70,000-TON SHIPS SOON

Evening Star, Issue 18716, 19 August 1924, Page 7

70,000-TON SHIPS SOON

FOR AMERICAN SERVICE. Since Columbus crossed the Atlantic_ in his cockleshell of 100 tons or so seagoing craft have increased l/> more than 50,000 tons. Where the Santa Maria carried a crew of twenty, one modern vessel is a. floating home for 4,000 people. Against tho few leagues a, day which Columbus noted down in his log, the fastest steamship afloat has just made a record of 251 knots for an Atlantic voyage. We can go to Europe now in five days and a-half, and soon we shall do it in four. The steamships of to-morrow, instead of being smaller, as some have predicted, will be bigger, faster, and exceed in luxury anything known to-day. - Such is the. conclusion of Sir Ashley Sparks, resident director of tho Cunard Line. “Americans have become the greatest travellers in the world,” he said, “ and they want to travel faster and in better style than any other people. So it is idle to say that the day of the big steamship has passed. It is just beginning. Wo certainly shall build greater* vessels in a few years exceeding anything afloat. Yes, they will embrace luxuries on a grander scale. And they will bo faster, too.

'■ “How much larger? Well, there really is nothing to limit the size of a modern steamship, except htrvhors deep enough to admit of passage, docl,\' with enough space and water to provide a berth, and dry docks to take care of repairs. The next of tho big steamships may be some thousands of tons smaller or larger. When a vessel passes the 50,000 mark, the matter of a few tons is not important. But, in my opinion, we have seen merely the beginning of the giant ships. “For the last few centuries ships have become steadily larger, faster, and more livable. There is no reason (o suppose that we shall turn back now. At present only one primary obstacle prevents the launching of greater ships, and that is construction costs. A vessel of 20,000 ions built to-day represents tho outlay for a craft of 45,000 tons before the war. Thus it is virtually impossible to embark upon a programme of big ships at this time. When the cost falls the bigger ships will come, maybe in a year or two, maybe in ten. But” they certainly will come. “ Certainly wo have some distance to go between 'fifty odd thousand and 70,000 tons, and we shan’t he able to bridge it hi one leap. But a ship of 70,000 tons is certainly conceivable. There is no mecnanical iiifficuity in the way. I suppose that any one of the leading naval architects could design and build a ship of that size to-morrow if a buyer cams into the market.

“The Mauretania made knots on her last voyage across, and was in sight of a new record when she lost a propeller. Wo shall reach that new record before long; this year, I expect. It is just a process of development until we have big ships of thirty-knot speed that will leave New York on Wednesday and arrive in Southampton on Monday—four days. “The Bercngaria, 62,705 tons, biggest of the Cnnard fleet, has accommodation for 3.000 passengers and 1,000 crow. .Another 20.000 tons would provide quarters for something like 2,000 people additional, or a population of 6,000. “We have introduced about every luxury conceivable. Somebody will have to think up new applications of comfort for the greater ships to come. I suppose we may see the day when our transatlantic vessels will be like your best hotels—a bath with every room. We have many staterooms with private baths now, and these accommodations are always sold out first. The ‘ room-and-bath ’ habit lias become so strongly fixed in the American’s mind that he carries it aboard ship, and is willing to pay whatever the comfort costs. “Steamships, like hotels, are built to suit the public taste, and there can be no doubt that, present-day taste runs strongly to luxuries. Yes, we may see the time when ‘ a hath with every room ’ can be advertised, just as it is by the big hotels. There certainly will he no reduction of the comforts now provided. I cannot imagine American travellers going back to the past, when a rough voyage meant many days inside, lounging on the circular wall scat of an old-fashioned saloon. Now they can slip into an easy chair and their eyes by a cheery fire. They might be at home in their club, save for the roll of the ship, and that is reduced to the last possible degree in the big vessels. “The traveller who goes aboard on one of the bigger ships may pay any price up to 6.000 dollars for his ticket. That figure would entitle him to a suite of tv. o bedrooms, sitting loom, dining room, private verandah, two bathrooms, and two trunk rooms. In this imperial suite ho would find every conceivable ‘ comfort of and many others besides. No lady s boudoir could be appointed with moir> meticulous care. The traveller need but foiget the swell of the Atlantic to be in his own mansion ashore. And even that long Atlantic swell is absorbed in large part by the bulk of the great steamships. “Since tluj war Americans have (ravelled in increasing numbers and for greater distances than ever before. This summer they arc going to Europe as they used to go to Niagara. “Undoubtedly it is true that Americans will bring about greater and liner ships,’’ said Sir Ashley. “Such vessels ns cross the North Atlantic are without rivals in the seven seas. No other nation at the present time could afford to travel ns Americans go. They want to go fast, on the biggest ships they can find, and to have the maximum of pleasure while aboard. If the war had not intervened, wc might already have the great ships that are still to come. The movement lias been hold back, but by no means ended. Cost of operation really is not the point. Americans want the finest ships afloat, even finer than those already built, and their demands will be met. Just how soon I'-really couldn’t guess.’’—New York ‘ Times.’