ine or of a stationary boiler. It seems to me the
increase of grate area can be obtained only by widening; for a length
of more than six or seven feet is very hard upon the fireman. You
certainly cannot get more power by deepening present fire-boxes,
except by an enormously increased waste of fuel, which all will
concede is already sufficiently extravagant.

In arriving at the conclusion of these hasty and I fear somewhat
incoherent remarks, I would say that the object aimed at for the
improvement of the locomotive would be reached, first, by making steam
economically, by employing such increased grate area as will permit
running thin fires and moderate or comparatively slow draught; and,
secondly, in economically using the steam which has been economically
made by compounding the engine.

I have given you merely the views of an "outsider," who has had a
somewhat extensive experience in stationary engineering, and who has
observed locomotive practice in many parts of the world. These views
are offered for what they are worth, as suggestions for future thought
in designing engines, and as a sort of refresher upon rudimentary
points which long familiarity with every-day phenomena causes us at
times to overlook. I trust that your deliberations may aid in the
speedy reduction of the expenses of transporting freight and
passengers, for the benefit of the railroad companies and, in their
turn, the advantage of the people at large.

* * * * *

ATLANTIC STEAMERS.[1]

[Footnote 1: A paper recently read before the Institution of Naval
Architects.]

By W. JOHN.

[Illustration: Fig. 1--CITY OF ROME.]

The author said that he hoped to bring before the meeting impartially
certain facts which might be of interest, and which, when recorded in
the pages of the "Transactions," might be found of some use as data
for future reference. In dealing with passenger steamers, he would do
so principally from a shipbuilder's point of view; but the moment he
commenced to think over Atlantic passenger ships as a shipbuilder, he
was met by the question whether the present tendency toward divorcing
the passenger and cargo trade from each other is likely to continue or
not. If the answer is yes, then it seems to become an important
question, for the present at least, how to build, on moderately small
dimensions, the fastest, safest, and most economical passenger
steamer, using all the most modern im