Great Speed Achievements.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15913, 10 May 1915, Page 4

Great Speed Achievements.

The great success of the turbine engines of the Lusitania and Mauretania were brought before the shipping work by their successful steaming performances only a few years back. The Deutschland remained undisputed mistress of the Atlantic for seven rears, when her records were ruthlessly shattered and the blue ribbon wrested from Germany with a vengeance b\ the performances of the two Cunard fivers. These two vessels are the fastest that have yet appeared upon any of the seven seas. The greatest interest was centred in the ship's eno™wu S engines, which developed nearly 70,000 indicated horse-power, and more particularly because the Parsons turbine was employed in its direct form. The whole world awaited the appearance of these two mainmoth liners, as it was anticipated that Borne wonderful achievements in speed would be established, especially when it was related that on her trials the Mauretania had attained a speed of £?$ knots. Bv means of these giant vessels, the Atlantic was shrunk still further, and tho five-days' passage, which bad beer* dreamed of for so long, became an accomplished fact. The Germans did not respond to the challenge thrown down by the oldest Atlantic steamship company, and so these two vessels have had to be content with record-smashing between themselves. Up to 1912 the laurels rested with tho Mauretania, the vessel's record for the passage west being 4 days 10 hours 41 minutes, and for the passage east 4 days 13 hours 41 minutes. The Lusitania's tune for the passage west was 4 days 11 hours 42 minutes, and for the passage east. 4 days 15 hours 50 minutes. In 1913 the record held by the Mauretania passed to the Lusitania, which logged on a voyage from New York to Liverpool, 618 nautical miles, at an average speed of 26.70 knots. The world's record for a dav's run cast, previous to this, was 614 miles, accomplished in April, 1711, by the Mauretania. j