OCEAN GREYHOUNDS.

Feilding Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 120, 18 November 1901, Page 2

OCEAN GREYHOUNDS.

Speed of Some of the Fastest Yosselg now Afloat. In the past ten years considerable progress lias been made in the direction of speed in steamships. In 1891 there was only eight vessels whose speed exceeded 20 knots, now there are fifty-eight, as shown in a return in Engineering, prepared by Mr J. MoKechnie, the engineering director of the Vickers Company, recording the number of fast ships owned by the various nations at the end of last year and in 1891. The vessels between 19 and 19£ knots speed have doubled, now numbering thirty-four; and Great Britain, it is interesting to note, holds a high position, due in part to the number of high-speed Channel steamers in the Irish Sea, North Sea, and English Channel. The French, Belgian, und Dutch high-speed steamers of over 20 knots, numbering seven, six, and three respectively, are principally Channel boats, but the five German vessels and the four of the United States, and two French steamers, are ocean liners. The highest speed attained ten years ago was 25 knots, recorded for a Britishbuilt Brazilian torpedo-boat, the fastest British navy torpedo-boat being 22£ knots ; now the record is held by a steam turbine-propelled destroyer of His Majesty's navy, which has attained a maximum of 37*113 knots, and a mean for one hour of 36*5 knots. The highest ocean speed ten years ago was 20*7 knots by the Paris and New York ; to-day tho highest speed on an ocean run has been achieved by the German liner Deutchland, which has maintained an average of 23-51 knots, while the best speed got with Channel steamers is that attained by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company's steamers on the cross-channel run— 23.62 knots.