THE BATTLE OF THE LEVIATHANS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 25

THE BATTLE OF THE LEVIATHANS

Great interest is taken in the official disclosure of the dimensions of tho French liner Normandie, which" is to start her maiden yoyago next spring, writes Hector By water in the '' Daily Telegraph."

Tho figures are iv many, respects surprising, and little doubt is folt that our friends across the Channel have made certain alterations in the ship ■with a view to claiming for her tho world's rocord in. size.

Whether that claim can bo upheld remains to be;seeh. It is important to note that tho exact dimensions of tho Cunard-White. Star ship No. 534 have yot to bo revealed. .When the Normandie was launched two years ago her owners gavo out her gross resistor tonnage' as "about '70,000." Now, however, it is returned as 79,880 tons. How has this great increasebe>n. v effected? Shipping • men believe Jthat:;3h\o Cie. Gen. Tranaatlantiqup " fias Resorted to the well-known; device^ of enclosing mticK;>inpr6 space in "tho ship'than was originally intended. ...*'' 1 Graftftionnage is''baß'eaJ^ii.ivvtlie cubici foot^iK.alV'-^closes'-''Bpiwer.3^ob^;.;l)y. 100. ATh© same expedientiTTas:adopted by • tner^n.ited 'States- Bh,ip{)ing|Board when'i|; took over th^-L©yJatnan. Ger-tairi.:ls«[n--8P aceSl werg^de^kqd --"over, with' the. result^ that.i th.aS* Leviathan, which:;'eßtereA'the'refitting■■■.yaid- as a 52,0pd*tbb vshipj left "it/withes gross t6nnag%of nearly 60,000;^This/was an attempt "'to ''putiOai)*;Hover'* on tho British Majestic, whfch^is-laetaally the bigger by 900 tons displacement—the acid test. The Leviathan's bluff was "called-" with such effect that she is now listed in:the register as of 48,943 tons, gross. .:■■?■:■ ■'. /.-■ - The Norman die 's length is given as 3029 ft, an excess of lift over that of No. 534. There" is,--howevery reason to believe that the British vessel has been slightly lengthened since work was resumed on iTer, and that between perpendiculars she still has a definite margin over her French rival; The clis-

placement of each ship will approach 90,000 tons, and here.again No. 534 will bo found, when completed, to be several hundred, if not several thousand tons, heavier than the Normandie.

• ' Those associated with tho design and construction of. the British liner are amused at the semi-official Frencli"statement —apropos tie /turbo-electric drive' of the Normandie-—that '.'this system has rendered almost, obsolete■ "the older systems of- propulsion^ either by direct drive or geared turbines, which are always more or less noisy and may be a source of excessive vibration." The geared turbines of No. 534 are so cushioned that vibration will- bo non-exist-ont, even at tho highest speeds. One might add the following postscript to tlie French communique. The United States Navy, which;;. initiated "turbo-electric drive, is giving '. it,~. up* Several battleships so propelled'are now being converted to geared-turbine drive, which long experience has proved to.to the smoothest,, simplest,- aii/it most .reliab'l6-inethoi of -propulsion-ioK high: powereci sHips^h^t.iliUixian wit; has'-yct -jßy<vive.d^r-'"-:;;•:.';. L 7^,-;; i ■'.:■:" :'■-,■.— i';'- ' ;.; It. ; sliD.ul(J' i l3e:.in^de: ivory; wh at-eyer ::riy ttftysJ exists- ■«■ b'et-wben^thd British aiid'Freiieh'-oceangiantiHs^und will remain, entirely friendly and sporting. But whereas it is Officially ad> mitted in France that the No'.fmandio: cannot, in' any circumstances, pay. her 'way, .tho'.pyrn.erg. .of .JTo. 534 ana convinced that their huge vessel will be as much a;business success as she is a technical achiey'ejnent;

Those who are concerned for the prestige of British shipping may rest assured that the new Cunard-White Star liner will in due course ■ assert her supremacy as Queeu of the Atlantic. In size, speed, comfort, and safety she will bo- unique. For in all these! elements the professional honour of Clycte- (- side is involved,' and • nowhere in the world has tho technique of ship construction and engineering bean .more completely mastered than.there.