THE NEW CUNARDERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12904, 15 February 1906, Page 3

THE NEW CUNARDERS.

recent issue of the " Scientific American" contains some interesting news of the mammoth Cunard lineis, which give s an impressive idea of the great proportions of the two ships that are to win back for Britain the Atlantic record lost some years ago to the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. As our readers are well aware, the Cunard Steamship Company is having built for its trans-Atlantic trade two high speed mail and passenger steamers, which because of their great size, high speed, and the fact •that they will be fitted with turbine engines that will greater exceed in size and power any engines of that type yet constructed, are entitled to stand in" a class by themselves. These vessels -will be 800 ft long, 88ft. broad, Trill have a moulded depth of 60ft, and a displacement which. io spite of the exceedingly fine lines of the boat, will reach 43,000 tons. The contract speed is 24.5 knots, which is to be actually maintained from port to port, as one of the conditions of acceptance. It is probable however, that the trial speed will run up 'o 25.5 or even 26 knots. One of these vessels is being buffi on the Clvde. at the yard of Messrs J. Brown and Co.. and the other at the Wallseiid yard of Swan and Hunter. The illustrations in" the "Scientific American;' represent the ; steel frame : and brackets for the Cunarrkr which is building on the Clyde. They are shown erected in ihe shops of the Darlington-Ford Companv, by whoni they.-were cast. . These', pieces are by far th? largest constructed for any ship. The stein inuiie alone, in completed condition, weighs 47 ion*, and about 70 tons ot" molten metal .were required to cast it. The after brackets, shown attached to the stern frame casting were cast singlv. i and each of the pair weighs 22£ tons. The forward brackets (the Cunarders are Quadruple screw vessels) each weigh 24 tons. The rudder, will be a truly enormous affair, its stock being 26.8 inches in diameter, and its -weight finished and fitted to the ship will be 70 tons. The total weight of the stern frame, as shovji in the engraving, is 10Q tons, and th* aggregate weight of the rudder, stern frame and'four - brackets will be 220 tons. It took two | months to make the mould in which the stem frame was cast, and six months more to complete the finished castings. The great dim-ensions of the work are afforded by a man who is seen standing beside a driving wheel, of one of the London, Brighton, and South Coast railway locomotives.: which is 6ft 9in in diameter. "The '3*«ahfc from the bottom of the rudder blade to the top of the stern ousting is 55ft. These, vessels are not likely io be readv until : the end of the year, xua bv that 'time the United States Government will have deepened the new Ambrose. cLinnel, a'work specially undertaken in older to permit- of the new Cunarders to ewer end leave New York Harbour. The largeststeamer at present afloat is the Carman liner Augusta Victoria, which is 700rr lorg, breadth 77ft, and displacement :jvst under 45,000 tons, with, a speed of "17 knots. The double bottom will "be sft. 6in between the inner and outer shells. There will be eight decks in all. and the great dining saloon on the upper deck for flr'sf-ctass pa»sengers will 1 seat 500 people.