GYROSCOPE AND OCEAN TRAVEL 



have referred. Meanwhile there are other equally 

 competent mechanicians who believe that the vibration 

 or oscillation of the body of the ship itself may suffice, 

 under certain circumstances, to give the turbine pre- 

 cisely such freedom of motion as will enable it to ex- 

 ercise a powerful gyroscopic effect. Dr. Schlick himself 

 contends, and seems with the aid of models to demon- 

 strate, that such a gyroscopic action is exercised by the 

 wheels of a side- wheel steamer, which revolve on a shaft 

 no less fixed than that of a turbine. If such is the case, 

 there would seem to be no reason why a turbine-engine 

 may not at times exercise the power of a tremendous 

 gyroscope, such as it obviously constitutes. The ques- 

 tion must find practical solution at the hands of the 

 naval architects of the immediate future, as turbine 

 engines are now in use in several of the largest steam- 

 ships afloat, and others are being installed in craft of all 

 descriptions. 



THEORETICAL DANGERS OF THE GYROSCOPE 



It should be said that engineers disagree as to the 

 practical utility of the Schlick gyroscope. No one 

 questions that it steadies the ship, but some critics think 

 that its use may not be unattended with danger. It has 

 been suggested that under certain circumstances — for 

 example, the sudden disturbance of equilibrium due 

 to a tremendous wave — the gyroscope might increase 

 the oscillation of the ship to a dangerous extent, though 

 ordinarily having the opposite effect. 



The danger from this source is probably remote. 

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