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Camerata - Trial

TRIAL TRIP OF THE s.s. CAMERATA

(Northern) Daily mail June/27/10

On Saturday (15th), the handsome steel screw steamer Camerata built  by Messrs. Wm Gray and Co., Ltd., to the order of Messrs. Frank C. Strick and Co., Ltd., of London and Swansea, for La Tunisienne Steam Navigation Co,. of Paris, had her trial trip.

The vessel has been built to Lloyd’s highest class, and is of the following dimensions, viz.: Length over all, 362ft., breadth, 50ft., and depth, 25ft. 11 ½ in. A description of the vessel has already appeared in the “Mail”.

Triple-expansion engines are being supplied by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders, having cylinders 24in., 36in., and 64in. Diameter, by 42in. stroke, and two large steel boilers for a pressure of 180lbs. per square inch, worked under Howden’s system of forced draught. The portings in the cylinders are large to insure an easy passage for the steam, and so obtain the maximum efficiency from it.
   
The engines are fitted with a “contraflo” main condenser a “contraflo” atmospheric type condenser being installed for the auxiliary machinery. A Morrison surface feed heater combined with oil and air extractor, is also fitted, the engine room auxiliaries, including a number of duplex pumps of the builders “Cmew” type, being very complete and carried out in accordance with the requirement of the owners’ superintendent engineer.
 
The leading feature of the condenser design is a new method of temperature regulation by means of which the air withdrawing capacity of the air pump can be so adjusted to the demand that the thermal efficiency of the engines is at  a maximum under all conditions of working, this arrangement having a favourable influence on economy.

Mr. Archibald Walker, who has superintended the construction of ship and machinery represented the owners on the trial; there were also on Mr. James Innes and Mr. Ward, of Lloyd’s Registry, Captain J. E. Murrell represented of the ship and Mr. J. B. Williams on behalf of the builders of the machinery. The trial was a very satisfactory one, the speed being 11 ½ knots.



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