As the warship approached the port, Captain Xu Zhixuan of the Pioneer walked into the cabin and reported: "Director Tong, Deputy Director Niu and others from Xinghe Shipyard are here and are preparing to welcome His Majesty near the port."
"They are quite well prepared."
Li Mingyuan smiled lightly and said to the others: "Let's get off the ship and see what the results of several years of hard work by all the technical staff of Xinghe Shipyard are like."
"A 5,000-ton ocean-going ship is quite a big thing. I wonder how many immigrants such a ship can carry at one time?"
"It must be close to 2,000 people anyway. The 3,000-ton transport ship owned by the Ocean Shipping Company can carry 1,400 immigrants at a time. The new 5,000-ton ocean transport ship built by Xinghe Shipyard has a displacement tonnage of nearly twice that of the former.
The standard number of immigrants must be five to six hundred more than that of a 3,000-ton transport ship."
A group of people got off the warship and chatted while walking: "5,000-ton ocean-going ships use triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines as propulsion power. Each ship is equipped with two triple-expansion steam engines, each with 8,000 horsepower, and forced ventilation with 12,000 horsepower. The ship
The total power is 16,000 horsepower, the standard speed is 16 knots, and the maximum speed is 20 knots.
The standard displacement is 5,200 tons, the full load displacement is 6,000 tons, the standard number of immigrants carried is 2,100, and the crew is 180.
Departing from Yishui Port (Puerto Montt) at a speed of 16 knots and heading to the Far East, the total one-way voyage is about 19,000 kilometers and takes 42 to 45 days."
Long before leaving Chang'an, various technical data on 5,000-ton ocean-going ships submitted by Xinghe Shipyard were distributed to the chief officials of several core departments of the central government. Therefore, as one of the higher-level management departments of civil shipping enterprises,
, the Director-General of the Ministry of Industrial Development knows more about the technical performance of new ships than ordinary officials.
"The speed of one knot is 1.8 kilometers per hour. If the ship keeps sailing at 16 knots without interruption, doesn't it mean that it only takes 28 days to complete the entire route from South America to the Far East?"
As the Director-General of the Ministry of Transport and Development who is often in contact with maritime shipping management matters, Mei Ruiying has always been very sensitive to numbers. Therefore, after listening to the introduction of the Director-General of the Ministry of Industry, he quickly calculated the theoretical data of the new ocean-going ship during its long-term voyage.
"According to technical and theoretical calculations, the entire South Pacific route can be completed within 28 days. However, because the fleet needs to carry out necessary material supplies and repairs during the voyage, including this part of the time, the total one-way voyage time will exceed 40 days."
Chen Shen, Director-General of the Ministry of Industry, said: "Compared with ordinary ocean-going transport ships owned by ocean shipping companies, the one-way voyage time of 5,000-ton ships is shortened by 15 to 18 days. However, compared with Western powers, the standard speed is 16 knots and the tonnage is 16 knots.
A 5,200-ton ocean-going transport ship is not yet at the first-class industry level.
In May last year, a 10,000-ton ocean-going ship named "City of Paris" owned by the British Inman International Steamship Company completed a one-way voyage from Europe to North America in 6 days and 29 minutes. The average speed of the ship exceeded 20 knots.
In April this year, an ocean-going ship with a displacement of 14,000 tons, owned by the German company Norddeutsche Lloyd, completed the transatlantic route in 5 days and 13 hours. The average speed of the ship reached 22 knots, setting a record as the largest ocean-going ship with a displacement of 10,000 tons.
Record of sailing speed.
The civil ship construction technology of the United Kingdom and Germany is world-class. If the domestic civilian ship construction industry can reach the average level of the two countries, then the one-way sailing time of the two main immigration transportation routes from the mainland to the Far East will be likely to be shortened.
Within 35 days, the number of immigrants transported each time may also increase to 700,000 or even 800,000 on the basis of 450,000 people per year."
"The gap in civilian ocean-going ship construction technology between the mainland and the United Kingdom and Germany cannot be caught up in one or two years. If we want to reach the current level of ocean-going ship construction technology in the United Kingdom and Germany, it will take at least five years for the mainland to catch up.
"
Li Mingyuan was able to face up to the gap between the local civilian shipbuilding industry and the British, German and French countries, so he did not have any illusions about catching up with the level of the great powers in a short time.
“The local civilian shipbuilding industry currently does not have the technical reserves to build ocean-going ships of 10,000 tons, and the local government is currently unable to bear the huge construction and maintenance costs of building ocean-going ships.
Introducing the construction technology of 10,000-ton ocean-going ships and reducing the construction and maintenance costs of self-built 10,000-ton ships are difficult problems that need to be solved in the next ten-year development plan. However, in the period between now and 1895, the task of the local civilian shipbuilding industry is to use
The civil ship construction expenses allocated every year will be used to control ship construction costs. Within the next five and a half years, we will complete the construction task of 5,200-ton ocean-going ships, gradually phase out old ocean-going transport ships with backward technical performance, and improve the efficiency of ocean-going transport ships.
Overall risk resistance and transportation efficiency.
Although a number of ocean-going transport ships with a displacement of less than 1,000 tons have been eliminated before, and the number of ocean-going transport fleets has gradually increased to more than 170 ships, due to limitations in transportation funds and local civilian ship construction capabilities, the ocean-going transport fleet is still
There are a large number of old ships, among which there are close to 20 ocean-going transport ships that are not suitable for steam power transformation.
These old ocean-going transport ships with backward technical performance are more dangerous than new transport ships and must be phased out.
The obsolete old ships that can be maintained and renovated will be sold to local private enterprises at low prices after being renovated and used as offshore, inland water transportation, fishing and hunting vessels. If they are not worth renovating, there is no need to pity them and they will be directly dismantled and disposed of.
.”
"Most of the locally owned ocean-going transport ships are old-fashioned ships sold to us by European countries at low prices. Although many of these ships have been transformed by steam power and their speed has increased a lot, there are more than 170 ocean-going transport ships, more than 20 years old.
There are 120 ships that are 10 years old and 20 ships that are 10 years old.
The service life of an ordinary wooden sailboat is 30 years. The service life of a wooden steam engine ship that has been transformed by steam power is increased by three to four years, and the time before it will be eliminated is no more than ten years.
At first, there was a lack of ocean-going transport ships in the mainland. In order to increase the number of immigrants, the only option was to purchase old-fashioned wooden sailing ships that had been eliminated by Western countries. Now that the local government's finances are gradually becoming abundant, the development of the civilian shipbuilding industry can also basically meet the construction tasks of ocean-going transport ships.
At this time, it is indeed necessary to conduct a thorough rectification and reorganization of the ocean shipping fleet.”…………
The group chatted on the road for seven or eight minutes and met Tong Longfu, Niu Shangzhou and others who were standing at the port to greet them. Then, under the welcome and escort of Tong Longfu and others, Li Mingyuan and his group arrived at the offshore dock of Xinghe Shipyard.
"The construction period of a 5,200-ton ocean-going ship is one year and three months, and the average construction cost of each ship is 570,000 Han yuan (equivalent to about 300,000 taels of Kuping silver).
Xinghe Shipyard owns one 5,000-ton military dock, four 3,000-ton military docks, two civilian 8,000-ton docks, four civilian 5,000-ton docks, and nine civilian 3,000-ton docks.
Among them, there are two shipyards with the capacity to build new ocean ships. After the first year of construction tasks are completed, it is expected that the annual construction cycle of 5,200-ton ocean ships will be shortened to one year. Xinghe Shipyard will be able to complete the project starting from the second year.
The construction task of two 5,200-ton ocean-going ships per year.”
Facing the direction of the shipyard, Li Mingyuan admired the huge white ship and listened to the introduction by Niu Shanniu, deputy director of Xinghe Shipyard.
"Based on the current technical level, there are two local civilian shipyards that are qualified to build 5,200-ton ocean-going ships. One is Xinghe Shipyard, and the other is His Majesty's Hanguo Ocean Shipping Company (controlled by the royal family)
,
Ocean Shipping Company has a total of 4 shipbuilding bases across the country, 183 supporting related enterprises, 3,100 industrial employees (excluding crew members), and 2,400 industrial workers. 1 8,000-ton civilian dock, 3 5,000-ton civilian docks, 8
3000-ton civil shipyard.
It has the ability to build a 5,200-ton ocean-going ship every year.”
"With the construction capabilities of Xinghe Shipyard and Ocean Shipping Company, how long will it take to increase the number of immigrants transported annually to more than 550,000?"
"Based on the 450,000 immigrants imported last year, the two shipyards completed the construction of three 5,200-ton ships every year. Each ship carries 2,100 immigrants. Each round-trip voyage takes three months. Each ship travels to and from South America every year -
Four times to the Far East, each ship transports 6,300 people per year, and three ships transport 18,900 immigrants per year. Then taking into account factors such as the weakening of transportation capacity caused by the elimination of some old ocean transport ships, we want to increase the number of immigrants transported per year to 550,000
People, it takes about 7 years.”
"No, seven years is too long. The situation in the Far East has changed drastically. The mainland is likely to usher in a larger wave of immigrants around 1894. In order to prepare for the wave of immigrants coming in the next few years, 5,200-ton ocean-going transport ships
The construction plan must be accelerated."
Li Mingyuan thought of the war that would change Far East International five years later, and urged: "Xinghe Shipyard and ocean shipping companies have insufficient production capacity. Then expand the dock and increase the shipbuilding capacity of the shipyard. In addition, private shipping companies have developed rapidly for more than ten years.
Years have passed, and there are many companies with basic technical talent reserves. You should not just focus on the state-owned shipyards, but also pay more attention to the development of local private shipyards.
Xinghe Shipyard and Ocean Shipping Company are not only state-owned enterprises responsible for ship construction, but also an important part of the national industrial development strategy. You must shoulder more social responsibilities as state-owned enterprises, cooperate more with private enterprises, and help private enterprises improve their construction technology.
level.
After all, private shipping companies are the main force responsible for local inland waterway shipping tasks, and helping private companies develop will be beneficial to the local shipping industry and national economic development."
"What your Majesty teaches is that there are many private shipbuilding companies in the local area that are relatively well-run. Companies such as the South Pacific Shipping Company and Shengchang Shipping Company have independent shipyards under their names. If Xinghe Shipyard comes forward to help them
By expanding and renovating the shipyard, I believe that within two years, there will be at least three more local private shipping companies capable of building 5,200-ton ocean-going ships."
"The South Pacific Shipping Company is an industry run by the concubine's father. Although Mr. Zhang is the concubine's father, you cannot be partial. When choosing a private company to undertake the construction task of a 5,200-ton ocean-going ship, you must use the company's comprehensive technical reserves as the judge.
According to this, there must never be any use of power for personal gain."
"Yes, Your Majesty, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Railways and Transport Development will work with the two state-owned shipping companies to select suitable private shipbuilding companies in full accordance with Your Majesty's instructions and standards."......
