FLEET IN ONE HULL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 10 September 1927, Page 11

FLEET IN ONE HULL

r pHE Tonnage of the 132 ships that comprised the Spanish Armada was approximately 56,000 —that of the world’s biggest liner to-day—Mr Seymour Bell, of the White Star Line, reminded Rotarians at a Birmingham lunch.

He gave some comparative figures of absorbing interest as illustrating the colossal size of a modern liner. Likening it to a floating hotel, .he pointed out that the accommodation of the four largest and two other hotels in Birmingham would be .approximately 820, whereas an Atlantic liner of 56,000 tons would accommodate 4100 ulus 1000 staff.

Referring to the fact that a ign’vbound could cover oOOvd.s in 31 see., Mr Bell said that, while this was an amazing speed, the modern liner, which was a mass of bui'dings, moved at almost the .same speed for five or six days without stopping.

LINER AS BIG ARMADA

Engines had to be capable of de veloping a maximum horse-power of 100,000, and oleot.ricitv was generated, to provide for 15,000 lights. The space occupied by the cabins and engines of the world’s largest liner was equal to that of 400 detached villas of eight rooms apiece. For each voyage the following stores were required:—lso,ooolb of meat, 56,0001 b of fish, 70,0001 b of flour, 120,OOOlb of potatoes, 10,0001 b of butter, 5000 gallons of milk, and 80,000 eggs. The linen closets contained. 200,000 pieces of linen. Over 600 industries were represented in the building of a modern liner. The food 'bi ll for a trip from England to America ran into thousands of pounds, while only recently the account for overhauling and refitting a steamer amounted to £250.000. To operate the largest liner 1064 men and 28 jvomen were required.