200 ELECTRIC PROPULSION OF THE U. S. S. JUPITER. 



gineer. I have a great deal more at stake than any of these naval officers have. (Laughter.) 

 If the machine fails, it is not their fault ; they would not be blamed, but it would be highly dis- 

 creditable to me. 



There is a great deal in this subject which by study and analysis can be verified. I 

 pointed out, when I first came before this Society, that we had had two fire-boats operating in 

 Chicago for a couple of years then. They have much more complicated electrical apparatus 

 on them than these big ships would have. They are absolutely neglected, as far as the elec- 

 trical details are concerned, treated in the roughest way imaginable, and they are never sub- 

 ject to any electrical trouble. 



I am perfectly justified in all the statements I make about reliability and efficiency, be- 

 cause they are matters of general knowledge and matters applying to every industry except 

 the propulsion of ships. And the Jupiter, furthermore, has demonstrated and is demonstrat- 

 ing them. Mr. Anderson speaks of the troubles in the turbine — there has been one little bolt 

 that broke loose, unfortunately, before the ship was ready to run. They did not stop her 

 until they heard a noise, and finding trouble they naturally stopped ttie trial trip. One hour's 

 work would have put the turbine in shape to make nine-tenths of her regular speed, if not the 

 whole ; there was nothing vital broken, but this object had dented the buckets in one stage. 

 Since the Jupiter has been standing at the Mare Island Navy Yard, ready to run, older and, I 

 think, inferior methods of propulsion have been adopted in two battleships, and I am of the 

 opinion that the Navy is making a mistake in not making further efi'ort to expedite a knowl- 

 edge of this thing, and to realize its importance. Most other branches of engineering do real- 

 ize the importance of the high-speed turbine. 



I will make my statement broad enough to cover the gearing as well as the electrical pro- 

 pulsion, because I have great faith in the possibilities of gearing. Sir Charles Parsons has de- 

 signed a great many ships, and they have all been successful, so far as I know, and I think 

 they will be, because everything the man has done has been successful. He is a very great 

 man. As I understand it, Mr. Parsons had a ship ready to run before they began to talk about 

 gearing for ships in this country. 



The Chairman : — I beg your pardon— that is not correct. They had begun to build 

 the first experimental gearing at the Westinghouse works before the Vespasian was fitted up. 



Mr. Emmet: — It does not make much difference. Everybody who has made any high- 

 speed gearings is entitled to great credit. Such gears are not only used in ships, but on shore. 

 The Westinghouse Company has two big machines in Cleveland working successfully with 

 such gears. The reason for both methods is the great merit of the high-speed turbine, and it 

 is a plea for the high-speed turbine that I am making. 



The Chairman : — I am sure you will all desire me to express the thanks of the Society 

 to Mr. Emmet, which I will be glad to do. 



Mr. Francis T. Bowles, Past President: — I move a vote of thanks to Mr. Emmet for 

 his excellent paper and that we extend to him our compliments for the excellent temper which 

 he has shown in the discussion. 



The motion was seconded, put to vote and duly carried. 



