RUMOURS AFLOAT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 30 May 1930, Page 9

RUMOURS AFLOAT

SPEED, SIZE, HORSE-POWER

Ever since the North German Lloyd liner Bremen wrested the "blue riband" of the Atlantic from the 21-year-old Cunarder Mnuretania on lier maiden trip in July last year, when the German vessel did the voyage in 4 days 17 hours 42 minutes, the shipping world has been looking forward to the time when a British liner would regain the- honour. The Curiard Line has been looked to in particular to win back the title, and numerous rumours wcro circulated concerning mammoth vessels of almost unbelievable speeds which it was believed tho company projected building in the near future. About the same time as tho Europa 'established the new record it was an' nouneed by the Cunard Lino that they were in communication with certain shipbuilders regarding the construction of a new steamer for their Atlantic express service. '" Regarding the amiouncement, the shipping magazine, "The Syren and Shipping," wrote: "All the reports which have appeared in the daily Press regarding the dimensions,, tonnage, speed, and type of propulsive machinery of the projected ship are entirely* unofficial At tho same time, thero are eood grounds for belief that high-pres-sure steam turbines and high-pressure watertubo boilers will be installed, lhe new Cunarder will undoubtedly rank high in the the list of fast ships on the North Atlantic route, but'it is early yet to say if she will go one better 'than the Bremen and Europa, of tho Norddeutscher Lloyd,, the former of which pair at present holds tho 'blue riband.' (The Europa has since lowered the Bremen s time.) As regards size, again one can only guess at the intentions ot the Cunard directors.

000,000 H.P.!

On the subject of the horse-power mentioned in the cable message above, the "Syren" says: "Some of _ the stories which have been published have, of course, been absurd. One writer in a daily contemporary even went so far as to state that the engines would be "TS^Lod that only three shipbuilding firms had been asked to submit proposals. These were Messrs. Joim BrowS and Co., Ltd, Clydobauk; Messrs. Swan, Hunter, and Wjgham Richardson, Ltd., Wallsend-on-Tyiie; and Messrs. Viekers-Armstrongs, .Ltd., Newcastle-on-Tyne and Barrow. This information revealed that the Cunard Line had no intention of going for their new ship to builders other than those with whom they have long associations. Exclusive of the Germanbuilt Berengaria, of the nine largest vessels now forming the' company s fleet, only one—the Samaria, built by Messrs. Cammell Laird and Co. at Birkenhead—came from any yard but one of the three mentioned. John Brown and Co. were responsible for the Aquitania, Carmania, Caronia, and_ Franconia; Messrs. Swan, Hunter for the Mauretania and Laconia; and Messrs. "Vickers. (at their Barrow yard) for tho Carinthia and Scytliia. In anticipation of tho event the "Daily Telegraph" stated, the river opposite Messrs. John Brown and Co.'s establishment was being dredged. In A.pril of last year it announced that the Cunard Co. was planning the earlj* construction of one or more superliners, and that each ship would displace at least 75,000 tons (11,000 more than the Majestic, at present tho world's largest ship, and 12,000 moro than the Leviathan); further, that the overall length would inn over tho 1000 ft -rnarTc, and tho breadth would greatly exceed tho 105 ft of the battlecruiser Hood.