426 



NA TURE 



{A'larch 6, 1 884 



MARINE ENGINEERING 

 Die Schiffsmaschine : Hire Construction, Wirhungswcisc 

 ii/id Bcdiemaig. Bearbeitct von Carl Busley, &c. 

 (Kiel, 1883.) 

 'n~'H IS ia designed to be a manual and book of reference 

 A on marine engineering, for the use of engineers, 

 naval officers, students, and others interested in steam- 

 ships. The author is a marine engineer in the Imperial 

 German service, and a professor at the Naval Academy 

 of Kiel. He has laid down a most comprehensive scheme 

 for the work, and the first and second divisions already 

 published contain good evidence that the book when 

 completed will become the standard German work on the 

 subject. 



Marine engineering has made great strides in recent 

 years, and is now much more largely regulated by scien- 

 tific methods than it was formerly. The earlier text- 

 books have become obsolete to a great extent, and a 

 demand has arisen for new works in which modern prin- 

 ciples and practice should be represented. In response 

 to this demand two or three excellent books-have recently 

 b;en published in this country ; and Mr. Busley has 

 determined to do a similar service for Germany. It is 

 but right to say that his book will bear very favourable 

 comparison with any book of the class yet published, and 

 it surpasses all of them in the fulness and beauty of the 

 illustrations, which are contained in separate atlases and 

 printed in colours, on a scale which makes many of them 

 virtually working drawings. 



Theoretical investigation and practical information on 

 the details of the construction and management of marine 

 engines and boilers both find a place in this book. Its 

 arrangement is admirable. First, there is a -"lear and 

 succinct description of the principles of the mechanical 

 theory of heat, followed by a discussion of the properties 

 of steam. Next comes a chapter on combustion, including 

 a summary of the conditions essential to good boilers, 

 and a statement of the steam-producing powers of various 

 kinds of coal. If there is not much novelty in this section 

 of the book, it is full of useful information. In the fourth 

 chapter there is a long discussion of the various matters 

 affecting the performance and economy of marine engines ; 

 details as to coal-consumption in various types of engines, 

 with methods for estimating the expenditure of steam 

 and coal in ships of new design ; definitions of horse- 

 power, nominal, effective, and indicated ; together with 

 remarks on various systems of condensing steam, &c. 



Following these introductory chapters, three others are 

 devoted to marine boilers, their construction and manage- 

 ment, including the best means of preserving them. 

 These chapters are chiefly of a practical character, and 

 w-ill repay careful study, as they contain a most valuable 

 summary of information and good rules for guidance. 

 The eighth chapter is also of a practical nature, contain- 

 ing detailed examples of the auxiliary engines used for a 

 vast variety of purposes in steamships. Amongst these 

 may be mentioned the turret-turning and air-compressing 

 engines of modern war-ships ; steam-steering engines of 

 various types ; engines employed for heaving-up anchors 

 and cables ; others used in the production of the electric 

 lights nowgenerally carried by war-ships or large passenger 

 steamers ; pumping engines ; steam-winches ; ventilating 



machinery ; appliances for condensing fresh water, &c. 

 All of these and m my others are described and illustrated 

 in a manner which makes this portion of the book most 

 valuable for reference. No similar summary of informa- 

 tion on these important, if subordinate, portions in the 

 equipment of a steamship has been previously published ; 

 and Mr. Busley deserves great credit for his perception 

 of the neccsiity for and value of the information herein 

 collected. 



The ninth, tenth, and eleventh chapters relate to the 

 construction and theory of the various types of marine 

 engines which are or have been in use. Full descriptions 

 and drawings are given of different systems — including 

 some which are, as yet, only in the experimental stage ; 

 screw-steamers, paddle-steamers, and vessels driven by 

 water-jets all come under review ; and very valuable 

 tables are given of the dimensions and particulars of the 

 machinery in a large number of German, English, and 

 French ships. Mr. Busley throughout displays a cosmo- 

 politan spirit in his massing of facts, and this makes his 

 book all the more valuable. The theoretical investiga- 

 tions include rules 'for estimating the engine-power re- 

 quired to attain the assigned speed of a ship ; examples 

 of the analysis of indicator diagrams for simple and com- 

 pound engines ; graphic processes for dealing with the 

 slide-valves ; and detailed investigations or descriptions 

 of slide-valve gear, steering gear, S:c. 



This completes the contents of the first half of this 

 book ; the other half has yet to be published, we believe. 

 If it maintains the high character of the part already 

 given to the world, the book will be certain to achieve 

 success. It has been produced in excellent style, both as 

 regards letterpress and illustrations. Its chief value con- 

 sists no doubt in the large amount of information respect- 

 ing modern practice which has been brought together ; 

 but the treatment of the scientific branches of the subject 

 will assist to secure its favourable reception by the classes 

 of readers for whom it is especially designed. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Guide to the Calcutta Zoological Gardens. By John 

 Anderson, M.D., F.R.S., Honorary Secretary and 

 Treasurer. (Printed by order of the Honorary Com- 

 mittee of Management, Calcutta, 1883.) 



Although the meritorious idea of starting a zoological 

 garden at Calcutta was put forward by the well-known 

 naturalist MacClelland as long ago as 1842, and several 

 attempts were subsequently made to carry out the plan, 

 it was not until 1875, chiefly, we believe, owing to the 

 exertions of the late Mr. Schwendler, the telegraph 

 engineer, that an appropriate site was obtained, and the 

 present gardens were founded. After eight years of de- 

 velopment the Zoological Gardens of Calcutta, under the 

 energetic rule of the present Honorary Director, have 

 attained a degree of arrangement sufficiently stable to 

 allow of a "Guide" being prepared. Dr. Anderson's 

 able pen has accordingly been employed in describing the 

 institution which he has so well organised. 



For a " Guide " Dr. Anderson's volume is perhaps 

 rather bulky, and the type employed unnecessarily large. 

 It is also, we may add, in our opinion a little too learned 

 for a popular handbook. But the information contained 

 in it, compiled as it is by one of the leading zoologists of 

 India, may be generally depended upon, and so much 

 can scarcely be said forj some similar publications. At 



