All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

204 All About Inventions turbine increased, the consumption of steam per horse per hour decreased. Some idea of the rapid growth of the new invention, once it had established its possibilities, may be gathered from the fact that in 1903, twenty years after the first engine appeared, units of 9,000 horse-power were being built, not only in this country but on the Con- tinent as well. From 10 to 9,000 horse-power was an impressive advance during the short span of two decades, and such progress offered a fair index of the revolution the new engine was likely to achieve. The land stations yielding technical information which proved that the turbine was capable of holding its own generally, and was even then threatening to supersede the reciprocating engine in certain fields, the idea of applying the new principle to the propulsion of ships naturally arose. The subject was discussed by the Honourable C. A. Parsons and his influential friends, and, there being no logical reason why the success recorded on land should not be repeated upon the sea, it was decided to make the experiment and to determine the future in this connection from actual trials. To this end, in 1894 a special syndicate was formed —The Marine Steam Turbine Company, Limited. It was composed of the inventor and several other gentlemen who had every confidence in the new steam- engine, and among the chief members who extended assistance may be mentioned the Earl of Rosse, C. J. Leyland, George Clayton, Norman C. Cookson, H. C. Harvey, John B. Simpson, A. A. Campbell Swinton, G. G. Stoney, and, of course, the inventor himself.