City of Dieppe - Launch

THE CITY OF DIEPPE.

Outstanding Features of the Thousandth Ship.

The city of Dieppe is a single screw steamer for the Ellerman Lines, and is the thousandth vessel built by Messrs. Wm Gray and Co.

As is appropriate, the hull and machinery have some outstanding features, and, owing to the progressive spirit shown by Sir J. R. Ellerman, the builders have not been disappointed in this respect, as the vessel is an interesting example of the progress made in the construction of fast cargo liners. She has two decks with long poop, long bridge and forecastle, and is of the following
dimensions: length overall, 486ft. 3in.; breadth extreme 58ft. 3in.; depth moulded, 34ft 11in.

She has a cruiser stern, and her equipment embodies all the latest improvements, including fresh water distiller, steam windlass, steam steering gear, electric lighting, and wireless installation. The cargo handling appliances are very complete, including 16 steam winches, and 19 steel derricks and provision for a heavy derrick at the foremast to lift 45 tons if required.

Careful attention has been paid to the owners’ special requirements for the trade in which the vessel is intended to run, the double bottom and fore and aft peaks being arranged for oil fuel or water ballast and the deep tank for water ballast or oil cargo.

Spacious accommodation for the captain and officers is arranged in steel houses amidships, the engineers being berthed in large houses alongside the casing, and the crew aft. Four staterooms are provided for passengers.

                                               THE ENGINES

The machinery, which is being supplied by the Central marine Engine Works of the builders, is a combination of the reciprocating engine and the steam turbine, so arranged that the full advantage of the steam can be taken by the reciprocating engine at the high pressure end and by the turbine at the low pressure end by taking the utmost out of the steam and passing it into the condenser at almost a perfect vacuum.

The combination consists of high pressure balanced quadruple expansion engines, having four cylinders and working on four cranks, each with a stroke of 54in. The steam after passing through the four cylinders, is led to the condenser. The turbine is coupled the single line shafting through a Vulcan clutch and double reduction gearing.

The machine is supplied with steam at a pressure of 255lbs. per square inch from four boilers, arranged to burn either coal or oil, and fitted with forced draught and steam superheaters. The air, on its way to the furnaces, passes through a “CMEW” super air preheater, where it is raised in temperature to about 350 deg. F.

                                               AUXILIARIES

The “CMEW” auxiliaries which are to be fitted are designed with the same regard to economy and made with the same care as the main propelling machinery.

The main circulating pump is driven by an enclosed compound engine fitted with adjustable “cut-off” arrangement so that the “cut-off” of the steam can be varied and full economical effect obtained when operating in sea water of varying temperature.

Other “CMEW” auxiliaries in the installation include gravitational feed filter, high pressure live steam feed heater, evaporators, general service pump, auxiliary condenser, harbour feed pump, exhaust steam auxiliary , surface feed heater, ballast pump, and oil transfer pump.

“CMEW” oil fuel separators are fitted to work in conjunction with the oil burning installation. These separators separate the water from the oil fuel by a continuous process and without the aid of settling tanks, which are dispensed with.

A thermocouple installation is fitted by means of which the temperatures of the gases in the combustion chamber of the boilers, the smoke boxes, and other points may easily and conveniently
be read in one place in the engine room.

The installation is the first high pressure quadruple engine of this pressure to be fitted with an exhaust turbine. The whole installation has been designed with a view to obtaining the utmost economy in fuel consumption, and the result of the thousandth ship will, therefore, be watched with
considerable interest.

The hull and machinery have been built under the supervision of Mr. W. Hinchcliffe.



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