Lusitania's unique ventilators

[Tarn Stephanos]

One of the easyiest ways to tell the Lusitania and Mauritania apart is that the Mauritania had large bulky ventilators, wheras the Lusitania had sleeker, barrel shaped vents....

Does anyone know why these ships were fittled with complete different types of vents?

Anyone know if the style of cowl vents on the Lusitania were fitted on other Cunard ships?...

regards


Tarn Stephanos

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Does anyone know why these ships were fittled with complete different types of vents?<<

As far as I know, it was an experiment and not a very successful one at that. Over time, some of these cowl type vents were replaced with the more conventional ones that were used on the Mauritania. To the best of my knowladge, it was not repeated on any other ship.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

What was the problem with it? If I remember correctly, there was an accident because of the cowl vents before.

You know what cowl vents remind me of? Those cylindrical metal teapots we use here have a flat cover which is hinged on the top look really like the cowl vents, especially when there is hot drinks inside!

 

[laurent Gontier-Versailles]

I think the experience never has been repeated because some of those covers flew away during heavy gales.

About the effectiveness of those covers , I don't think they were that bad , as the air needed to feed the boilers went through electrically driven ventilators and there were no complaints about it during the trials

What I would like to see are some detail pic's of the mechanism which did lower or raise those covers...

 

[Jeremy Lee]

>>I don't think they were that bad<<

They were. Compared to the Mauretania's they were quite substandard.

 

[Eric Sauder]

Jeremy wrote: "Compared to the Mauretania's they were quite substandard."

What's your period source for this? Thanks.

Eric Sauder

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Eric

i don't think a period source is needed to prove that the lusitania's ventilators were not as good as the Mauretania's, almost every single book written on the subject has criticised the Lusitania's ventilators, and surely they must have interviewed someone or read private papers to get this info. anyone interested in the differences between the two ships should search through the cunard archives, the bailey & Ryan Archives might also be of some help. for those who just want the basics the following books will do:

Mark Warren, Lusitania
Mark Warren, Mauretania
Eric Sauder, Lusitania
The Only Way to Cross
Sway of the Grand Saloon
Lost Liners
Transatlantic
Pic History of Cunard
Titanic Ships, Titanic Disasters

All of these books contain some info on the ventilators and will be found useful for that, and also other differences

 

[Eric Sauder]

Jesse:

You wrote: "i don't think a period source is needed to prove that the lusitania's ventilators were not as good as the Mauretania's...."

Well, think what you want, but to me this one is a no-brainer. Of course, one needs period sources. To anyone who is serious about their research, period sources are critical to understanding the subject. If all one does is read books that others have written, that’s not research.

"...almost every single book written on the subject has criticised the Lusitania's ventilators..."

Which is exactly why I would want a quote from a period source. It's too easy for authors to rewrite what has already been written and not do their own research. I'm very familiar with the books you mentioned, and I have my doubts about the accuracy of some of their information.

I thought perhaps Jeremy might have a source that I haven't seen. I still look forward to hearing his response.

Eric Sauder

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Eric

i also listed archives where useful info on the ventilators can be found, to that list of archives ill add Hoehling & Hoehling. another book which might help would be the The Lusitania Story, though one should be careful in reading this book as authors tend to have chosen ureliable resources for theyre research, or as i like to call them "Simpsonites". though the first half of the book is interesting, most of which is mention in the first half can be found in Eric's book, and is fit into about 45 pages, the whole book being 175 pages, the story itself only 110, the rest being passanger and crew list, which have already been criticised. for local people in philadelphia, an interesting place to go might be "the seamans church of philadelphia", another place where independent research, military men/women depending on there knowledge and position might also be of some use, as has been demonstrated by standart in lots of cases. this whole letter is not of course entirely dedicated to the addressed, but everyone who wishes to read it.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Jesse, in regards sources, I think you'll find what Eric is referring to are primary sources along with the appropriate citations. That way, you get the whole of what's being said from the people and/or organisations that are actually saying it. Some of the books you mentioned aren't bad, (Some are quite good in fact!) but they're at best, secondary in nature.

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

standart

also listed Archives that would be helpful.

Bailey & Ryan
Hoehling & Hoehling
Cunard

other useful places would be maritime museums and seamans churches, naval veteran associations and groups (talking w/ the guys from USS New Jersey is great) also helpful is my grandpa who was WW2 sumariner and my unchle who is a chemist, both on my moms side, my dads side is mostly into dog shows as my grandpa on his side was Vice President of the American Kennel Association for a while, and every once and a while ill see a pictue of a pooch on one of the old grand liners.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Jesse, I don't know if you quite understand what Eric and Michael are driving at in their request for you to pinpoint a specific contemporary source that supports the contention about the ventilators.

You've refered to books, archives, maritime museums, your grandfather etc, but you haven't answered the question. Which of these is the source? And what exactly is the claim within that source - how is it worded and supported?

Eric is interested in finding out if you can cite a reliable primary source that supports the observation you made on the ventilators. As he suggests, far too often material is cannibalised from one secondary source to another, without an attempt to get back to the origins of the claim.

In order to meaningfully discuss the claims about the ventilators, we need to pinpoint the original, primary source from which the conclusions were drawn.

This sort of rigorous approach to assessing and utilising historical material is essential.

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

Inger

It was never my intention to provide a source to anyone which would answer the question, just sources which might help awser it for the benefit of others.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Okay, Jesse - so you don't have a source for the statement, I gather? It might be just as well to state that clearly so we all know where we stand...Eric thought you might have come across something. One reason you'll find yourself pressed for sources if you make a statement like the one about the ventilators is that others hope to access new material. Your ideas on research angles are good ones, but I think you'll find that researchers such as Eric are already familiar with these possible avenues.

 

[Jesse D O'Neill]

not exactly the case. but i've learned something from an earlier thread which included you. why give the pie away for free, when you can make an earning off that pie? as in, when one ask for anothers independent research, or in other words to give part of it up, they too should be prepared to do the same. and so far i have seen nothing to indicate that anyone here is interested in sharing.