OCEAN MONSTERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13333, 23 March 1911, Page 4

OCEAN MONSTERS.

Thk competition between shipping; companies to provide swift and luxurious transit from one side of the Atlantic to another has been responsible in the last few years for a most remarkable development in passenger steamers. The Mauretania and Lusitania wore thought, when launched, to be the last word in size, comfort, and also speed, but already the White Star Line announces the launching of two larger and even more elaborately equipped ships—the Olympic, already in the water at Belfast and to be in commission in midsummer; and the Titanic, her sister ship, which will be ready a few months later. They are to have a tonnage of 45,000, and will be 882 feet long (one-sixth of a mile) and 82 feet broad. Their speed will be 21 knots. The Hamburg-America Line, which is so formidable a competitor for passenger traffic, intends to beat even this record if reports are true. There is already on the slips at Stettin a gigantic liner, which is to have a tonnage of 50,000 and a length which will be sufficient to allow passengers who like to walk a mile before breakfast to do so with little more than five turns. As a reply to the German challenge the Cunard Company have commissioned another ship, which, if reports are

not exaggerated, and if she is to beat th«T German in size as well as speed, will be' nearly double the tonnage of the Mauretania. It is not likely that anything more can be accomplished in the way of speed than the Ciinardcrs have already done. To get more than 26 knots costs so much in proportion to the gain as to be very little worth while. The Mauretania and Lusitania already burn 11)00 tons of coal a day. Experiments in other fuels must develop and show better results than at present to make them promising substitutes for coal. The principal effect, from the Empire point of view of the speeding up of ocean traffic is to be found in the improvement of comnominations between Canada and Great Britain. The Canadian Northern Royal Line hopes to accomplish the journey between Bristol and Halifax in five and a half days with their new ships. Already much of the traffic which used to go via the United States now goes direct, and even a portion of the United States traffic is being diverted.