Work or Lloyd's Register

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 March 1917, Page 4

Work or Lloyd's Register

LARGE TONNAGE ON HAND

The report of Lloyd's Register of Shipping for the year states that, ai few industries has the effect of the war been more widespread and far-reaching than in the domain of shipping. The disappearance from the high 'sciis 01 ithe neutral combined with the enormous demands which the war has made upon the available tonnage, produced a shortage which has stimulated the building of ships in every country free to engaged in 'ship construction. In the United Kingdom merchant shipbuilding is still seriously restreted by the necessity for the production of war vessels of various kinds; and, although there has recently been some acceleration in the rate of progress in the construction of vessels, the output remains far below that ol normal times. In neutral countries, and particularly in the United States of America ,every effort has been and is being made, by means of the extension 'of existing plants and the creation of new establishments, to cope with the inestablishments, to cope with the increasing demand for tonnage. That a large measure of success has attended these efforts is evident from the fact that there is now being built under the inspection of Lloyd's Register of Shipping, with a view to classification, a larger amount of shipping than has ever been recorded in the Jrjctorv of the society—namely, 620 voxels of '2,282,709 tons. ■ It is added that it is gratifying to the committee to receive this world-widtesti-mony to the efficiency of the society's inspection whilst the fact that this immense volume of shipping is being built to the highest standard of classification must be a source of satisfaction not only to the owners and builders of the vessels but also to the underwriters and merchants concerned.

WAR 'LOSSES. At the close of the yea rending with Juno 10,032 merchant vessels, registering over 23 million tons gross, held classes assigned by the Committee of

-Lloyd's. These figures, .as ti'ey were, showed a failing off from the high water mark of the previous year, thus reflecting the heavy losses which had been caused by the war. The details showed that of the total 5522 vessel of 13,322,424 ton were were British steamers, 203 vessels of 229,803 tons were British sailers, and 81 vessels of 10,948 tons British wood and; composite -steam safiling >craft; 3105 vessels of 8,737,348 tons foreign steamers, 518 vessels of 889,112 tons foreign sailers, and 3 vessels of 525 ton foreign wood and composite steam and sailing craft. During the year the committee passed the plans of 742 vessels, representing 2,375,590 tons of shipping to be built for tlieir classias compared with 733 vessels of 1,715,000 tons in the previous 12 months. The committee assigned classee to 302 new vessels of 790,209 tons, of which 356 were steamers or motor vessels of 789,688 tons and 6 sailing vessels of 521 tons. Of the total of 4'i4,652 tons, or' about's2l per cent were built for the British [Empire (United Kingdom 397,852 tons, Dominions 16,605 tons), and 375,747 tons, or about 471 per cent for other countries. MACHINERY DEVELOPMENTS.

The increasing use of geared steam turbines is pointed out as worthy of note. There were built during tlie year to the saciet-y's classification 9 vessels in which' steam turbines were fitted, 3 of tlieie having Parsons geared turbines and 6 having Ourtis gearer turbines. At present- there were in course* of c6flstYiietio\i with it view to being classed by tlie society 52 vessels in which geared turbines would be fitted—2s with Parsons single geared turbines find 27 with Curtis double reduction geared turbines. In the United Kingdom there were also 2 vessels being built to tlie society's classification in which the 'Ljungstrora turbo-electric propelling plant would be fitted —ofte a singlei-screw vessel, with a total shaft horSe-power and the second a twin-screw vessel with a total shaft horse-power of 5400. ■During the year 7 vessels classed by the Society had been fited with (Diesel engines. Three of them were built by Messrs Burmoister and Wain, Copenhagen. There were ndw 46 vessels holding the society's classification which were fitted with engines of this typo, and there were in course —of construction nnder tlie society's survey over 30 sets of these engines. Twelve of the 46 vessels were equipped with "Workesp6or" four-cycle Diesel engines. In addition several vessels liad been fitted with oil 'engines of other than the Diesel type, among these being 11 fitted with h'ot-bulb engines made by Messr Bolinders, of Stockholm. This type of engine was to be fitted in more than 30 vessels, which were being built under the wr ciety's inspection.