THE MAURETANIA

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LVI, Issue 41, 24 May 1935, Page 2

THE MAURETANIA

SPEED SECRETS UNKNOWN.

SAID TO BE "FASTEST THING

AFLOAT."

(From the Guardian's Special Correspondent—By Air Mail).

LONDON, April 27

The speed secret of the vMauretania, "Old Lady of the Atlantic" and the fastest passenger" liner afloat, lies in the grave at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, Sunderland, of the man who evolved her speed formula. She will hot be allowed to go "all out" on.her last voyage. The Mauretania will be towed to the breaker's yard at Rosyth next month slowly, and dogged to the end by the unhappy fate that has prevented her proving her utmost speed. Her owners and engineers still believe the Mauretania to be faster than the German liners Europa and Bremen, who wrested from her the Blue Riband of the Atlantic. They believe that the Mauretania can stilL do 32 knots.

The need for the Mauretania to use her last ounce did not arise until the evening of her life/when she was beaten by the Germans. Her crew and owners were willing to make the last bid and confident that her hull, though aged, was still sound as a bell.

The final decision was never taken. The job that the Mauretania may still be able to do is left to the Queen Mary next year. Only one man, unrecognised and unhonoured genius, knew the speed secret of the Mauretania. He was Frank Caws, engineer and architect, of Fawcett street, Sunderland. His grave in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery is almost unknown. His story has never been told. Caws designed the testing tank and produced the formula for the building of the Mauretania as "the fastest thing afloat." "You can go ahead on that model," said Caws. "She'll come out all right. You can guarantee that she will be the fastest liner afloat." Caws was forgotten in the secrecy, espionage and enmity of international shipbuilding of those years— except by the Japanese. He designed | for them the world's fastest torpedo craft. Japan still holds this record. He solved the problem of stabilising submarines under water. The Mauretania's speed secret he kept in his brain. He always intended to commit the formula —a complicated matter of ratios —to paper. He died unexpectedly. The formula went with him. Caws died comparatively poor, broken by a lost legal action against. a local authority over the small Wear bridge at Stanhope.