210 DISCUSSION ON TWO PRECEDING PAPERS. 
cargo steamers trading out of the port of Liverpool. Since that date, of course, 
the gearing system has been tested in the Vespasian over a long period, and on 
voyages aggregating from 30,000 to 40,000 miles, so that the earlier proposal has 
been set aside. 
The“ combined’’ system has been applied, however, in many vessels of the inter- 
mediate class. Having personally had much to do with that arrangement I cannot 
speak of it impartially, but I wish to say that if such enormous economies as those 
described by a previous speaker, who attached his blue print to the blackboard, 
could possibly be obtained, by all means let the scheme be worked out and put 
forward in the form of a tangible proposition. I can guarantee that great British 
shipowners who are always endeavoring to secure even a fraction of one per cent. 
economy in the working of tramp steamers will jump at the thing if it is practicable. 
Behind the assertion of such large possible economy, if it were examined in detail, 
I think there would be found assumptions of the use of high superheat in the steam, 
or some other details of which little may have been said, but in regard to which 
serious differences of opinion prevail. That statement applies to many of these 
suggestions of possible economies in water or steam consumption. Right or wrong, 
the feeling of the British Admiralty up to date after gaining a very large experience 
with turbines, and after considerable but not altogether satisfactory experience in 
the use of superheated steam on shipboard—was recorded not long ago by the En- 
gineer-in-Chief, Admiral Oram, and was not favorable to the use of high superheat 
for marine engines. It is, of course, a distinct question, whether or not superheat 
ought to be used, and I only refer to it, because many statements of possible econ- 
omies and improvements upon what has been obtained ignore the fact that one 
important element in economy is intended to be the use of a high superheat. 
Mr. Anderson’s paper appears to be a compilation of information which was 
previously scattered. No doubt it illustrates the important fact, that Sir Charles 
Parsons—whose name will always be associated as the leading spirit in this revo- 
lution in steam machinery, although the claims to consideration of other workers in 
that field are fully admitted—has from the first realized and acted upon principle 
that no single arrangement of machinery can admit of universal application or 
will give the highest efficiency in all cases. He has been ready from the first and 
stands ready to-day, to consider every problem on its merits. In the varied solu- 
tions which are mainly due to him, he has given proof of his catholicity of choice 
and his openness of mind, and these are qualities which my large experience with 
inventors makes me believe to be exceptional. 
Mr. EMMET:—May I say one word more? 
THE PRESIDENT :—Please be as brief as possible, Mr. Emmet. 
Mr. EMmer:—There are one or two points I failed to mention. One is that 
this installation I spoke of as applying to a 17,500 horse-power ship, could be put 
into any existing ship of that class—you could lift her engines out and put them on 
