A QUESTION OF SCREWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 7

A QUESTION OF SCREWS.

TWIN v. SINGLE. The .recent...accidents- to <,cargo steamers through. .the l breaking•' \.of - .'tail shafts formed - the ; subject''of .inquiry- .by -a representative ;of .Thb.v/ Dominion •' yesterday. •'' The' general was'.that "as: matter's stand at present every'prccaui-in is taken 'against-' accident, thetail:. shafts .* being: ■ drawn by order of the;Oroyernriient, at least-once in two, yoars, whilst, of recent'-years tlie < size of tho shaft: had boon increased. 'In : New'Zealand every, boat . had ;'-.to ; undergo survey, ' even boats . which' in England were allowed to run free so long as they did not. carry-more than twelve passengers. -It' was.'pointed out that the majority (if tho modern,passenger ; steamers being fitted with and insurance companies', covering ; tho vessels took into' consideration tho lessoned risk of loss by'the additional propeller, and quoted a special rate of ipremium for ,twin-screw- boats. Two i well-krioVni and experienced engineers, Bpeakihg in-reference to tho average tvpo of cargo vessels; remarked, that : tho cargo carriftriwas a cheaper class of boat than the passenger and','.th'o'.- additional cost of twihj, screws. was- a- bar to their inclusion in cargo; boats, necessitating, a3 the double screws did, two sots of engines as well as two tunnels, which meant: a loss of a certain airiount of .cargo space.' None of the engineers twere in', a. position to give an; estimate of the increased/cost that would be . incurred in placing twin.'screws in a vessel further-than saying .that ths increase'would be - considerablo and .would depend upbn; the sizo'lef tho boat. -T'" ,Mr. W. M'Pberson, for many years a, chief engitieer in.the service of the .Shaw, Savill | and'-'Albion- Co. (and who iwas^in.'charge' be- \ lowiwhen the Waiwera' tboli'.'the - If'irst Con- ! tingfint to .South Africa), and how of the training ship.' Aitiokurai, has 110 doubt as to what is tiio,,right and proper , thing to do. He; is of tho opinion . thaV every oceangoing steamer, whether passenger palaco or cargo tramp, should be fitted with twin screws. When Mr.. M'l'horson was-in tho service .of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., at. the Jtirao theyV':.wero building the Maori, he told those in authority that they were making y mistake in not fitting .her with twin screws. They had come to sco his way sinco—all the' later_ Shaw-Savill boats had the two sets of engines. - "It is only a fair thing," said he, "that any' steamer which has to steam to London via, jthe . Horn should be given tho double ohance." . . _ Jlr. MJPhcrson did not think the cost of twin;engincs would bo so very much greater than'.tho single set.- , The. borse-poivor was divided up, the shafts were uot so big or cumbersome -as where there was only a single shaft, and the boiler power would be the : same-, ...,-