228 THE PROPELLING MACHINERY OF TPIE U. S. S. LEVIATHAN. 



so that they can exhaust direct to the condensers. The exhaust-pipe connections 

 between the astern units are exceptionally long and about 29 inches in diameter. 

 They are arranged on the lower half of the casings, and on the starboard side the 

 length of this pipe is about 130 feet and on the port side about 100 feet. 



MAIN TURBINE REPAIRS AND OVERHAUL. 



At the time the vessel was taken over, the high-pressure ahead turbine casing 

 was open. The rotor had also been lifted, and on examining the blading, dummy, 

 glands and bearings, it was soon seen that this engine was in perfect condition, 

 and in a short time the rotor was lowered and the casing closed up for good. 



The manhole on the aft end of the mid-pressure was opened up and a prelimin- 

 ary examination appeared to indicate that this engine was also in good working 

 order. 



The rows of impulse wheel buckets were exposed by opening a manhole on 

 the upper half casing. Manholes arranged at each end of the low-pressure ahead 

 turbines allowed me to thoroughly examine the end rows of blading, and this was 

 all found to be in good order. 



The safest course to follow as regards finding out the internal condition of these 

 three ahead turbines was to turn them with the turning gear in both ahead and 

 astern direction and listen carefully for unseemly noises. Steps were taken to do 

 this, but it was found that the cast-iron brackets which support the various parts 

 of the turning gear were badly fractured. Repairs were put in hand at once, and 

 on July 10 the mid-pressure rotor was revolved in the ahead and astern directions 

 and found to be in splendid working order. 



The preliminary examination of the four astern turbines showed that a con- 

 siderable amount of damage had occurred in the blading. 



Both high-pressure asterns showed damaged blading at the exhaust end rows, 

 and in addition a pocket about 18 inches wide had been cut through ten rows of rotor 

 blades and ten rows of the casing blades on the port turbine, and six pairs of rows 

 on the starboard. The condition of the blading at the steam inlet end could not be 

 seen until the upper half casing was lifted. 



Both low-pressure asterns also showed that there was damaged blading at the 

 steam inlet end and also at the exhaust end, and in addition pockets about 1 5 inches 

 wide had been cut through nine pairs of rows of blading in one case and seven in 

 the other. 



High-Pressure Astern {Port Inboard Shaft). — Upon lifting the top casing 

 and rotor, the following conditions were noted : — 



(o) The three rows of impulse wheel buckets of rotor were badly damaged 

 and required to be entirely renewed. 



(&) The cast-iron dummy cylinder had been removed, and this was found lying 

 around badly fractured. 



(c) The dummy piston of the rotor was seriously distorted, and pieces o^ the 



