The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

e" i, (e. I i , 4 V - .s. -7 ~ . .r. "1.. up.’ as. r.‘ - .1 «my Mauritanian. .1 Description if Krupp’a Great Iron Works. thomsfimall Beg-inning TheyEsve Be- ocineths Most Important in Europe. One of the largest iron and steel manu- facturing establishments in the world is that founded by the late Alfred Krupp, the famous German cannon-founder, whose name is so well known in connection with modern improvements in artillery. His princippl works are situated at Essen, in Prussia, in the midst of adistrict productive of both ironand coal. The town of Essen, which at the beginning of the presenflcentury con- tained less than four thousand inhabitants, has become an important industrial centre, with a population of seventy thousand perâ€" sons, this increase beingachiefly due to the growth of the ironwor , and the consequ- ent demand for labour. In the vicinity of the town, numerous coal and iron mines, many of which are owned by the .Krupp firm, are in active working, and furnish em- ployment to t‘e large ulation of the surrounding district. . uc of the output of iron ore and coal from these mines is destined for consumption in the Krupp works within the town. Those works had their origin in a SMALL mos roses, established at Essen in the year 1810 by Frederick Krupp, the father of Alfred Krupp. The elder Krupp was not prosper- on- ; and a lawsuit in which he became in- volved, and which lasted for ten years thoth finally decided in his favour, reduc- ed him nearly to bankruptcy. He died in 1826, in impoverished circumstances, leav- ing awidow and three sons, the eldest of whom was Alfred, a ed feiirteen. The business was continue by the widow, who mans ed, though with difficulty, to procure a goo education for her sons. When the el est, Alfred, took control of the works in 1848 he found there, as he himself has des- cribed, ‘ three workmen, and more debts than fortnne.’ , Krupp’s subsequent career affords a re' markable instance of success attained, de- spite adverse circumstances, by sheer force 0 ability and energy, in building up a col- ossal manufacturing business from a humble ‘ beginning. At the present time, Krupp’s works within the town of Essen occupy more than five hundred acres, half of which area is under cover. A census taken in Septem- ‘ box, 1881,» showed that the number of indi- v1duals in his employ was then 19,605, and the members of their families 45,776â€"there being thus ‘v A Tour. or 65 381 rsasoxs mmntain‘ed by his works. Of the army work- ers, 11,211 were employed at the works in lessen, the remainder being occupied in the .many iron and coal mines of the vicinity, or at the branch-works at Sayn and N euwied 3 or .in the iron mines at Bilbao, in Spain, Wthh_ produce the best ores. Krupp’s FJsen works there are eigh- ty-two steam~hammers, ranging in weight from fifty tons down to four hundred pounds. _There are 1553 large ovens, 439 steam~boilers, 480 steam-enginesâ€"repre- sentmg together 18,500 horsepowerâ€"and twenty~one rolling trains; the daily con- sumption of coal and coke being 31000 tons by 1648 furnaces. The average daily con- sumpition of water, which is brought from the‘river Ruhr by an aqueduct, is 24,700 cubic metres. The electric light has been introduced, and the work ceases entirely only on Sunda and two or three holidays. Comiected Wit the Essen works are forty. two miles afrailwa , employing twenty- eight locomotives an 883 vehicles. There is a nechemical laboratory: a photogra bio and lithographic Atelier; a printing-o 08, are elevated three or four feet above ground~level. In the earthen floor of the im- mense room containing the furnaces are two lines of its, one set to receive the mol- ten metal, e other intended for the red hot crucibles when em tied of their con- opened simultaneously at a given signal, them into the pits‘ repared for the recep cooled are examined. and if found unbroken, are used again ;but if damaged, as is usually making new ones. ' The production of steel by this method fur- nishes em lo cut for eight or ninehvn- dréd men Bessemer process for converting iron and steel is also largely used there in steel for certain purposes.“ All material used in‘the different classes of manufactures is subjected at every stage to AX!) EXACT TETS '; the standards being fixed with reference to the urpose to which the metal is to be ap- plie , and any material that proves faulty “(Eben suitably tested is rigorously reject. e . .. . _ . , The guns originally manufactured by the Krupp firm were formed from solid ingots of steel, which were bored, turned, and fashioned as in the case of cast-iron smooth- bore cannon. With‘ the development of the power of artillery, the greater strain caused by the increased powder-charges and by the adoption of riflin â€"involving en hanced friction between t e (projectile and the boreâ€"had the result of einonstrating the weakness inherent in the construction of a gun thus made entirely from one solid forging, and that plan was eventually'dis- carded. Artillerists have learnt that the strain produced by an explosive force oper- felt equally ' throughout the thick: ness of the metal from the bore to the exterior, but varies inverse- portion of the metal from the seat of effort. For example, in a. gun cast solid, if will during the explosion be strained ' srxruas ruins as mean as that at the distance of four inches. The greater the thickness of the material, the greater will be the inequality between the strains acting at the points respectively nearest to and furthest from the interior. The metal nearest the seat of explosion may thus be strained beyond its tensile strength, while that more remote is in imperfect ac- cord with it. In such a case, disruption of the metal at the inner surface ensues. and extends successively through the. whole thickness to the exterior, thus entailing the destruction of the gun. against by' the construction- o what is termed the built-u gun, .in which the several. parts ten to mutual sup- port. This un consists of an inner tube, encircled an compressed by a long “J ack- et” or cylinder, which is shrunk around the breech portion with the initial tension due to contraction in cooling. Over the Jacket and along the chase, other. hoops or cylinders are shrunk on successively, in layers, with sufficient tension to compress the parts en- closed. The number and strength of these hoops are proportionate to the known strain that the bore of the gun will have to sus- tain. The tension at which each part is shrunk on, is the greater as the rt is further removed from the inner tu e; the jacket, f0; exaipple, being shrunk on at less . tension t an t e outer hoo 8. he inner giggigteuy and hand Pmses;and 8- bOOk- tube, on receiving the expalfisivér force of Thoggbo‘igl'th I , the explosiOn, is prevented by the compres- Km . l u ‘3 P°Pn_‘u' 3mm?» the name 0f sion of the jacket from being forced up to its PP "3 “3‘13 y “Minted Wlth the manu- elastic limit; and the jacket in its turn is facture of instruments of destruction ' ‘ _ . _ _ , yet similarly supported by, the outer 1100 s - two-thugs of the work done in his establmh- and. on the cessation of the external pressiiré ment is svoted to the production of arti- the several parts cles. mum)“ FOR PEACEFUL USES. assume THEIR soansi. rosrrios. Th , - ' . I This system of construction ori inated in anti:nhgyomgmficgfnzt§::englggs’am? England,1 and isnoviv in generalfise. The . . , . 3 . ’ rst stee us on t iis rinci 1e th *bglggfi.’ mils’ “heel't‘f'es’ ‘lmmhes’ sprmgs’ designed b?0aptain Blalker aIfid Mind ‘23.? :3“ ofglftfxifggaxfiuigdles’ “Eiders, and vasseur, of the London Ordnance .W'orks. wed hm for mmufw’t‘ugac “Eff: “*3 At the Exhibition of 1862, aBlakelyS'fi-inch £22m") in, in Dominie Sam :21“ apro‘ gun, on the built-up system, composed .. ism“... In one d8 t e g “58’ wholly of steel, was afeature of interest in mm! out 2700 mus 350mm?“ t. “31.505 of“ the Ordnance section. The plan devised by 180 “flywheel; 10000 thine“ 3x as Sir. W. Armstrong, and carried into effect 1500 bombmhens ’In a mans; 3133' ‘we 363' for a series of years at Woolwich and at the ducomfield. iéccs thin 5 7 . efimpm: Armstrong works at Elswick, consisted in mam 9.33m ) “mam, eiy h't 'fic. “in”! enclosing a tube of steel within a 'acket of non one 14,- h h’ 3. "D" can” wrou ht-iron,formedbycoilingare -hotbar mm'ed Mméifiiegnfi‘p‘t formshtd'ift “11° 133*” mun amandrel. The jacket was shrunk twemyeifim feet new); mores“ 1 5 “8th on initial tension, and was fortified in Alfred rupp devoted much attention to :lz‘tflmffiznfixfflufififgfig thfnmtgli: thfiproductiou of steel of the finest. quality, gun “in however a serious defecyt and u]- :3 fixef‘fiftffim’ “"10 “ilcceedg timately’ led to its hbolition. The difference he “him”; in Inndongmmf‘ssest' fnfilSG‘ in the elastic properties of the two metals crucible awe, . h. “‘30 0 “eat caused aseparation, after repeated discharg- ..m....... ..:::*s..::%.:‘:i::;t$113,252.55: es.» the steel tube and its jacket» inches dimeter. The uniform“; of {’mm ' With the result that the tube cracked from of this mass of metal was proved by t e fac3t mt Of “mm Bow at WWIWiCh “d fl, t .h . at Elswick refore the wrought-iron a “ :n bmken_wmss “ has given place to the homogeneous £3 ‘nowm’ 5° 53““ 03 RAW: built~up gun, which is also the form of con- P0 even when examined with alens. The firm affliction MOPW‘I b" the Chief P‘Jwem of can now make such homogeneous blocks of Europe Md by the United Slum of Amer" seventy-five tons weight if required. Such ica. ‘ ingots are formed from thccontentsof a great The failure of some of his solid-cast guns number otsiuall crumbles, each containing led Krupp, about 1865, to the adoption of from fift ' to one hundred unds of the , metal. he recent develo {poems of the . Tm; “Imam, "infant?" manufacture of steel b : e o .[muth Vt'ithtewexce tions, the inner tube of a process have removed ldmicn (yin pm, Krupp gun is urged out of a single in at, curing the metal, and of a tensile strength and m “9"? “39 mum“ any Weld: ‘ 8 so h3g1. as thirty-three to thirty-4,3,.“ tonne ingot destined to form the tube has first to the sqltlim inch. crucible steel, however, and a prolongedforpng under the thong more expensive, still holds its place “93"”: “"‘mlfl‘n by 1?th)! t 8 “ivth 0013' ashtbe best and most, tongue a,“ mu hep“). densatiou of its particles is effected. It is duced :oud nothin else is ever used in the we“ mugh'bOWd and ‘med. . and 30b“- construction of a rupp gun. Bv the per- guentlycarefull tempered incil, whereb footed methods in use a the fission works, It! elasticity In! tenmle smnsth are me such steel can be made of a, tensile strength increased. . It is afterwards fine-bored and of nearly forty, ton: to the we inch, “,1 rifled. and its powder-chamberhollowed out. of marvellous uniformityo “my, The The latter haspsomewhat larger diameter used inthoKrupp works or making the than the rest or the bore, this having been hesitates! are red hematite and mum: 0”, found. an improvement. The ves of with arertainpmportionof form-manganese. the n are generally ah W. and Theeru 'll owed ' . the wi towards the breech so his it increase respect u . as employed mf or ‘ mu y ’ andysympathy for the larger sorrows they to Th too often contain Thwbjepft of klibonl' inch ‘ l ‘ ‘ ‘ the least friction. e. jacth and should bathe commonw . , wary ring esui might, and bakedinakiln. hen “mg, we“ is hm Pray“. M‘y‘; one in our communit , from th htf ly and dim prosperity tum of lumhego matinee]; .1“ b that ‘the “leadeu cost of ' the rojec- .niould thins cylindrical tie; tile is compressed gradually an With hoops of steel are forged and rolled, with. in t1 ' 1150: 1W m in“ “‘5 out we“, ma after being turned and temper- ‘ u“ 0' Pain“, 5"?” ed, are heated and shrunk around the tube , higehist to the lowest, Inide with fragrant» of marble brought in their several positions, the greatest 1 ly strive to secure and Whenthst‘ isdone, then- , groatestdesireboualised.” Alfred Kruppdiod 14th July, 1837. Courting His Wife. “ I’ll do it i" Polhemus Diltz laid down the ‘ he was reading, put his nose pocket, took hishat an overcoat down from their book and started home. “ I’ll do it i” be repeated to himself as he V walkpd'along. " I’ll court my wife asif she ‘ werea girl again, the wa the fellow did in that newspaper sto retty tough,” he is cigar and wiping his mouth c he approached his home. deal of a rhinoceros aboutthe house, an it’s to break off old habits all at g to give it a trial if it fnomVillmar,ontheLahn. Theyarethen strengthandthioknessbe ' ofeoursegivui shonltedintolargefumsosgwhose floors ‘ tothsbreechend, where theforee of p o- seipn exerts theigidpost The com gun is moon on its appropriate car- ’ e and having been thoroughly proved tested and fitted. with the proper is ready for service. The testing Meppen, where a level in extent afibrds asuitab e site for the pur- P059- ‘ For many years all guns of the Krupp manufacture have been on THE BREW-me. SYSTEM : and he has devoted much time‘and ingenuity to perfecting the breech arrangements. The ' subject of recoil has also largely occupied his attention. In the larger Krupp guns the force of recoil~isabsorbed by tivo cylin- ders, filled with glycerine and fitted pistons perforated at the edges. The pistons are driven'by the shock of the recoil against the glycerine, which is forced through the per- forations. In England asimilar arrrangement of cylinders, ~t.‘orii’.‘u.ining water as, the. medium, has been found; ef-v and ' in ’ America, "petroleum is employed for the same purpose. The .ad-" tages of the use of glycerine are that in casepf a leak it would escape too slowly to lose its effect at once, and it is also more ad is less liable . be; _ .m i.! grillmy pk {ff - a "$2.3 miles . hi; tents. When the eruei es have undergone In sufficient heating, the furnace-doors are and the attendant workmen draw out the crucibles with long tongs, and rapidly empty expect it’ll go tion of the metal. he em ty crucibles when win flyected, away ally as {I ’ y the case, are up, to be utilised in I ‘79 been“ a hard thin once, but I takes the hide off.’ _ Mr. Diltz entered the house, hung his hat and overcoat in the hall instead of throwin them down in a heap on thesofa in his ass fashion. Then he went on tip-toe upstairs, put on his best necktie, combed his hair carefully and came softly down the stairs Jane 1” he called out. goin yin the Krupp works. The fective ; V811 g8 “ Mary “ Where are you, dear l” “ Out here,” answered a voice in the kit- you bring that chocolate Itold you not to forget when you went down-town this morning 2 “ Why no,” said Mr. Diltz, re as she went into the kitchen. dear.” elastic than water, a come frozen. The resources of Krupp‘s establishment are equal-to the- production ' of‘guns of any size that can conceivably be required. He ' has made guns of one hundred and nineteen tons weight, and is said to be now making one of one hundred and forty. tons. portentous development of the size and power of modern ordnance .is exemplified by these guns, and the Armstrong guns of chen. “ Did package of tfully, u I org“ Mrs. DiltZ' looked at him suspiciously. He hadn’t called her “ dear” forabout eleven years. ' “You forgot it? Humph ! I just expected " it. What are you up to now 2” t, This query, somewhat sharply uttered, was prompted by an unexpected forward movement on the part of Mr. Diltz. ‘ “ Don’t you see I’m cleaning this chick- en ?” she exclaimed. make me out myself. I’m working at the gizzard. A man . has no business round in the kitchen when he can't good.” , Mr. Diltz stepped back. He had intended to kiss his wife, but concluded to post-pone the matter for a little while. I " Mary Jane,” he said, “ my dearâ€"‘” “What are you all slicked up for any- how? Goiug anywhere l” “ No, love. I expect to spend the rest of at home. I came an hour or two earlier, thinkingâ€"” “ I wish you had brought that chocola- That’s what I Wish.” “ Darling,” said Mr. Diltz, “ Iâ€"that’s no way 13? go to work etc. chicken gizzard. Let meâ€" - “ Maybe you know more about this kind of work than I do. Maybe I haven’tcleaned hundreds of chickens since I’ve been keeping house? What are you snooping around out here for anyhow, with your hair all plastered down and that smirk on your face '2” " My dearest Mary J one, Iâ€"” “Polhemus,” broke in his wife, laying down the portion of the fowl’s anatomy she by had. been dissecting keenly, ‘_‘ What on earth is the object of this palavering ’2, What new dodge are you ' to work now i” “ by, Mary J ane, I’ve made up my mind to try to get along with you in a dif__” “To get along with me? mean? Do you tell me to my face I’m hard to get along “ Not at all, Mary Jane; not at all. was only going to say that we might live to- gether more comfortably, you know, if â€"erâ€"if we’d quit this quarreling and be sociable, you know, as we used to be. There’s no need of us acting like cats and dog8___” ~ “ Who says we act like cats and dogs, Look here, Polhemus ! The . ONE HUNDRED AND mvsx 'roxs made at Elswick Amongst the class of monster cannon, one of the most powerful is Krupp’s seventy-one-ton gun. This, like all others of'his make, is a breech-loader. Its dimensions areâ€"length, thirty-two feet nine inches;diameter at breech end, five sting; in the interior of a car non is not feet six inches; length of bore, twenty- inches ; diameter bore, 15.75 inches; diameter of \ chamber 17.32 inches. lyas the square of the distance of each of two parts, exactly joined ; and over this are four cylinders, shrunk on, and a ring around the breech. Its rifiin two points be taken, one at a distance of one " twist of one in forty-five. inch from the bore, and the other four inches ' sibly from the bore, the metal at the former point closed. Its maximum chargeis four hundred and eighty-five pounds of powder, and a chilled iron shell of seventeen hundred and eight pounds. . Krupp did much'to promote the welfare and comfort of his workpeople. accommodation, be erected around Essen nearly FOUR THOUSAND FAMILY DWELLINGS, ‘ - “Look out! You’ll king 0 any eight feet seven power- The internal tube is has a uniform 1; cannot pos- be fired until the breech is perfectly the day For their in which more then sixteen thousand per- iThe dwellings are in suites of three or four comfortable rooms, with good water-arrangements ; and attached to each building is a garden, large enough for the ' There are one hundred and fifty dwellings of a better kind for offi. cialé in the service of the firm. Boarding- houses have also been built for the use of unmarried labourers, of whomtwo thousand are thus accommodated. Several churches, Protestantand Catholic have also been erect- ed for the use of his workmen and their families. There have also been provided two hos- pitals, bathing establishments, a gymnasium, an unsectarian free school, and six industrial schoolsâ€"one for adults, two for females. In the case of the industrial schools, the fees are about two shillings monthly, but the poorest are admitted free. lief and Pensions Fund has been instituted and every foreman and workman is obliged The entrance fee is half a day’s pay, the annual aymentbeing repor- tioned to the wages o the ,individua her ; but half of each person’s contribution There are three large surgeries; and’skilful physicians and surgeons, one of whom is an oculist, are employed at For a small additional fee ‘ sons reside. children toplay in. and looking at him This source of weakness" is arded' What do you with t” A Sick Re- to be a. member. I’d like to know? You’ve been drinking.” “ It’s a blamed lâ€"now, Ma .you give way to that temper o yours 2” “ Who started this fuss?” You did yourself.” mem- is paid by the firm. Jane, don t “You did‘” ' “ I didn’t. " I didn’t l” “ You did i” V “ You know better.” “ Tell your wife she lies. do you? it isn’t the first time. business to attend to at will be plenty time for you to go do it before supper. I’ll get along. 1 don’t need any help on this chicken.” “ Diddledy dad-swing the dag-gone old hen l” shouted Mr. Diltz, beside himself with re. e. “Da ~swizzle its everlasting gol-dingcd carcass 1” He went out of the the door behind him, and in less than a quarter of a minute was on his way back to his oflice, muttering excitedly to himself and crushing the inoffensive sidewalk hard beneath his vindictive heel as he strode along. Mr. Diltz has not entirely given up the idea of courting his wife, but he has registerâ€" edacastiron vow never to undertake the when she is antagonizing a chicken. â€"â€"â€"~W A Big Owl. For over a fortnight people livin neighborhood of Stainburn Moor, a out two miles from “{orkingtou, have been much concerned about a stran e bird. The gen- eral impression of all w 0 saw it was that it was an ea 1e. On various occasions spa men and at are have tried to range of the huge bird, but this was not ac- lished until the other evening, when am Bacon, gamekeeper to Mr. Gordon Falcon of Stainburn, managed to get within hot and fired. struck the wing of the bird and ‘bro c it, and aftera des crate attempt to keep flying the creature fe l to the ground. The gamekee er’s retriever rushed up to ith one blow of its immense claw, the bird split open the do ’15 nose and severely lacerated the side of its cad. The .' dog, however, stuck to the bird till the r arrived. After a severe struggle the the bird ielded, and it can now be seen ’15 house. It has turned - out to be a monster moss owl. It measures 3 feet 6 inches from tipto tip of the win head, body anddllegslare in Zaportilon. d lumageisari go encoor,an ""1 govern its body engrzlg even down to the tips of its huge claws- George Bancroft, the distinguished his- rian, hascome to his ninetieth birthday with a. gradual loss of physical strength and but still a remarkabl and mind for one so ol 9 . He continues his reading and interest in leading events of the day, and is not in any sense “ on the shelf. fixed salaries. I . each member can also secure free medical aid for his wife and children. tages to members are FREE MEDICAL 0R SURGICAL TREATMENT in case of need, payment from the fund of uses at death, pensions to men en permanently disabled by in- juries while engaged in the works, pensions to widows of members, and temporary sup- port to men who are certified by two of the physicans as unable to work. The highest pension to men is five pounds monthly, the about two pounds sixteen The average pension to widows is about one pound fourteen shil- monthly. e firm have made special arrangements with a number of life-insurance companies whereby the workmen can, if they choose, insure their lives at low rates. formed a Life insurance Union, and endowed it with a reserve fund of three thousand pounds, from which aid is givento members needing assistance to pay their premiums. An important institution in Essen is a‘ GREAT CENTRAL SUPPLY STORE, established and owned by the firm, where articles of every descriptionâ€"bread, meat, rovisions, clothing, furniture, &c.â€"â€"are so d on a rigidly cash system at with the Central Store are twenty-seven branch shops, in sitions convenient for the workpeople, es of the system within The advan- Well, If you have any funeral ex your office there who have average bein shillin s mont l . . g y kitchen, slamming lincgls1 They have job again in the and other cost price. Connected rte- placing the advan get Within the easy reach of . riginal name, “ Frederick Krupp,” has been retained through all vicissitudes of fortune as the business title of the firm. The small dwelling in which Alfred Krupp was ' gm born is still standing, in the midst of the huge workshops that have grown up around it, and is preserved with the At his expense, photographs of it were dis- l tributed among his workmen, each copy I the following inscription, dated a Essen, Februar , 1873 : “ Fifty years ago this primitive welling was the abode of my parents. I hope that no one of our labourers' may ever know such str required for the establishment of these works. Twenty-five years ago that success WAS STILL DOUBTFUL which has at length gradually, fullyâ€"rewarded the exertions, perseverance of the encourage others w o are ,in difficulties ! for small houses, we on A few stray llets greatest care. the quarry. bearing keepe lea as, have been ! alive at t e keeper it; at wonder~ delity, May this example powers of memo , well preserved bray . . emf , M. M, m... . . ,. «a i. â€".â€"â€". FAST ATLANTIC PASSAEES Increase inst thsLast Six- teenYeai-s- â€"â€"-â€". The Bra Opened}: the Britannia flora Issue. and our of Dorm-tho Floats Aces-pushed by the Alaska. At the opening of a new season the history it the “ Atlantic reoo " becomes 9 matter of interest, and we propose to trace its history since 1875. We have clmsan that year for a inning because we have been able to comp etc a table ‘of‘ record voyages since that to, but in a future article we may give some account of the struggles be- tween the Collins and (hian liners, who fought _as keenly for the “ blue ribbon of the Alumina" as the modern greyhounds do now- a. ays. . Beginning, then, .in 1875, we find that the task set before the shi Waste and ship builders of that date who esirod to attempt a‘ record was a comparatively easy one. Sixteen years ago something just under eight days on a westward voyage would be sum- cient to do this, and up to that date vessels of under_4,000; tons gross re ' tor and of 3,000 indicated horse power he done every- thing that was r uircd both in point of accommodation an speed. At this time, however, a distinct step forward was made. The White Star line brought out two new vessels, the Britannic and Germanic, of 5,000 tons each and of about 6,000 horse power, _whilc the Inman Line had the City of Berlin, a vessel slightly larger and some- what more powerful. During her first nine voyages the Britannia was handicapped by an experimental ~ device for raising and lowerin her screw, which eventually prov- ed a fai ire and had to be taken out. As ‘ long as this remained she ~was a comparative failure in point of speed. The Germanic, however, reduced the Westward passage to ' under eight days in Jul , 1875, and on her fifth voyage the City of herliu lowered the record both ways ;on her outward voyage she took-the substantial time of 5 hours 5 minutes from the Germanic’s erformance. The latter responded in the following Feb- ruary by reducing the eastward passage by 12minutes, and then the Britannic, fresh from her alterations, brought the eastward passage, in December, 1876, to 7days 12 hoursand4l minutes, and then westward E77] days 10 hours 53 minutes in August, These performances of the Britannic mark- ed the crest of a wave, and nothing ap- proached them until the racers, built in the famous Fairfield yard of Messrs. John Elder .& 00., appeared on the scene. In 1879 the Arizona, the first of these ships, op cared. She was only slightly larger than t e Bri- tannic, being 5,147 tons gross register, against 5,004, but she indicated 6,630 horse power on her trial, whereas the older boat’s horse power was not quite an indicated horse power to a ton gross register. On her first voyage the Arizona gave proof of her mettle lowerin the westward record nearly four hours, as before she was outrun by her newersister the Alaska she had reduced the outward passage to 7days 7 hours 48 min- utes, and the home ward to 7 days 7 hours 36 minutes. It must be noted also that in the Arizona the principle of three cranks set at angles of 120 degrees was introduced, a prin- ciple adopted in all later vessels both by her. own and other builders, and one which has largely conduced both to the wear of the engines and to the comfort of passengers, owmg to the extent to which it has reduced the vibration caused by modern hi h speeds. . But the year 1881 was remarkable not only for the appearance of the Alaska. It was the igear which saw the first voyages of the two rge vessels the Servia and the City of Rome. Though these two vessels never have the opportunity of makin record voyages, thanks to the alacrity wit which the Alaska cut, if the ex ression be allowed, the ground from under t eir feet, they were in many respects most noteworthy vessels. The City of Rome, of 8,415 tons gross, was the largest vessel engaged in the Atlantic trade until the introduction of the recent twm-screw vessels, while the Servia, herself of no mean size, being 7,392 tons ross, was the first mail steamer in the New ork trade to be built of steel. This car also saw the inauguration of the North German Lloyd express service from Bremen, via South- ampton to New-York, the Elbe, built also at Fairfield, making her maiden voyage in June, 1881, but beyond mentioning the fact to show how universally ship builders and owners were on the alert in that year, we cannot now refer to any but the fastest ves- sels of their time. The Alaska began gradually. She broke the homeward record by less than an hour on her third eastward voyage, but time after time she improved on herself, and when at last a fleeter vesselâ€"though built by the same builders for her own ownersâ€"displac- ed her from the foremost position, she had reduced the eastward voyage by thirteen hours and the westward by ten hours. She was the first to cross in under seven do. is, a feat which she first accomplished in 18 . In the case of the Alaska, however, the cost of speed began to tell. She Was 6,932 tom gross register. She had no trial trip, but her estimated horse power is 11,000, about 1.58 indicated horse power to each ton gross, against 1 indicated horse owcr to each ton gross in the Britannic, whi e her consumption is said to be 253 tons per diem, against 9! tons in the Britannic. The speed of the Al- aska was about 17} knots, against a fructim under 16 knots in the Britannic, so that ii became apparent as lcn ago as 1882 at what a cost these higher spec s were to be obtain. ed. ~-â€"â€"â€"â€".â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"_ The Ballad of the launch. What of the bowl The bow was made in E land or true wood. of yew wood!18 The wood of English bows ; 80 men who are free Love the old yew-tree And the land where the yew-tree grows. What of the cord 1 The cord was made in England 2 A rough card. a tough card, A cord that bowmcn love : So we'll drain our Jacks To the Englisth And the land where the hemp was wove. \Vhat of the shaft! The shaft was cut in En land: A lonqu a strong sh t. Bax- and trim and true ‘ So we’ll drink all together To the gray goose feather And the land where the my goose flew. Whatoftbemenl. . ,. The men were bred in England : The howmenâ€"the youmen~ w » a r «- The lads of dale andfell. . y , L Home to you-and to you! ‘* To the hearts that are true 5 And the land where the true beach. dwell. “them-1'- ,. . m: ~.-. ma: gainer-rec“ a; refit. i::-:::i~.. l W ‘1‘” ~..m .._._._. z ’mw <mmww «nu-n. «M A ; A‘._.._