meter of opening under the valve for fire-pump

suction.

Composition strainers equivalent in area to twice the area of valve cover the openings through the ship.

Bilge-Injection.-A copper pipe of 12 inches internal diameter connects each main injectionvalve chest with the bilge in its engine compartment. Each pipe has attached to it a composition non-return valve of 12 inches diameter of opening.

Outboard-Delivery Valves.-The chests, bonnets, seats, valves, stems and glands of outboard-delivery valves are of composition.

The valves are fitted as checks, to open by pressure from inside, to cover openings through seat 15 inches diameter. Each chest has a valve of 31⁄2 inches diameter of opening outside the main valve for the bilge discharge from fire-pumps, and one for the discharge from main bilge-pumps.

Sea-Valves.-There are two sea-valves of not less than 31⁄2 inches diameter of opening in each fire-room, one to be used for blow and the other for sea-suction.

The chests are provided with suitable nozzles for connecting them with pipes, leading to boilers and pumps.

The chests, bonnets, valves, seats, stems, glands and hand-wheels are made of composi

The suctions have composition strainers, with holes through them of an aggregate area not less than twice the area of valve openings.

Feed and Auxiliary-Pumps.—There are two vertical duplex-pumps of approved design, located in each fire-room; each pump has watercylinders of 5 inches diameter and a pistonstroke of 12 inches. One pump in each fireroom is connected to feed-tanks, bottom of forward condenser, and boiler-checks only, and has a screw check-valve on both suction and delivery-pipes close to the pump. The other pump in each fire-room is fitted to draw from feed-tank, sea, bilge and boilers; and to deliver water into any of the boilers by a distinct set of feed-pipes and check-vaves independent of the main feed system, and, likewise, into the firemain and overboard.

In addition, the forward auxiliary pump is fitted with a suitable discharge-pipe for flushing the head and for distilling purposes. It discharges its water overboard through a sea-valve forward.

Fire and Bilge-Pumps.-There is a vertical steam-pump of approved design placed in each engine-room. They are fitted with the requisite valves and connections for use as bilge and firepumps, and draw water from the sea through a valve or main injection-chest or through bottom of ship and from the bilge. They deliver

overboard through valves on outboard-delivery valve-chests, and into fire-main.

Each pump has a steam-cylinder of 8 inches diameter, water-cylinder of 5 inches diameter, and a stroke of 12 inches.

Distiller and pump.-The distilling apparatus is located on the berth-deck, and consists of one distiller of approved design capable of furnishing 3,000 gallons of potable water in 24 hours. It takes its steam from the auxiliary boiler by an independent stop-valve and pipe.

The auxiliary pump in fire-room is used as a circulating-pump for the distiller. One independent pump for distiller.

The circulating water, after passing through the distiller, goes forward through a proper copper pipe for use in flushing the heads; a copper bye-pass pipe, fitted with suitable valves, connects the discharge of the pump used to circulate water through the distiller with the pipe leading forward to the head, for use when from any cause the distiller is shut off.

The distiller is fitted with a filter and with the pipes necessary for running the distilled water into the fresh-water tanks.

Pump-cylinders.-The water-cylinders of all steam-pumps are made of composition.

All pumps have screw check-valves in section and delivery-pipes close to pump-chambers, and stop-valves in both steam and exhaust-pipes.

All suction-pipes leading to bilge, excepting those from the circulating-pumps, are fitted with Macomb bilge-strainers. The steam-cylinders of all pumps, blowers, and other auxiliary machinery have their exhaust-nozzles connected to an exhaust-main, which will pass through engine and fire-rooms. This main is connected to both main condensers and to the second receivers of both engines, and has a discharge into the atmosphere, and is furnished with the necessary valves for governing the direction of the exhaust. Additionally, the main feedpumps are supplied with means of turning their exhaust steam into their feed suction-pipes.

Working-platforms. Working-platforms of wrought-iron are situated below the center of shaft and on each side of the bulkhead, between the engines, convenient to which are arranged all the handles, levers, and connections for operating the engines, with the counters, revolutionindicators, clocks, steam and vacuum-gauges in plain view.

Ladders are provided as means of escape from engine-rooms when the water-tight doors are closed, and are located on the bulkhead separating the engine compartments.

The engine-room stairway for ordinary use is accessible from the berth-deck through a door in engine-room hatch bulkhead, and has its landing on the working-platform in the forward

engine compartment. A door near this stairway communicates with after engine compartment, and suitable footways are arranged for access to the moving parts of the machinery, fitted, where required, with brass hand-rails and finished wrought-iron stanchions.

Feed-water Tanks.-A feed-water tank is placed in forward engine-room. It is made of wrought-iron inch in thickness, and has a capacity of about 500 gallons, and is fitted as a filter and is provided with a vapor pipe, a floatvalve for preventing access of air to feed-pump, an overflow-pipe and a glass gauge.

A supply-pipe leads from this tank to the main feed-pumps in fire-rooms.

Line-Shafting.—The line and thrust-shafting of both engines are made of steel, 1334 inches diameter, with a 6-inch hole axially through it, and are supported by spring bearings where necessary. The thrust-shafts have eleven raised collars 13% inches thick, 18 inches outside diameter, and 17% inches space between them.

Propeller Shafting.-The propeller-shaft of each engine is made of steel in two lengths. The forward length is 141⁄2 inches outside diameter, with 8-inch hole axially through it. The after length is 15 inches outside diameter, with 9-inch hole axially through it. The hole is reduced at propeller end to correspond with diameters. The forward length is cased with brass