SHIPBUILDING IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 89, 8 January 1918, Page 7

SHIPBUILDING IN AUSTRALIA

THE NEW STEEL VESSELS.

Tho news that tho Federal Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes), after consultation with tho new Commonwealth Supervisor of Shipping, had decided to commence at tho earliest possible moment tho building of two steel ships at Williamstown has been much discussed in shipping circles, states tho "A"e." A representative of Lloyd's Register said he had boon notified that tho vessels were to bo constructed to Lloyd's 100 A 1 class.! Tho ships were to bo of tho Isberwood standard style. Tho Isberwood system of longitudinal framing had proved_ very satisfactory; especially in tho building of oil tankers. The main principle of tho Isberwood system was that the main strength' of tho vessel was in her longitudinal construction, instead of in the transverso framing. For a vessel built 011 this system comparatively loss steel was absorbed than for a similar vessel not so constructed. The inventor of the Isherwood system was originally a surveyor of Lloyd's Register. _ It was rccontly claimed in tho interests of tho Isherwood system that the tonnage built or on order to this system numbered 700 vessels, aggregating approximately 5,500,000 tons dead weight carrying capacity. The Norwegian steamer Storstadt, which was involved somo years ago in tho tragic collision with tho passenger steamer Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence River, was constructed on tho Isherwood system. So well did she stand the strain after tho impact with tho doomed Empress of Ireland that a photograph of tho Storstadt taken after the disaster was subsequently mado the subject of a widely-circulatcd advertisement for the Isherwood system.

Reference was recently made in "The Age" to the fact that Canada is making progress with .the construction of steel steamers. The vessels to be built at Williamstown aro to be 331 foot.long by 48 feet, with a carrying capacity or 5300 tons. Tho first steel steamer recently lannchod in Canada had a dead weight carrying capacity of 4750 tons. She is of t'M usual single deck'type, with poop bridge and top-gallant forecastle. She lias three main cargo holds, with four hatches, which are each served by two 5-ton derricks. The vessel is to be driven with one set triple-expan-sion engines, having cylinders 24, 38, and 62 inches diameter by 42 inches stroke.