BLUE RIBBON OF ATLANTIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 June 1928, Page 13

BLUE RIBBON OF ATLANTIC

'J’HERE is good reason to (believe that the coming summer will witness the lawng-down or two gigantic liners for the Southampton-New iork service, one by the White Star Line, the other by the Cunard Company. Loth Vessels will surpass in tonnage the hugest vessels now afloat, and one at least—the Cunarder—is expected to establish a new record for speed (wrote the naval correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” on April It is no secret that .plans of these ships were prepared some time ago, the design in each ease reflecting the policy of the owners- concerned, but i n view of tlie heavy cost of modern ship construction. especially in the case of linens de luxe, it is possible that the actual placing of the orders would have been p.stponed for another year. As j it is, however, the hands of British 1 shipowners have been forced, to some' extent, by the pressure of foreign competition.

According to information from a reliable souive, Messrs Harland and Wolff, of Belfast, will shortly begin the construction of a new White. Star liner of at least 60,003 tons, and possibly of much ‘greater tonnage. She will, in any case, be considerably larger than the Majestic, the world’s largest ship, which has a gross tonnage: of 56,551. The length of the new vessel will be about 1030 feet—44 feet more than the Majestic. It is understood, also, that she will be driven by internalcombustion engines, a system of propulsion in which Lord Kylsant, the chairman of the White Star Line, is known to have great faith. When it is remembered that the largest motor ship hitherto built—the Italian liner Augustus—is a vessel of 32,500 tons, the’ boldness of adapting

p NEW BRITISH LINERS

! the Diesel • system to a ship of almost i twice that size will be appreciated. In- ; oidentally it will give a well-deserved | ad> ertisement to .British marine en- ; gineermg, which has, in fact, lorggd i well ahead of all foreign competitors in | the deielopinent of the oil motor for I large ocean-gomg ships of high speed. | The Canard Company, it is under- ! stood,' is also on the point of ordering j a liner at least as large as the new | White Star vessel, and with a much ; higher designed speed. Although the | fact is not officially admitted, it is j undoubtedly intended to recapture for | Great Britain the blue riband of the | Atlantic, which, having been held by ; the Mauretania for 21 years, will short- | ly be .ost—only temporarily, it is hoped | —to tiie Germans. i The new North German Lloyd twin ! liners, Bremen and Europe, of 16,000 ' tons eaJi, are designed for -a speed of 12o£- knots, or one knot more than the | original contract speed of the Mauretania. In actual service, after the engines have teen “run-in,” they are expected to do 27 or 28 knots. In the near future, therefore, a new record for the swiftest Atlantic passage will be created by these German vessels. Their triumph, however, will be shortlived. The Cunard Company is on the point of ordering a ship which, while as large as, or larger than, the .projected 60,003-ton \Vliite Star vessel, will bo designed for a sea speed of at least 28 knots. Her length will be approximately 1030 feet, and-she will be driven by liigh-pressure super-heated turbines of a pattern which has already been tested with excellent results, in a small experimental vessel. The contract for this super-greyhound of the Atlantic is expected to go to the Tyne, but a famous Clyde shipyard is "also known to be in the running.