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

14 MARINE REVIEW. CLYDE RIVER PASSENGER STEAMER. A SPECIAL TYPE OF VESSEL WHICH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO MEET LOCAL CONDITIONS—VERY SPEEDY CRAFT. [Special correspondence to the Marine Review.] Glasgow, Scotland, March 18.—A glance upon the western portion of a map of Scotland will immediately locate the Clyde firth and river, and, at some distance inland on the banks of the river, the city of Glasgow, the well-known commercial and industrial center of Scotland. Then along the banks of the river and firth west of Glasgow a number of small towns may be noticed, as Renfrew, Helensburgh, Gourock, Dunoon, etc. Some of these towns have their own business and social life, but the workers of many go up to Glasgow itself for their business. This is particularly true during the summers when all of these towns entertain visitors and the wealthier classes from the city inhabit the numberless cottages along the river banks, and both travel daily between the city and their summer homes. The renowned Clyde yachting, which is centered about Dunoon and Hunters Quay, draws many people who add to this traffic, and the long mild summer days set off the attractions of the river banks, a tem- porary residence. To handle these commuters and the shifting crowds of the summer holidays, both quickly and cheaply, a specific type of steamer has been developed which may be called the Clyde river steamer. Some thirty or forty of these steamers are owned by three rival railroad companies cen- tering in Glasgow, and run from quay to quay about the river and firth in connection with their various trains. The competition in this factor of the service of these companies is so keen that the highest scientific talent of such Clyde ship designers and builders as Denny Bros. of Dumbarton, Henderson Bros. of Glasgow, and others, has been called upon to advance | te Rta a fee Glen Sannox. Dandie Dinmont, the type to a maximum of speed, handiness and efficiency. Each company is often building new steamers to distance its rivals and in this they hold a spirit approaching that of the Germans in the trans-Atlantic race. This type of river steamer can be divided into two classes—those which are run on and about the mouth of the river and those connecting with the towns about the lower reaches of the firth. The latter class is naturally the larger and heavier, while it also has superior and more com- plete passenger accommodations. The duties of both classes, however, are practically identical and consist of short, quick runs between quays with the minimum of delay at each, the transportation of passengers, and luggage only, and, what is perhaps most eagerly sought, to beat out the steamers of the rival companies. Under this keen competition these steamers have become so similar in design and construction that a de- scription of one of the larger class, supplemented by a few figures of the smaller, will accurately define the whole type. The Glen Sannox, one of the leading steamers of the Glasgow and Southwestern Railroad Co.’s fleet, will represent most excellently the higher class. The illustration of this craft shows the use of the paddle wheel, the ease of the motion through the water, the well chosen propor- tions and the thoroughly neat, self contained, ship-shape effect of the whole, which is so characteristic of most British designs. The Glen Sannox is 267 ft. long over all, 30 ft. molded breadth, and 18 ft. deep to upper or promenade deck, which gives a gross tonnage of 610. The speed on official trial was 20% knots, and in continual regular service the aver- age, including several stops, stands at a little above 19 knots. The hull is built up entirely of steel to the scantling, of the British board of trade register, and is subdivided into six water tight compartments by integral bulkheads. At all points a study was made to save unnecessary weight, and following from this the displacement is low and the lines of the body fine and well drawn out. Three decks are fitted, the upper or promenade, the main and lower. As required by the class distinctions of the British railroads there are provisions for handling first and second-class passengers, the accommo- dations for the second class being forward and those for the first class aft. Both’ first and. second-tlass accommodations consist of a general saloon on the main deck, a dining room on the lowér detk, "together with [March 28, the usual secondary apartments. The first-class saloon, which is reached by a companion just aft of the after funnel on the promenade deck, ex- tends to the after limit of this deck for the whole width of the hull. It is extremely light and well ventilated. Large rectangular plate glass win- dows allow free view abeam and astern. The sofas are arranged in re- peating bays to give a maximum seating capacity for the floor area, and mirrors, curtains, writing tables, etc., are fitted for the comfort and con- venience of the passengers. In the forward section of the saloon are a ladies’ room and smoking room, both of which are tastefully and appro- priately fitted. The first-class dining room, which is on the lower deck, is reached by a broad stairway from the forward end of the saloon. There is seating capacity for ninety persons and both the appointments and the service itself are of the highest class. Forward of the engine and boiler compartments are the second-class accommodations, which are duplicates of those aft in extent, but, of course, smaller and less elaborate in their fittings. Between these for- ward accommodations and the collision bulkhead are quarters for the deck crew. About the engine casings on the main deck are exception- ally complete staterooms for the officers, engineers, firemen and stokers, Here also are the galleys and store rooms, while on the broad guards, fore and aft of the paddle wheels, are additional store rooms, water closets for the crew, etc. On the promenade deck between the funnels is a small teak deck house, which contains the captain’s room and an office for the purser. From the top of this house the bridge is carried out to the sides of the paddle boxes, which gives a free view to the officer in charge when making a landing. : ° j Incandescent electric lamps are fitted throughout the interior and on the promenade deck arc lights are placed for convenience of passengers when landing, etc., during a night run. A steam steering gear is fitted on the main deck and operated by a hand wheel on the bridge. The anchor gear on the promenade deck consists merely of a capstan, which is used Lord of the Isles. Minerva. in connection with a windlass placed on the main deck. Life-boats are carried in number suited to the board of trade requirements, but much dependence, in case of sinking, is placed on the promenade deck seats, vi are all fitted with air tanks and would form efficient life rafts if re- quired. The propelling power is placed in the three midship compartments, so that there is a boiler room forward and another aft of the engine compartment. The two boilers are worked with forced draft on the closed stoke hole system and supply steam at 150 Ibs. pressure. One is placed in each compartment and they are of the conventional cylindrical, return-tube marine type. The engines are of the compound, diagonal, direct acting type. The cylinders are arranged side by side and are 34% in. and 74 in. respectively, with a stroke of 60 in. The crank shaft frames are bolted directly to a foundation plate of the hull and the guides formed to stiffen the whole, so that the vibration at the maximum power is but slight. The surface condenser used is placed transversely under the cross head guides and the pumps are worked by a rocking arm from the cross head of the high pressure piston rod, The Dandie Dinmont, owned by the North British Railroad Co., may be taken as the representative of the second class. In the illustration the same high qualities of design and proportions can be seen as exist in the larger class. The dimensions of the steamer are: Length, 195 ft.; molded breadth, 22.1 ft.; depth to the main deck of 7.2 ft.; which give an under deck tonnage of 204. The same principles which determined the con- struction of the hull, the proportions of the lines, the propeller, etc., of the larger class are here used with similar results. As the service is in quiet waters the promenade deck is stopped some 50 ft. short of the stem, and the main deck thus exposed serves as a promenade for the second-class passengers. -A second-class saloon occupies the section forward of the boiler under the promenade deck, but there is no associated dining room; in fact, there is no lower deck beyond light wooden flats at such points as are required for officer and crew accommodations. Aft of the engine and boiler space are the first-class accommodations, which consist of a broad light saloon and the usual secondary apartments, but as is the case forward, there is no dining room. However, these steamers are finished in detail and taste of decorations with the same comipleteness that