ANNUAL ADDRESS. XI. 



forms, is to be the popular steam engine of the immediate 

 future. It is hard to imagine anything, apart say from a 

 great catastrophe in connection with the new Atlantic 

 liners recently launched with turbine engines — a catas- 

 trophe there is not the slightest reason to expect — that 

 can prevent this result being achieved. The prompt intro- 

 duction of the turbine steamer into the Australian coastal 

 trade is a matter for gratification, and speaks much for the 

 energy and enterprise of the company concerned. The 

 well known turbine types of Parsons, De Laval, Ourtis? 

 Zoelly, Rateau, and Riedler-Stumpf, are now being 

 developed in the hands of large companies or syndicates in 

 England, America, and on the continent of Europe, and 

 orders for immense horse-powers are being rapidly executed. 

 In addition to these six types, there are a considerable 

 number of others, perhaps not so well known, but doubtless 

 in a few years the number of types in actual operation will 

 be largely increased. In fact so anxious are the big 

 engineering firms to build turbines, that in addition to 

 manufacturing the better known descriptions on a royalty 

 basis, any new, if promising design for a steam turbine 

 receives very respectful consideration at their hands. 



Meanwhile, it is obvious that the steam turbine is to 

 find an active competitor in the shape of the large modern 

 gas engine operated with cheap gas of various descriptions, 

 and the recent introduction of the smaller suction-gas 

 plants has made this a source of power which is very hard 

 to excel from the point of view of economy and convenience. 

 One such plant at least is in operation in Sydney at the 

 works of Messrs. John Sands, and a large plant of a similar 

 type is being installed in New Zealand. It is hoped in the 

 near future to instal an experimental gas producer plant in 

 the P. N. Russell Engineering School at the University, 

 and doubtless also considerable activity in the same direc- 



