THE QUEEN MARY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 100, 8 April 1936, Page 9

THE QUEEN MARY

Giant Ships and What They Mean VASTNESS ADVANTAGE The Queen Mary is so big she teems like a dream —but it is a dream made real. Is there any limit to it? Will ships get bigger and bigger? What are the advantages—and the disadvantages of such vastness? These questions are dealt with here by a nautical writer, Captain Jack Hamilton, in the Sydney “Daily Telegraph.” ■‘We’re creepin’ o» wi’ each new rig less weight and larger power; “There’ll be the loco-boiler next an’ thirty knots an hour”—McAndrew's Hymn. When Rudyard Kipling put his prophecy into the mouth of his old Scots murine engineer forty years ago or more few believed it would come true. Yet now on the eve of making her maiden voyage is the new Cunard White Star liner Queen Mary, which tins been built not only to fulfil that forecast, but to eclipse it in speed, in size, in maritime magnificence at a colossal cost previously undreamed of in the realms of merchant shipping. The Queen Mary is of 80,772 tons cross, the largest ship ever fashioned, nearly three times the size of tho Mauretania, which, with her sister ship, the Lusitania, astounded the world les* than three decades back. COMPETITION COSTd FORTUNES, To build the Mauretauia and Lusitauia for the purpose of regaining tho Blue Riband from the Germans —how history has repeated itself—the British Government then financed the Cunard Co. to the extent of £2,600,000, and with a guaranteed speed of 24.5 knots an hour, they easily beat all-comers in commission. In respect to the Queen Mary, the Government agreed to advance the owners £4,500,000 at different periods, and power was also given the British Treasury to advance at their discretion to the company the cost, not exceeding £5 millions of an additional new ship, or ships, on reasonable terms. In other words, the loans for two Atlantic Greyhounds have risen in 30 years from £2,600,000 to £9,500,000, and the values of the vessels of the different eras have risen correspondingly. Where is this increase in size and cost to end! A £6 MILLION GOLD CARGO.

Nor does the value of the modern ocean giantess nearly represent the full costs incurred with her creation. 'To launch her a portion of the Clyde had to be widened at considerable expense. Southampton spent £2 million or more in constructing a new dry dock big enough to accommodate her. And her insurance presented a problem unheard of previously in risks. Besides the actual value of the ship there is the freight, crew, compensation, stocks of goods in shops aboard, including costly jewels, bonds, share certificates, and banknotes sent by post, and gold consignments (which have reached over £6 million on one vessel already) to be amply covered, which would make the total insurance commitments at probably three times the value ot the vessel herselt. Naturally a risk of £l5 million, which the Queen Mary will represent on this basis, will not be carried by one company, but will be divided between most of those of standing in the business, well supported with Government guarantees. And it is from this quarter, perhaps, if a halt is called at all in building and a limited size of ship demanded, that it will come. The Queen Mary, with her doublebottom, is supposed to be unsinkable. She has been declaied fireproof. Every sea-safety device known has been installed on her. She is as safe as a ship can be. But it must not be forgotten that much the same was said at the launching of the ill-fated Titanic, which.sunk alter collision with an iceberg. Against this, however, the advantage of having such a vessel ready for conversion in the event of war must not be overlooked. WHY SHE WAS MADE SO BIG. The owners’ reasons for building ships of such huge tonnage and power were.— (a) That fast ships over a period of ten years had produced a far better financial return, absolutely and relatively, than the slower and smaller ships.

(b) Any ships built at the speed economical for a three-ship Atlantic service (about 22 knots) could be beaten by any competitor willing to spend more money on more speed. With the bigger and faster ships, two vessels can do the work of three. Though she will carry a crew of about 1500, a big saving will be effected in personnel. For instance, where one 8000-ton liner would carry four officers, the Queen Mary, ten times their size, at a conservative estimate, would probably carry no more than 16 deck officers. Also one wonders whether or not the peak of luxury afloat has been reached with tho Queen Mary. Thirty renowned artists were commissioned to beautify her interior. Will the day come when people will prefer to go to sea again for a sea voyage, instead of travelling in a fastmoving, palatial floating town? Meanwhile, in our own less crowded waters we have observed the recent advance in coastal luxury liners, and listened to complaints from their owners about the small profits derived from their big outlay. We have also observed experienced owners, like Ivan Nelson and Captain tames Patrick, making fortunes by sticking to little ships. This might be a prelude to the limiting of the size of liners, and s rush in other parts of the world back to small ships in search of similar for--1 tunes. Lords of old lived in castle* To-day they dwelt in flats. But the Queen Mary has been built to regain the Blue Riband, and in the the hope of retaining it for a quarter of a century or so. Which would make her worth her l? e nullions and over to Britain.