A CRUISER WITHOUT FUNNELS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 87, 8 May 1909, Page 4

A CRUISER WITHOUT FUNNELS.

The despatch recently cabled from England to the effect 'that a biglgnn cruiser is about to be laid down which i ri to be driven by gas engines, and will | therefore lie entirely without smokeStacks,- has brought so many enquiries to the office of the Scientific American that that journal has published a digest of phe principal work that has been done hitherto in applying producer-gas engines to the propulsion oi warships. In view of the fact that the largest engine of (his type known to have been successfully tested in any sea-going vcs'sel is of only 500 horse-power, the next largest being an experimental engine of 1(1110 horse-power, the Scientific American thinks it is safe to say that Hie British Admiralty is not committing itself to the immediate installation of producergas plants in any first-class warship. The new vessel, to be known as the Indefatigable, is to lie an enlarged Indomitable: and as th e cruisers of this class carry engines which indicated on trial about 47.1100 horse-power, it certainly does not appear likely that the British Navy will commit itself |o a jump oi from 300 to nearly 50.000 horse-power without a very consideralil,, intermediate j period of experimental trials. If the results obtained with the 1000 horse-power I experimental engine are as satisfactory la-, those obtained iviih the plant of half the power, the authority above quoted II links we may look for tests with a 5000 j i.r even a 10.000 horse-power installation, the power being developed upon three lor possibly four shafts. But if prnducer- • gas engines were installed on the new | Indefatigable, it would lie necessary Iu | develop from 10,000 to 12,000 horse-power on each of four shafts. No such engines' exist, even in stationary gas-engine pracI lice, where the maximum size is from I 5000 to IiOOO horse-power. However, the advantages of the application of the pro- | ducer-gas engine to warships are so many j and valuable that, the Scientific AmerjI can thinks it well worth the while of | any great navy to spend lavishly for exI periinentiil work aiming at the solution ,of th ( , difficulties attending the problem. | The removal of smokestack,' would j abolish the tell-tale smoke and render it frequently possible for a licet to get within range before being discovered. I The number of guns that could be eniI lied on a given displacement would be j increased and their arcs of lire enlarged. j'J'he peril- of „ulVocalion fine to 'the smokestacks beiag torn open bv exploding shells would In- completely'removed, since-the products of fuel combustion would he discharged through an exhaust in t!i ( , stern near the water-line, liecause of the high fuel efficiency, which is 80 to 1(10 per cent, bolter than thai of the ordinary marine steam plant, a ship would be able to h leam nearly twice as far on Hi,, same coal supply, 'if the nation which first perfects a large mar- I ine gas engine should also possess the facilities and capital to rapidly build a licet of gas-engine battleships' and cruisers, she will gain a lead over her compeiitoi's that might take pears to overcome.