GIGANTIC STEAMERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13645, 13 July 1908, Page 3

GIGANTIC STEAMERS.

THE WHITE STAR LINE. ; •: J " ■ Experience has proved that there is no 1 such thing a 6 finality in the size of ships (says the Melbourne;" Index"). Gonse- ; quently when people talk about steamers 1000 ft. long, they are speaking of something quite within the range of possibility. It was recently stated with some ehoiv of authority that the White Star Line were about to build a monster vessel for their. Atlantic trade, 1000 ft. being given . as the length of the leviathan dontem- • plated. The firm, however, deny that they have at present any ambition to build ships of such dimensions, though they have under consideration the construction of a very large vessel for their Southampton-New York service. This i ship will be ,900 ft. long, somewhat larger than even the gigantic Cunarder, the Mauretania, which is just under long. Between that length and 1000 ft there is a considerable gap, hutyever, and it is highly - probable that several years will elapse ere that gap is bridged, although Lord Pirrie is quite ready to produce a 1000 ft. liner if any firm will give him the order. Messrs Hariand and Wolff, the famous Belfast firm, have indeed been preparing berths for the construction of vessels very much bigger than any that have been launched, and certain works now proceeding in connection with the new dock "at. Southampton clearly anticipate the advent of vessels of the size rumour attributed to the White Star liner. Meanwhile it- is said that the Hamburg-American Line have planned to produce a vessel which will put the Mauretania completely in the ■shade as regards both size and Speed, but the present state of the Atlantic passengertraffic suggests that the company will not be in a hurry-to place the order for this ship. i -