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THE NEW TURBINE STEAMER "QUEEN," PLYING ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL BETWEEN CALAIS AND DOVER.

the channel. The "Rob Roy" was the first steamship to make the trip between Dover and Calais. This was in 1820, but at that time steam power was in its infancy, and the "Rob Roy" did not greatly reduce the time of passage. During the later developments of steam power, larger steamers were used, and each, in turn, lowered the record a little.

On June 27th, 1903, the "Queen," a new turbine steamer, was commissioned, and at the speed of twenty-three knots an hour has aided materially in making the trip from Dover to Calais endurable. This steamer has reduced the time of the trip from pier head to pier head to fifty minutes. The noise made by turbine en

The following is an excellent description of the "Queen," given by our consul, Mr. J. B. Milner:

The new vessel is 310 feet long, with a moulded breadth of 40 feet and a depth of 25 feet, and has a complete awning deck.

The machinery consists of Parson's turbines, three being fitted having three lines of shafting. In maneuvering, the center shaft runs free; the two side shafts then take the place of ordinary twin screws, and, as has been demonstrated in the "Queen Alexandra," the maneuvering power is in every respect as good as in ordinary twin screws, while in the going astern there is none of that objectionable

vibration which is to be felt in the most modern twin-screw balanced arrange

ment.

The main engines in the "Queen" consist of three separate turbines, each driving its own line of shafting, the center turbine being high-pressure and the two side ones being low-pressure. When going ahead in ordinary work the steam is admitted to the high-pressure turbine; and, after expanson there, passes to the low-pressure turbines and then to the condensers, the total ratio of expansion being about one hundred and twenty-five fold, as compared with eight to sixteen fold in triple-expansion reciprocating engines. At the ordinary steaming speed of the "Queen" the revolutions of the center shaft are about 700, and of the two side shafts about 500 per minute. This high rotative velocity implies the adoption of propellers of small diameter, and the utmost care is exercised in balancing them so as to obtain the full advantage of the absence of vibration secured by the adoption of the turbine principle.

When going full speed ahead all the lines of shafting, central as well as side, are in action; but when coming alongside a quay or maneuvering in or out of the harbor, the outer shafts only are used, thus giving the vessel all the turning and maneuvering efficiency of a twin-screw steamer. The means for obtaining this

maneuvering power demands a word or two of explanation. Inside the exhaust end of each low-pressure turbine cylinder is placed an astern turbine, controlled by slide valves operated by combined steam and hydraulic reversing engines. These valves admit steam directly into the low-pressure turbines, or into the reversing turbines within same, for going ahead or astern. The center turbine under these circumstances revolves idly in a vacuum, its steam-admission valve being closed and its connection with the low-pressure turbines being closed by non-return valves. The centrifugal circulating pumps, and the air pumps, all of which are in duplicate-one set for each of the two condensers—are driven by independent double-cylinder steam engines; and the feed-water is supplied to the boilers by two feed pumps, controlled by a float tank into which the air pumps discharge the condensed water. There

are also special pumps for wash-deck and fire service, as also the various pumps for oil and water circulation, as required by Parson's system. Steam is supplied to the turbines by two double- and two single-ended boilers, Scotch cylindrical type.

One noteworthy feature on board the "Queen" will be the absence of hot cinders and dust, which are-more especially to ladies--such a nuisance on board most steamers fitted with forced draft.

Readers of the interesting article on Wireless Telegraphy in this month's issue will no doubt be surprised to see how quickly the Marconi system has passed the experimental stage of development and is fast becoming a factor in the commercial world. The well-known firm of Munroe & Munroe of New York is providing the company with ample capital to place this famous invention upon a most substantial basis. Wireless telegraphy is a new and already important force in commercial life.

William Beedle of Waltham Green, England, has been building a new airship which is a compromise between the bal

Spencer, and Jules Verne's "Clipper of the Clouds," which was imagined as raising itself by electric fans. This new ship has a balloon shaped like a torpedo, which is capable of raising it to a height of 100 feet, and beyond that it will be raised or lowered by means of a fan driven by the motor, which also operates the propeller.

The capacity of the Baldwin Locomotive Works is equal to five locomotives a day; but during last April, 107 complete locomotives were turned out, averaging in weight 125 tons and valued at $2,750,000. This company employs 15,000 men, and the weekly pay roll amounts to

LITERATVRE

REVIEWS MAGAZINES

BOOKS

Devoted to a review of new and timely books on Scientific, Technical, and Industrial subjects;
and a presentation in condensed form of a select list of the most important current Magazine
Articles and Manufacturers' Catalogues in the field of Engineering, Architecture, and other
branches of Applied Science.

BOOKS.

The New Epoch: as Developed by the Manufacture of Power. By George S. Morrison, Boston. Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 134 pages. $1.50.

In this work, the author has given an exceedingly interesting review of our century's industrial achievements, and the strides civilization has made since man learned to manufacture power. It is questionable if the average person is reasonably familiar with the changes which have taken place in the industrial world during our own generation. "The New Epoch" takes up this subject; and in a series of well-written chapters, gives the reader a comprehensive review of the entire field. "The New Epoch" deals with a subject the general public is anxious to know something about, and is certain to meet with a favorable reception.

Home Mechanics for Amateurs. By George M. Hopkins. Munn & Company, New York. 370 pages; 320 illustrations. $1.50.

We know of no book equal to "Home Mechanics for Amateurs." It is well written, well illustrated, and, above all, easy to understand. "Home Mechanics" covers a broad field dealing with wood working, metal spinning, silver working, making model engines, and a hundred other subjects full of live interest to amateurs. This work written by one of the most noted amateur experimenters, will make a strong appeal to boys. It is full of descriptions of all the different kinds of machinery that never fail to fascinate a boy's heart. It has had a large sale and will continue to enjoy a substantial

measure of popularity as it becomes better known.

How to Judge Architecture. By Russell Sturgis, A. M., Ph. D. Illustrated. The Baker & Taylor Co., New York. 221 pages. $1.50.

Few books have been published on the subject of architecture more valuable to the ordinary reader than this. It is fortunate that such a popular book should have been written by one who is justly acknowledged to be a leading critic. He informs us as to Greek, Mediæval, the Revived Classic, Nineteenth Century, and other architecture. His text is clear, concise, and to the point; it is aided by a gratifying large number of illustrations. We are glad to have brought together in both text and picture, comparisons between the early Grecian temples and the great Gothic cathedrals, and even between these and modern commercial and residential buildings.

The Steam Turbine. By Robert M. Nielson. 163 pages, with figures and full-page plates. Longmans, Green & Co., London and New York. $2.50.

The second edition of this valuable book has come from the press of Longmans, Green & Co. That a second edition should be issued is an indication of the · present interest in the steam turbine, as well as of the high character of the work. The author, believing that the steam turbine is destined to occupy a more important position in the future, has given in one connected treatise a thorough discussion of the subject from a historical, theoretical, and practical point of view. The size of this edition is much larger

than the first, as the author has discussed the recent developments in Europe and the United States, such as the Stumpf, the Schuiz, and the Seger turbines. A chapter is devoted to temperature-entropy diagrams and their application to motors, which throws light on the theory of the steam turbine from the thermodynamic point of view. The author has also given the results of many series of tests and has taken care to make the values recorded as accurate as possible. This book is the first extended treatment on the steam turbine, and as such, is a work of much interest.

Homes and Their Decorations. By Lillian Hamilton French. New York. Dodd, Mead & Co. 430 pages. $3.00.

The

This is a book for home-makers. author has presented her subject in nearly every detail of household arrangement, from the drawing-room of the wealthy to the tiny kitchen of the flat-dweller. The interest of every woman is drawn to a work of this character, for no matter where she lives, woman naturally builds a home.

Miss French is "trying to help the bewildered householder to see clearly what results she has been striving for, and how to go to work to obtain them." Good taste in style and coloring may prevail in homes of modest incomes, while there is no possible excuse for inharmonious furnishings and decorations in the establishments of the millionaire. She insists that every woman should know how to give an air of cheerfulness. and welcome to a home. It is perhaps rather an instinct than to be acquired by books or teachings, for the meaning of a home comes from the fitness of the surroundings to the individual associations and history of its inmates; its dearest possessions are often an inheritance. of the past, rather than the selection of costly furniture.

Illustrations and pen-and-ink sketches are scattered profusely throughout the work, giving to the reader the arrangement and ideas of certain rooms, and styles of furniture and hangings that please the writer's taste. We rather think that this taste is for over much ornamentation and furnishings. For ex

ample, the kitchen is but a work room, and while it should be kept cheerful and comfortable, the "tall Japanese screen to conceal the stove when no cooking is going on" means an expenditure of time and strength, and perhaps, space, that would be unnecessary. Few women stay in the kitchen nowadays longer than to do the actual work.

There is a store of ideas in the chapter on bedrooms, mainly advocating simplicity, although the suggested arrangements are often complex; still, by sifting out, here and there, these complications, one finds much that will add to the comfort of a home and its guests.

The quaint, old-fashioned styles suggested for dining rooms make one wish to refurnish, and to reproduce Miss French's arrangements; and the chapter on "Floors and Their Coverings" is one of value and interest.

While Miss French is full of fads and prejudice in the wide range of her enthusiasm, the reader cannot fail to be benefited by a careful study of her book.

Light Waves and Their Uses. By Albert A. Michelson. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 164 pages. $2.00.

This book contains a course of eight lectures delivered before the Lowell Institute at Boston in the year 1899. In these lectures the results of the investigations with which the author has been engaged for the last twenty years are presented in language as free from technicality as possible. The first chapter contains a discussion of wave motion, and shows that the most important characteristic of waves is their ability to produce interference phenomena. The other lectures deal with the methods which have been devised for making use of the interference of the waves of light in the production of a natural standard of length, in analyzing the vibrations which a source of light emits, and in measuring extremely minute distances and angles.

"These lectures, although they lead to the very frontier of physical knowledge, are written in a style readily comprehensible to anyone of average education in physics; and will be found very useful, not only to specialists, but to those who wish to keep informed of recent scientific methods and progress in that field."

Physical Chemistry in the Service of the Sciences. By Jacobus H. Van't Hoff. The University of Chicago Press. 123 pages. $1.50.

This volume is one of the decennial publications of the University of Chicago, embodying a series of nine lectures delivered by Professor Van't Hoff in 1901, prefaced by Alexander Smith, who is responsible for the English version. The frontispiece is a portrait of

the author.

These lectures present in a semi-popular form the somewhat new and difficult subject of Physical Chemistry and Chemistry of Space. The work is scarcely detailed enough to warrant its use as a textbook, but it will find ready sale to those who already are possessors of Van't Hoff's more extended treatises, and who wish to have, in compact form, a resumé of some of the more important principles of physical chemistry. This is an extremely readable book, interest being sustained from first to last.

The chapters on "Physical Chemistry and Physiology" are particularly interesting, taking up the theories of solution, osmotic pressures, and the specific action of chemical ions in the physical metabolism, the second chapter taking up the subject of enzymes and their effects as catalytic agents tending toward chemical equilibrium.

In the chapters on Geology, something of the chemistry of space is discussed, the formation and structure of geological salts, and the influence of heat and variations in temperature upon crystallization.

treatise upon electrical matters. It covers a very broad field, and therefore cannot be expected to treat exhaustively from a theoretical standpoint any of the many subjects taken up. The large number of diagrams with clear and concise explanations, constitute the most valuable feature of the work. Among the many subjects discussed are bells, annunciators, fire and burglar alarms, telephones, telegraph, gas lighting, electric lighting, transformers, motors, generators, switchboards, storage batteries, etc. In the latter part of the book is a section on Useful Facts and Formulas; and the book concludes with a set of tables on properties of wires, fusing currents, etc. The Practical Engineer's Pocketbook. This little

pocketbook (34x5% inches, 600 pages) is published by the Technical Publishing Company. 75 cents. The Derry-Collard Co. of New York have the exclusive rights of sale in this country. The subjects covered are substantially the same as those in other mechanical engineer's pocketbooksnotes on boilers and accessories, useful tables, steam engines, pumps, steam turbines, gas engines, refrigeration, machine design, shop work, etc. The directions for making blue prints are unusually good; formulas for black or blue lines on white ground are given. In the back of the book is a diary for 1904. This diary serves as a convenient notebook, as sketches can easily be made on the cross-section paper. When one considers the contents and flexible leather cover, the price, 75 cents, seems very low. In fact, this is the best mechanical pocketbook for the price that we have ever

seen.

The book will commend itself particularly to teachers and advanced students. To one inquiring for the first time into this subject, it will, however, be found too much abridged to be particularly helpful. The book is neatly bound in red cloth, in quarto form, and is published by the Technical Publishing Comlished at $1.50.

Modern Wiring Diagrams and Descriptions. A

Handbook of Practical Diagrams and Information for Electrical Construction Work. By Henry C. Horstmann and Victor H. Tousley. Fred J. Drake & Co., Chicago. 157 pages. $1.50.

This book is put up in a neat and attractive form, and can be conveniently carried in the pocket. It contains. in a small space an unusual amount of valuable information in such form as can be readily applied. It partakes of the nature of a handbook rather than of a

The Practical Engineer's Electrical Pocketbook. This book is bound in the same style as the mechanical pocketbook (the Practical Engineer's Pocketbook). It is also pub

pany and sold in this country by the Derry-Collard Co. of New York. Although many of the tables are the same as those in the Practical Engineer's Pocketbook, this one is devoted largely to electricity-measurements and measuring instruments, methods of wiring and wire tables, construction and operation of generators and motors, alternating currents, batteries (primary and secondary), lighting systems, etc. Price 75

cents.

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