572 
Wee RE 
[APRIL 15, 1897 
than the width of the blade, the leading edge acted likea wedge, 
tne forward side of the edge giving negative thrust. The 
turbine ultimately used was of the three-stage compound order, 
each turbine of the series being a separate motor, though 
the three worked in_ series. Eack motor actuated its 
own propeller shaft. The steam was expanded one- 
hundred-fold. The screws were 18 inches in diameter. 
The steam pressure in the boiler was 200 lbs., and at the 
engines 130 lbs. The speed of the boat was 31 knots, which 
is considerably in excess of any speed hitherto reached if the 
length of the boat be taken into consideration. The horse- 
power developed was 1576 as estimated, and no doubt the 
estimate is very close in view of the advantage Mr. Parsons 
has had in former trials with electrical machinery. The 
consumption of steam per I.H.P. per hour was 15°86 lbs., 
which is a remarkably good result. The indicated horse-power 
per ton of machinery is 72, which is, we think, in excess of 
anything either Mr. Yarrow or Mr. Thornycroft have attained 
with their destroyers, remarkable as are the advances made by 
these gentlemenin recent times. If, however, the boiler weights 
were excluded, the advantage of the Zabznza would be far 
more marked. To sum up, it may be said that Mr. Parsons 
has produced a very wonderful boat ; but it remains to be seen 
how far he can maintain his success when the principle comes 
to be applied to vessels of a more practical character than his 
experimental craft. In any case, the steam turbine, in its 
Fic. 1.—The Sacramento Mts. Meteorite. (One-eighth full size.) 
present form, is hardly applicable to heavy and large vessels ; 
and as yet it has not, as some have rashly asserted, revolution- 
ised the practice of marine propulsion. What it may lead to, 
if the inventor can reduce the rate of revolutions in a practical 
and economical manner, remains to be seen. That is the great 
obstacle to extended success, and if it can be overcome we may 
expect still greater things from this new motor. 
The next paper, by Mr. Ramage, was one of a purely pro- 
fessional interest, and as such will be of value to the ship 
draughtsman, Mr. Macfarlane Gray’s two contributions, like 
all that comes from his pen, were of interest, but without 
the diagrams it would be difficult to deal with them. 
His stability diagram, we understand, is for ships’ officers, 
NO. 1433, VOL. 55] 
and we hope that it may be of use to them. We think, 
perhaps, it will require a more comprehensive explanation 
of its principles than is given in the paper. The paper 
by Prof. Lewes was of a purely popular nature. 
One of the most important papers was that read by Mr. 
Beardmore on the last day of the meeting. Its interest was of 
a purely practical nature, the author giving details of the pro- 
perties of nickel steel as they affected engineering interests. 
The material is no doubt admirably fitted for construction work, 
having both toughness and high tensile strength ; but its high 
price prevents it being at present, at any rate, a competitor 
with ordinary mild steel for ship-building, excepting in special 
positions, such as the construction of torpedo craft, for which 
it has already been used. The last paper on the list described 
the application of electricity for driving to certain shipyard 
tools, and showed how in this way advantage might be gained, 
| in regard to coal economy, over the use of steam-driven 
machines. 
The summer meeting this year will be held in London. 
A METEORITE FROM NEW MEXICO} 
ON nearing Fort Stanton, Arizona Territory, while ona west- 
ward journey in 1876, Mr. M. Bartlett, of Florence, A.T., 
saw a meteor pass through the heavens in a southerly direction 
and fall, with a report like that 
of acannon, on the east side of 
the Sacramento Mountains. 
The account of it was given 
by Mr. Bartlett to Mr. C. R. 
Biederman, and to the latter 
gentleman is due the credit of 
securing the specimen to science 
and furnishing the historical data 
here given. 
Continued inquiry in the 
Pecos country was fruitless until 
by chance a small sample of 
native iron was presented to 
Mr. Biederman for assay, and 
proving to be meteoric, led to 
the locating of the mass through 
the first finder, a shepherd, 
named beckett. 
The latter, in a sworn state- 
ment, says that he found it while 
herding in the lower foot-hills 
of the Sacramento Mountains, 
Eddy Co., N.M., about twenty- 
three miles south-west of a place 
called Badger. It rested on top 
of a limestone hill, where it 
had made a depression, and was 
partly buried. He could find no 
other pieces. Mr. Biederman, 
heading a search party, found 
the mass at the place indicated, 
and with much labour dragged 
it six miles over the desert to a 
wagon road. A long search 
was made by the party, but 
nothing else could be found. It 
is complete, save for about 500 
grams of fragments broken off by 
Beckett, and a piece of 1500 
grams sawed off after it came into 
the possession of the firm of Dr. A. E. Foote. Its appearance 
indicates that no rupture occurred through an explosion during 
its flight, nor by the force of the fall. The small fragments 
mentioned were employed in analysis and the making of a 
knife. 
Description of the mass.—It is a typical example of the class 
of siderites, weighing complete about two hundred and thirty- 
seven kilograms, with general dimensions of about 80 x 60 x 20 
centimetres. The exterior exhibits in a splendid manner the 
characteristic markings of meteoric iron. On the flat side, 
1 Note on a new meteorite from the Sacramento Mountains, Eddy Co.‘ 
New Mexico, by Warren M. Foote. Reprinted from the American Journal 
of Sctence (January), with illustrations supplied by the author. 
