MAURETANIA'S DASH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 14

MAURETANIA'S DASH.

SPEEDY CHANNEL TRIP.

REGISTER OF 30* KNOTS

"FASTER THAN ANY YET."

Tho 22-year-old Cunard steamship Mauretania reached Plymouth early on August 20, having once again broken her own record for an eastern crossing of tho Atlantic. At an average speed of 27.22 knots she steamed from Ambrose Light, America, to Eddystone in 4 days 17 hours 49 minutes—only 3 hours 19 minutes over tho record of the now German liner Bremen. Leaving Plymouth, tho Mauretania "showed her medals" by steaming across to Cherbourg at an average spoed of 29.7 knots. At one time she touched 30.5 knots. Sho was built in 1907 to do a speed of 24J knots. As far as is known tho Mauretania on the trip in question travelled faster than any liner has ever travelled. During tho Mauretania's dash across tho Channel a correspondent of the Daily Chronicle stood on the bridgo with Captain S. G. McNeil, tho skipper, who lias passed a generation in tho servico of the Cunard line. Ho stood there, his bright !>!ue eye;-, twinkling, constantly scanning Iho horizon with a pair of binoculars. Tho ship throbbed gently, almost imperceptibly Sho had no roll, but swayed from sido to side just sufliciontlv lor ono to notice it. But for her funnels throwing out clouds of black sinoko and her broad white wake, one might have supposed her idling in tho sunshine in mid-Channel More Than 34 Miles an Hour. Having had a hint from the engineroom, the writer felt like asking Captain McNeil if she was "all out," when lie himself quietly supplied an answer. "The Mauretania," he said, "is now steaming at knots. That means ovet 34 miles an hour. So far as I am aware no liner has ever travelled faster."

The passengers aboard had not the slightest indication of tho liner's speed. When Cherbourg was reached well before tho scheduled time they were astonished to learn that the passage from Plymouth had been covered at an average speed of 29.7 knots. From a seafaring point of view, of course, cross-Channel speeding is nothing—just a mere Hash of speed. I» is the transatlantic crossing that matters. The correspondent asked Captain Mc Neil if he thought the Mauretania would ever beat the Bremen. Ho smiled enig matically. "Wo have bilge keels," he remarked. '"That means comfort for everybody aboard. Remove (he bilge keels and I'll wager that the Mauretania will beat nnv big ship afloat, excepting a battle cruiser. As a matter of fact, wo have had very good weather coming from New York. It has been the best I can recall during 35 years' experience of the Atlantic. " A Most Beautiful Graft." "Wo had one or two untoward factors —an awkward spring tide' when nearing this side, and a warm sea; warm seawater produces slight complications in the engine-room. We might otherwiso have knocked another hour or more off the trip. All tho time she has gone as smoothly as if sho were doing but 20 knots.

"As a sailor I a'tlmire the Bremen. She is a great ship. But perhaps I can bo excused for claiming that my ship is comfortable at very nearly tho same speed as this modern German—and what is more —the Maurctania is moro beautiful. No yacht or ship afloat is as beautiful as the Mauretania. When she glides up Southampton Water even tho ploughman opens his mouth wide in admiration." The man mainly responsible for the Mauretania's new record is Chief Engineer Cockburn, P.N.R. Mr. Coekburn was in the Lusitania when she was torpedoer', and he was also torpedoed in tho Aurania. His long and intimate association with the Mauretania dates from 1918. since when he has made nearly 130 round trips in her.

The writer asked Mr. Cockburn what bo thought of his ship now. ''She's all right," was all he would say—but one must remember that the Mauretania's chief engineer is a Scot.