Abstract: A large diameter rotary drum is horizontally supported upon a plurality of saddle like expansible liquid bearing pads of large effective contact area with the drum, and a fixed saddle adjacent each bearing saddle supports the drum when not floated upon the bearings. The bearings and the lower portion of the drum resting thereon are submerged in the liquid in a sump which is kept at a given temperature by passing the liquid therefrom to a cooling tower or through a heat exchanger. Separate adjustable values supply the activating liquid to each bearing pad and a separate pressure gage is provided between each valve and its associated pad.