THE FASTEST LINER.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12111, 4 July 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FASTEST LINER.

Interesting Facte About tb« Nev Steamer Kaiser "Wilhelm XL

Great interest (says the " Illustrated Mail") is being taken in shipping circles, not only in Germany, but also in this country, in the maiden voyage of the new North ( German Lloyd steamer Kaiser Wilhclm 11., which sailed on her first voyage from Bremen on Tuesday, and from Cherbourg and Southampton tho following day. Tho Kaiser Wilhelm 11. is the largest vessel crossing the Atlantic, as she is ft foot longer than the White Star liner Oceanic. She -measures 706.6 f- in length, the Oceanic being 705.6 ft and the Celtic 700 ft. She not only exceeds the Oceanic in length, but she is considerably faster. In fact, she will be the fastest Transatlantic steamer afloat. That honour is at present held by the Kronprina Wjlhelm, which 'liivb a speed ©l 23 knots. But the Kaiser Wilhelm 11. will bo able to steam 234 knot*, nnd she may l>» expected to *till further reduce the record passage between Cherbourg and New York, which at present stands at 5 day* Hlvr 57 miti.

The Cedric will still be the largest vessel afloat, for she has a gross tonnage of 21,000, against 20,000, the grosß tonnage of the Kaiser Wilhelm 11.

Some idea of the magnitude o( the Kaiser Wilhelm 11. anay bo nidged from tho following interesting items:—She has no fewer thun eight decks—top, lower, main, upper, lower promenade, upper promenade, and awning. She has four sets of quadruple expansion engines, an aggregate of 40,000 horse-power. A new departure in regard to passenger steamers is that each set of engines is built into a water-tight compartment. She has two propellers, with a. diameter of 22(t lOin, and a weight of 70,4001b each. The driving shaft is 138 ft long, this, with its details, weighing 565,000!b.'

There are eight state cabins, 290 firstclass cabins and 107 tecond-class cabins. She has accommodation for 775 first-class, 343 second-class and 770 steerage passengers, and her crew numbers over 600 men, these'figures producing a total of 2500 people. Millionaires may travel on this vessel in an imperial suite for two, including dining, drawing, bed l and bath rooms, for about £4OO in the summer. The hull is divided into nineteen water-, tight compartments, and there is a double bottom running the whole length of the ship, divided into twenty-six compartments capable of holding over 500,000 gallons of water.