184 ALQUIST GEARING FOR SHIP PROPULSION. 
data given by the naval architect of the Union Iron Works who built the ships, and 
based upon model tank experiments which were made in Washington. The models 
of the ships are identical, the La Brea propeller operating at 90 revolutions per min- 
ute and that of the Los Angeles at 65 revolutions per minute. 
The seventh voyage of the La Brea and the sixth voyage of the Los Angeles 
were made over the same course and at nearly the same time. The relation of fuel 
economy of these two voyages almost exactly corresponds to that shown by the aver- 
age of all the voyages and tends to verify the accuracy of the whole comparison. 
DISCUSSION. 
Tue CHAIRMAN :—This paper on “Alquist Gearing for Ship Propulsion’’ is now open 
for discussion. 
Mr. Luter D. LoveKin, Member:—Mr. President and gentlemen, I notice that Mr. 
Emmet dwells on the economy of this particular type of geared propulsion. I would like to 
learn from Mr. Emmet whether or not, in view of the wonderful economies that have taken 
place with geared turbines, he is willing to consider the electric drive a thing of the past, or 
whether he expects to defend the same, in view of the disclosures made by other engineers 
relative to the geared drive; and if so, what grounds he has for favoring the electric drive 
other than that it has full power for reversing and shorter length of shafting. 
We are about to build four battleships and four battle cruisers which will cost, ex- 
clusive of armor and armament, about $100,000,000, and these ships are specified to have 
the electric drive. Against this one of our eminent members has protested, but in vain—they 
must have the electric drive, because they were so specified. 
It has been my pleasure to have the privilege of making the machinery layout for the 
battleships as well as the battle cruisers which are about to be built, and which have been 
arranged for the electric drive in both cases. I have made a most careful study of the 
same and completed plans for both vessels which satisfy me that I have ample proof that both 
vessels can be built with the geared turbines in a more satisfactory manner than they can 
with the electric drive. In other words, they can be built on less weight with the same 
protection, in the case of the battleships, and with more protection in the case of the battle 
cruisers, for in this latter case we can remove all the boilers from above the protective deck, 
whereas they now have half of the boilers above the protective deck. 
I find that in the case of the battleships this can be done with one-half the weight of 
the electric-propelling machinery, and in the case of the battle cruisers on about one-third 
the weight of the electric-propelling machinery; in other words, the electric machinery will 
weigh about six million pounds, while the gear drive will weigh about two million pounds. 
Think of this difference in weight on a vessel of such an important character, and then 
think of what can be done with nearly two thousand tons of machinery weights which can 
be saved. 
