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

2io All About Inventions during a storm which burst while she was running from the Tyne to Portsmouth. The turbine not being contributory in the slightest degree to either of these disasters, the Admiralty placed further contracts for this machinery for vessels under construction. These culminated in the fitting out of the Dreadnought in 1906, which was the first battleship to be driven by turbines. The success with naval vessels proving so highly satisfactory, it was decided to ascertain the suitability of the system for the mercantile marine. The con- ditions were somewhat different, because very high speeds were not desirable. It was Captain John Williamson, of Glasgow, who acted as the pioneer in this field, by ordering turbine engines for the new vessel, King Edward, which was built for him in 1901 for service upon the Clyde. This vessel, measuring 250 feet in length by 30 feet beam, and drawing about 6 feet of water, was similarly equipped with three sets of turbines, one, the high pressure, being placed in the centre, with a low-pressure turbine on either side. On the central shaft only one propeller is mounted, but the wing shafts each carry two pro- pellers. In addition, there is a special turbine for reversing. This vessel attained a maximum speed of 2o| knots upon her trial trip. A year later another vessel, Queen Alexandra, was built for the same owner. She was of slightly greater dimensions but similarly engined, although the tur- bines develop greater power—sufficient to give a speed of 21J knots. The success of these two boats led to the adoption of the steam turbine upon the cross-Channel and other similar services.