MAMMOTH STEAMERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 5

MAMMOTH STEAMERS.

British shipowners have evidently given up all idea of striving with Germany any longer for the possession of the blue ribtoon of the Atlantic, so far as speed is concerned, says the Sydney "Evening News." On the other hand, they have apparently made up their minds to excel in size, for the recently launched White Star liner, the Cedrlc, is the largest shlo afloat. Although able to steam but 17 knots, against the 24 of the Kaiser Willielin 11., she makes that speed on a coal consumption of only 260 tons per day,compared with the German's tremendous allowance of 750 tons. The Cedric can also accommodate. 3000 passengers, and carry a heavy cargo, as aganist the Kaiser Wilhelm's 1888 passengers and no caricowhatever, all available space being tilled with bunkers and machinery. But, big though the Cedrlc ip, she in that respect falls a good deal below Isamburd Brunei's Leviathan, whose keel was laid down nearly ball' a century ago. and which turned out to be such a costly failure. This vessel afterwards known as the Great Eastern, was 0- ho less than 22,500 tons burden, and it was estimated that she could accommodate -000 passengers. For motive power the huge bulk depended on acres of canvas, carried on six masts, and engines of 1200 horse power and of IGOO horse power, applied respectively to paddles and to a screw—a combination which, although great things .were .expected of it. proved totally inadequate for its purpose. The Cedric's length is 700 ft, the Great Eastern's was 091 ft, with a beam of 83ft, as against the Cedric's 75ft. But to propel the last-named vessel it takes twin screws, and engines of 14,000 hors? power: and it seems rather curious how the scientific men of those earlier days could possibly have been so far out in their calculations with regard to the power necessary to send a fabric of the Great Eastern's size at even a decent speed through the water. As is well known this marine white elephant, after sundry unsuccessful trips to India, Australia, and across the Atlantic, was eventually sold for old iron, the only useful piece of work she ever performed being the laylr»i_ of the first Atlantic cable. While fairly assured of the Cedric's escaping any such ignominious end, the wisdom of building ships of such enormous dimensions and carrying capacity may very well be questioned. '