"Transportation of Troops and Material," by Major Chauncy B. Baker, Q. M. D. U. S. A.
A practical manual from the point of view of a quartermaster in charge of the movement; treats of both land and water transport. The subject is well handled and will contain valuable information and prove of interest to naval officers in connection with the movement of troops, and to navy paymasters and marine quartermasters charged with responsibility for same. It is of particular interest as showing appreciation in the service of the mistakes that occurred in 1898, and is in effect a plea and a safeguard against the recurrence of these mistakes. The book is replete with historical examples of the principles and methods advanced. The details of transportation by water, by land, and by rail, are exhaustively treated, both where the means of the transport are owned by the government, and by private individuals or corporations, and the government supervision of private transportation is thoroughly discussed. Railway equipment of standard pattern is fully described with complete information as to capacity, and an outline of the orders issued from military and railroad headquarters at Fort Riley in 1903 for the dispersal of the forces encamped at that point are quoted in detail from the report of the chief quartermaster of the Maneuver Division, showing the method by which twenty-one trains were loaded and despatched in less than three and one-half hours, distributing troops to nearly 200 different points. The organization, discipline, and control of division and corps supply trains is ably handled, quoting copiously from recorded experiences in the Civil War, Crimea, and elsewhere. The book concludes with an able exposition of the necessity for a peace organization which may be readily expanded to meet the requirements of the sudden occurrence of forces resultant upon a declaration of war. W. R. C.
"Supplee's Mechanical Engineer's Reference Book." 2d edition, revised and enlarged. J. B. Lippincott Co.
As stated in the author's preface, this book is intended to be a successor to the well known pocket-book by John W. Nystrom, which, it appears, is now out of print. It contains all the usual standard tables of data required by the mechanical engineer, together with a number of useful additions which make it a thoroughly up-to-date work.
The metric conversion tables are particularly complete, and the extensive table of factors of numbers up to 9599 will be found a convenience in certain classes of computations. The metric steam tables are also likely to be of frequent use. The brief introductory notes on algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and differential and integral calculus are clear and concise, and the treatment of statics and dynamics is specially to be commended.
The chapter on internal combustion motors and rules for testing gas and oil engines, together with the extended treatment of the subject of practical electricity, make the work specially adapted to the requirements of the modern mechanical engineer. The tables showing the cost of power, viz.: water, steam, natural gas, producer gas, and electricity, are particularly valuable, because in each instance the authority is cited and the reader can refer to the original test for further particulars. This chapter would have been still more useful if a similar table had been given to show the cost of power from fuel oil. There is much data available, but it is not readily accessible to the busy engineer.
The second title, "Supplee's Mechanical Engineering," printed on the cover, seems unnecessary and confusing, but, on the whole, it is difficult to find anything but praise for this admirable storehouse of information.
"James Lawrence, Captain of the Chesapeake," by Albert Gleaves, Lieutenant-Commander, U. S. N. With an introduction by George Dewey, Admiral of the Navy. Illustrated. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London.
Nearly a century has elapsed since the war of 1812. A half century went by before anything like an adequate history of the war from a naval point of view was written. President Roosevelt began such a history, completed the naval portion, and found that the war was so largely naval in its character that it was not worth while to add to his work the account of the operations on land. But as yet the biographical portion of that interesting time, from the present point of view, has not received adequate treatment. Captain Mahan's work, however, in process of publication, will to a great degree remedy this lack.
This volume is written for the man of to-day. It includes valuable material that has never been published.
Lawrence's career was comparatively short. He died a young man. There was something about the circumstances of his death that inspired the American people. There was something about his personality that charmed every one with whom he came into contact. To be sure his fame was short lived. This generation knows but little about him, but on that account there was so much the more need that his biography should be written; that men, and especially naval men, should see what kind of a naval officer he was and learn from his good qualities, as well as from his mistakes, something that will help them professionally.
The engagement of the Chesapeake with H. B. M. S. Shannon, which has been misunderstood, especially with reference to Lawrence's alleged unpreparedness for the engagement, needed to be told again. This is the fullest and best account that has been written.
The body of information found in the record of the court martial of Lieutenant Cox and others of the Chesapeake, now in the Judge Advocate General's Office, Navy Department, seems not to have been known by those hitherto writing of this action. The sworn testimony then taken is the most authentic account of the fight.
This must be the definitive biography of Lawrence, as every source of information has been _searched for material. The work needed to be done; it has been well done. It reflects credit upon the author for patience in gathering material, accuracy and clearness of statement, and adequacy of presentation. It should have many readers. E. K. R.
"Stirling." A book on Steam for Engineers.
This little manual is issued by the Stirling Boiler Company of Barberton, Ohio, primarily in the interest of their own boilers and appliances.
After giving a full and clear description of the construction of the Stirling boiler, it proceeds to discuss briefly the advantages of water-tube boilers in general and the fundamental principles which govern their design and construction.
In this connection the following subjects are treated, showing the practical application of the accepted themes, viz.: Heat and its measurements; air for combustion; feed water and its impurities; feed-water heaters; steam, steam tables, contained moisture, and flow through pipes; superheaters with an admirable exposition of the principles governing their design; combustion and heat losses; fuel, coal, gas, oil, wood, bagam, and Indian corn, and the methods of determining their values; fuel burning and utilization of waste heat; the Stirling chain grate stoker; chimney draught; analysis of gases; boiler efficiency; boiler horsepower; rules for conducting trials; principles of steam piping, good and to the point; boiler and pipe covering; boiler cleaning, care, and management; specifications for masonry for boiler settings.
Each of the above subjects is treated in an able manner and with brevity by making use of abundant illustrations, tables, and curves.
The little volume might well serve as a text-book, and if put into the hands of the boiler attendant of ordinary intelligence the practical points alone would likely save the owner a considerable sum on his bill for repairs and renewals.
It has also much that is of interest to engineers; for example, two tests of a Sterling boiler, burning oil, with an efficiency of 80.76 per cent and 83.14 per cent, respectively, and a comparative table of time and cost of repairs to a number of different types of boilers at the St. Louis Exposition.
W. F. W.