroyer WATERHEN obtained full power in less than two hours, while the destroyer NoNnsucH was raised to full power in less than seven minutes from the time she left the dock. Freedom from breakdowns were said to be characteristic of the majority of trials made under emer- gency conditions. Moving a Coal Bridge An interesting scheme for moving the dock end of a coal handling tower is found at the yards of the Kennebec Wharf & Coal Co., Bath, Me. The bridge is a standard steel frame coal handling bridge built by the McMyler-Interstate Co. Cleve- land. As originally designed the A- frame and engine room were provided with means for propelling the shore end of the bridge up and down the long track which lines the outer edge of the stockpiles. The light dock end of the bridge, however, had no means of self-propulsion and it was neces- sary in order to move the bridge from one place to another to get several men with crowbars to move this part of the bridge while the en- gine moved the other end. Recently, the engineer in charge of the bridge bought a second hand, 18-horsepower marine engine which he mounted on a. platform fastened just above the wheels of the truck at the dock end. He then bolted a sprocket to one of the wheels and by means of a chain drive is enabled to move this outer 482 rammed by the bridge end in conjunction with the movement of the A-frame end with- out extra labor and with entire satis- faction. A 2-inch pipe carries the steam from the engine room to the top of the tower and from there a 1.5-inch pipe runs to the outer end of the bridge and down to the 18- horsepower engine. -- Makes Quick Repairs When the freighter, Lorp Dvurrerin, floated out of the drydock recently a most interesting repair job was brought to a conclusion. In 18%4 working days a complete stern section, 64 feet long, was built onto this ship. The Lorp DuFFERIN is a British ship operated by Gaston, Williams & Wigmore, New York. While she was at anchor in New York harbor on last February, she was Cunard liner, Agut- TANIA, inbound and returning troops. The stem of the big liner cut the freighter completely in two at a point about 12 feet forward of the poop deck and just aft of cargo hatch No. 5. The after portion of the vessel, includ- ing rudder, stern frame, propeller, tail- shaft, stern tube, two lengths of inter- mediate shaft and machinery and fit- tings in the section, was lost. The work of salvage was promptly begun, the vessel successfully raised and, with the aid of pontoons, towed to the Erie basin plant of the Robins Dry Dock & Repair Co. and placed in the graving dock. Surveys feet had been cut off and as it was assumed that the missing section would probably be in good condition to put back in place, efforts were made to salvage it. Divers explored the harbor bed for a considerable area'*but after their sev- eral attempts were unsuccessful it was decided to abandon the original sec- tion and fabricate a new one. Three molds were taken of the sound por- tion of: the hull, at equal distances, just forward of the cut. New lines were then run for the new stern and faired up to the satisfaction of the owners and surveyors. Molds were then made of all frames, beams, floors, keelsons, stringers, tanks, tunnel recess, bulk- heads and deep-plating. A few days later this material had been fabricated and was ready to be put in position. The task of erecting the after por- tion of the vessel was then commenced. showed that about 64 --