132 



Professor H. S. Hele-Shaiv 



[March 31, 



maximum speed records, and we do not commercially travel at much 

 more than half the possible speed, as you see from Fig. 3, where the 

 speed of the Mauretania is shown graphically. Fig. 6 is a chart of 

 the progress of Atlantic shipping, taking the Cunard line as an 

 example, and these curves indicate that the rate of increase of horse- 

 power and tonnage is rising far faster than the rate of speed, and 

 indicates how relatively highly the rate of power has increased for the 

 gain of speed. 



We have now passed briefly in review the nature of the problems 

 which confront us in our continuous efforts to increase the safe and 

 practical speeds of mechanical locomotion. We see that at the root 



J(»0OOt, 



ISOO 1J07 



Fig. 6. — Peogbess in Atlantic Steamees (Cunard). 



of it all lies the question of artificial power and the harnessing in 

 compact and convenient form the stored-up sources of energy in 

 nature in order to overcome the opposing resistance, and we can 

 realise that, although we have obviously reached the limits of animal 

 locomotion, we are far from having reached any limitation in regard 

 to the speed of self-propelled machines. We see that in all three 

 forms of locomotion, earth, air, and water, the advance has been far 

 more rapid during the last few years than ever before, and we can 

 realise that there is yet a considerable margin by which speed of 

 travelling could be increased as the demand for it is made ; and 

 nothing is more certain than that the demand will be made. 



