THE ATLANTIC GREYHOUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 165, 15 July 1890, Page 4

THE ATLANTIC GREYHOUNDS.

RIVALRY OF OCEAN LINERS.

THE LARGEST AND FASTEST STEAMERS AFLOAT.

The present year is remarkable in shipping for the immense amount of rivalry between the great steamships in the North Atlantic. In no season since 1882, when the new departure was taken by the appearance of the City of Home, the Servia, and the Alaska, have there been so many new steamers of the highest speed eager to contend for the honour of being the swiftest on the Atlantic as there are in this season. The City of Paris, unfortunately for herself and for her owners, will not be able to take part in the race for some time to come; bub before the close of the season she may be expected to re-appear. Failing her, the Clyde will be represented in the front ranlc by her sister ship, the City of New. York, "and the Normania. Tho City of New York, like the City of Paris, claims special consideration, as being larger than any other steamer afloat, her tonnage being 10,499 ; and, like her sister ship also, she is built with fifteen really watertight bulkbeads, and so in the case of disaster, whether by collision or by such an accident as befell the City of Paris, she has a chance of surviving which no other ships in the world but these two can pretend to possess. Tho other new Clyde Atlantic greyhound of the season is the Normania, built afa Fairfield for the Hamburg - American line. Her tonnage is 8,509. She will make her first run early in June from Southampton to New York, and a very little time will suffice to show whether eh'j comes up to expectations. The besb timi hitherto made between Southampton and New York was by the Columbia, a sister ship to the Normania, in August, 1889, the distance boing run in 6 days 18 hours 20 minutes, her mileage being 3,049 knots. It may be expected that, unforeseen accidents excepbed, the Normania will equal or excel the best of all that have crossed the Atlantic lasb year. But will she beat the besb of the Majestic—the new Belfast liner ? The Majestic, with her sister ship the Teutonic, shows the same lines of beauty which belong to all the White Star steamers. She is the longesb steamer in the world, bub comes short of the tonnage of the City of Paris by 700 tons, so that with less breadth and less weight of metal she should be able to do more on the same, or perhaps a little more engine power than the best of the City of Paris. In no case has any of the recentlybuilb Atlantic liners done anything near her besb speed on her first voyage. The City of Paris beafc the besb time of the Etruria by six and one-half houre. Will the Majestic or the Normania shorten the best of the City of Paris by seven hours, and make the run in five and one-halt days ? Thab'is bbc point to be decided in the course of the summer. Bub, whatever may be the result, it will certainly call torth fresh efforts, to beat the besb. Other lines which have as yeb given no order this season for a new Atlantic greyhound are understood to be watching the performance of the besb of bhis year wibh the view of beatipg ib in another season, and if Belfast does win in the struggle of this year ib wilt not be long, before the Clyde will make another abtempb to regain her* lost position. It is curious to' note that only 11 years aeo at this time the best ran bebween New York and Queenetown was more than % days, and ib was in May. 1882, quite a recent date, that the first voyage of under seven days wae completed. Now it is less than six, and before the close of 1890 it will almosb certainly be 5i days. Where, is it to end ?