History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the shipU.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
History
History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet: Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the ship
U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee
Leviathan (Steamship); Vaterland (Steamship); World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval operations, American
The power to drive the Leviathan is distributed into turbines driving
the four propellers. In the open sea the steam is distributed in what
we call the high pressure cruising combination, whereby the turbines
operate at their highest economy. But in this combination the engines
cannot be thrown back instantly, so that in the open ocean in considering
her safety and manœuvering, the rudder effect only can be relied upon.
She must be considered as having no backing effect. For leaving port,
entering port and manœuvering about the dock or about the anchorage,
there is thrown in what is called the manœuvering combination. In this
combination the highest speed the ship is capable of is sixteen knots
ahead, and the combination permits steam to be thrown into the backing
turbines. When there is little or no wind the ship steers very well. When
it blows strong on the beam or on the quarter, the enormous area of the
ship’s freeboard makes her act like a catboat, she wants to fly up into
the wind. She requires a weather helm or to put it in modern language, a
lee rudder. She will turn very quickly into the wind, but she will turn
away from the wind only slowly and reluctantly. Consequently we always
dislike going into New York or out of New York in a gale of wind, where
the restricted channel requires prompt and accurate turning of the ship.
Under normal conditions the manœuvering of the ship with her propellers,
in spite of her great length of 954 feet, is all that can be desired.
NEW YORK HARBOR
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