The New York Times, 14 September 1907
BIGGEST LINER CUTS RECORD
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Lusitania Reaches Sandy Hook from Queenstown in 5 Days 54 Minutes
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SLOWED UP IN THE FOG
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Records of German Liners for Fastest Day's Run and Average Speed Not
Equaled
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NOISILY WELCOMED HERE
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Big Fleet of Harbor Craft Toot Greeting---Turbine Engines Work Smoothly
All Through Trip
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Decorated with bunting from stem to stern, her wistle [sic] screeching a
salute, and her sides towering above all other craft, the turbine
steamship Lusitania, latest of the Cunard Line fleet and largest vessel
afloat, arrived abeam of Sandy Hook Lightship at 8:05 o'clock yesterday
morning, completing a record trip from Queenstown.
She made the passage from Daunt's Rock to Sandy Hook in 5 days and 54
minutes, just 21 minutes less than was estimated for her in THE TIMES
yesterday, smashing the best previous record on that course of 5 days 7
hours and 23 minutes, made by the Lucania of the same line. She
maintained an average speed of 23.01 knots an hour, and on one day
reached a speed of 24 1/2 knots.
The Lusitania left the Liverpool landing stage at 9:10 P. M. on Saturday
and arrived at Queenstown at 9:53 the next morning. She passed Daunt's
Rock, where the race for the record started, at 12:11 P. M. that day,
and crossed the finish line at Sandy Hook Lightship at 8:05 o'clock
yesterday morning. Her day's runs were: Monday, 561; Tuesday, 575;
Wednesday, 570; Thursday, 593; Friday, 481. The total distance traveled
was 2,780 nautical miles.
Several times in this fast trip the big liner ran into dense fog banks
and had to slow up. But for this she would have made the passage in
less than five days.
Despite her splendid performance the new Cunarder did not quite achieve
the best transatlantic record. That will come later. The Deutschland of
the Hamburg-American Line still holds the record of 601 miles for a
single day's run, made on a trip from Plymouth in 1901, and the North
German Lloyd boat Kaiser Wilhelm II made an hourly average record of
23.58 knots on the 3,082 miles run from Plymouth in 1904.
Welcoming Fleet Gathers
As she raced along through the early morning mist, the marine observer
at Sandy Hook caught the first glimpse of the Lusitania bearing down on
the light ship at 8 A. M. He flashed the news to the city, and this was
the signal for the putting out of the flotilla of small craft which went
down the bay to welcome the new Cunarder on her maiden trip.
The revenue cutter, with the customs men and the newspaper
representatives, had left the Battery at 6:30 o'clock, and was already
dodging about the Quarantine station when the fleet from the city put in
an appearance. There was the immigration boat Ellis Island, the customs
cutter Dalzelline, in command of Deputy Surveyor Matthew Coneys; the
army engineers' tug Manisees, and the Health Officer's tug Gov. Flower,
with Dr. Doty, Health Officer of the Port, standing outside the pilot
house in a blue and gold trimmed uniform. Besides these there were
innumerable small craft, and just as the Lusitania came into sight at
Quarantine the Iron Steamboat Company's steamer Sirius arrived with
about 1,500 cheering sightseers crowding her starboard rail and making
her tip to an almost dangerous angle. From almost every cove and pier
along the Staten Island and Brooklyn shores, rowboats, motor boats, and
small sailboats put out to join in the welcome.
Safely Through the New Channel
While all these preparations were going on the Lusitania, her record run
over, had passed Sandy Hook, and was slowly swinging into the new
Ambrose Channel and on toward port. Though the French liner Provence had
just passed, the Lusitania was the first to use the new fairway coming
in.
Pilot Frank Cramer, who had been selected by the Cunard Line to bring
the monster vessel in, stood in the centre of the bridge, and behind
him, ever watchful, stood Capt. J. B. Watt, the ship's commander. To
port, the junior third officer, Mr. Dolphin, stood alert at the
telegraph engine room signal, while at the starboard signal was Fourth
Officer Battle. Senior Quartermaster Foulkes had the wheel.
Trying the new channel was much in the nature of an experiment, even
though Pilot Cramer has been over the route several times in the last
week, and the Caronia had gone out by the new waterway. A sigh of relief
went up from those on the bridge when the last of the marking buoys was
left astern and the Lusitania's big hull had safely passed through the
newly completed channel.
But once did the Lusitania stop until she reached Quarantine, and that
was in order to let the tug bearing Vernon H. Brown, New York agent of
the line, and the company's officials, climb on board. She had entered
the new channel at a speed of about 8 knots an hour, but this was
increased until, when she left it, she was going at about 12 knots.
The channel is dredged to a depth of 32 1/2 feet at low tide; and has a
"safety" width of 750 feet. The Lusitania went through at half tide, and
as she drew but 30.6 feet at the bow and 32.3 feet at the stern, at no
time was she in the slightest danger of getting her nose in the mud.
Like a Skyscraper Adrift
The big Lusitania was sighted by the waiting fleet about 9:25 o'clock,
coming slowly through the mist, and twenty minutes later she was
officially in Quarantine The first view those on the waiting vessels got
of her was an enormous hull, magnified by the mist until her high sides
and stacks gave her the appearance of a skyscraper office building
adrift. Then, as she changed her course to get near the Quarantine
station, her great length for the first time became apparent.
The United States flag flew from her foremast, while from her mainmast
flew the red and yellow house flag of the Cunard Line. From her taffrail
fluttered the blue ensign of the British Royal Naval Reserves.
Noisy Salute Long Sustained
Seldom has a vessel arriving at this port been welcomed as was the new
turbine liner. As she came to at the Quarantine station bedlam broke
loose and every skipper within sight promptly pulled open his whistle
valve and kept it open. The joyous crowd on cutter, steamboat, and tug
supplemented this welcome with a long-sustained vocal salute. The hoarse
whistle of the Lusitania was repeatedly sounding the return salute and
every deck was a-flutter with handkerchiefs and flags.
The first boat to approach the liner was the Quarantine tug taking out
the Health officers to inspect her many passengers. This took less than
half an hour and then the revenue cutter crept under the shadow of the
tall hull and made fast just aft the mail boat, which had also gone
alongside, and to which a busy gang of men was already transferring
her 1,500 sacks of mail.
Within a few minutes a port was opened and customs men and newspaper men
were scrambling on board across a narrow plank.
Then the Lusitania moved on up the bay to her new pier at the foot of
West Thirteenth Street. The small craft convoy clustered about her, and
from every passing craft, and there were many of them, she received
salutes from whistle and flag.
Thousands of persons crowded the sea wall at the Battery, and it is safe
to say that work in every office where the windows commanded a view of
the North River was stopped until the liner passed. From the tall tower
of the still uncompleted Singer Building the American flag was broken
out as the boat came into view, a salute from the tallest building to
the biggest steamship. In passing the Battery the big red house flag on
the roof of the Cunard office building was lowered three times in
salute, and the Lusitania's flag was lowered in acknowledgment.
Owing to the condition of the tide the Lusitania had to go up the river
and turn around. It took eight tugs almost an hour to get her warped in,
but this was done without a hitch, and the giant liner came alongside
the pier as easily as the Umbria or the Etruria ever did.
Another reception awaited her as she came alongside, for every pier near
by was crowded. There was a great waving and cheering as the big hull
came into view, and this kept up until the gangplank was in place and
the last line making her fast secured.
Crush and Confusion at New Pier
The Lusitania berthed at one of the new piers in the Chelsea
improvement, and the temporary shed erected was far too small for the
accommodation of the 486 first class and 483 second class passengers, to
say nothing of their many friends who clamored for admission within the
baggage inclosure. In addition most of the baggage had to be removed by
hand, and there is no hoisting machinery in the new structure.
What happened on the pier was nothing to the crush that almost became a
riot in the street. At least 5,000 persons were gathered there, seeking
admission to the pier. The police reserves were called from a number of
stations under Inspector Schmittberger. Men and women were crushed and
trampled as the crowd swayed forward only to be shoved back by the
police. No consideration was shown, and neither police cards nor
customs passes were recognized.
"That don't go here," said a policeman to a man with a police card, and
he was thrown back into the crowd without ceremony.
A well-dressed man who sought to get into the pier attempted to argue
with a policeman as to his rights. He was roughly handled.
It was only with the assistance of the mounted police and with the
eventual thinning out of the crowd that a semblance of order was
obtained.
The Lusitania as she lies at her pier gives forcible impression of her
size. Her giant bow towers far above the surrounding sheds. From her
bridge one looks down as from the top of a tall building.
Fourth Officer Battle, after explaining the working of the apparatus on
the bridge about ten times within as many minutes after the vessel was
docked, was asked whether he did not get tired of the explanatory work.
"No," he said with a weary look, "I don't mind it any more. I am used to
it. I explained the same thing to 15,000 persons just before we left the
Mersey."
Two young men, sightseers from the country, managed to get on the pier,
and they stood about in open-mouthed wonder looking upward at the big
liner.
"No one will believe us," said one to the other, "when we go back and
tell them about this ship. And, by heck," he added, "I would not have
believed it either."
An 8-year-old boy, accompanied by his father, was among those who saw
the new turbine.
"Papa," said the boy, after looking at the Lusitania, "are the
smokestacks as big as the Simplon Tunnel?"
"Well, I should say not," replied the father, and then after a few
moments' thought corrected himself, and told the boy that they were
large enough for two railroad trains to go through side by side, being
twenty-four feet in diameter.
The new system of allowing the passengers to make their customs
declaration at their leisure during the voyage was in force on the
Lusitania, and everything worked satisfactorily. All the passengers thus
had a chance to remain on deck during the trip to the pier and enjoy the
sensation their arrival was making.
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STORY OF THE TRIP
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Passengers Sent and Received 1,000 Words by Wireless Daily
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By THE TIMES Representative Aboard the Lusitania
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When the Lusitania hove up her anchor and steamed out of Queenstown
Harbor shortly after noon on Sunday all hands fondly hoped we were
beginning a record-breaking voyage across the Atlantic. The Lucania had
left half an hour before us, and was completely lost in the fog when we
got outside the harbor.
Looking around on the crowded decks fore and aft it was easy to realize
that we were on the largest ship in the world, with a floating
population of 3,000, including the crew, men and women gathered from all
parts of Europe, all bound for the land of the West.
The steamer was under command of Capt. J. B. Watt, and the engines were
in charge of Alexander Duncan, a Scotsman of the old-fashioned Clyde
bred type, who are all brought up to believe that words are not
necessary for engineers, that it is action that tells.
W. J. Luke, the designer of the Lusitania, was on board in company with
E. H. Cunard, one of the Directors of the line, whose famous motto used
to be "We never lost a life."
With the foghorn blowing at three-minute intervals the liner picked her
way cautiously out into the Atlantic in the wake of the Lucania. At 3 P.
M. we were told that she was twenty miles ahead of us.
The passengers in the first cabin did not appear to be a very lively
lot, the fog seeming to fill them with gloom. The fact that we had to
slow down directly after starting was looked upon as a bad omen by some
of the croakers. One tall Scotchman, who still wore his kilts and had a
voice that suggested a steady diet of porridge and haggis, said to me:
"Hoot, mon; it's a raw nicht the noo, I'm thinking. I wish I could see
my bonny bairns again."
When the fog lifted in the night the liner was put at full speed and
bowled along at the rate of 23 knots. Wireless messages were received
from the Lucania all through the night, but our officers professed to
have no idea of her position. Questioned closely by painstaking
passengers, they did not even remember the name of their old greyhound.
Some time, when we were all tucked away in our bunks sleeping
peacefully, the Lusitania passed her pacer, and by noon on Monday the
Lucania was 61 miles astern, but the majority of the passengers did not
know what had become of her until they reached New York. It is not the
way of the Cunard Company to let their passengers know too much, lest
they should become excited and lose sleep.
By noon on Tuesday the distance between the two Cunarders had been
increased to 120 miles.
Life Aboard the Big Ship
One of the features of the daily life on shipboard was furnished by the
two elevators amidships, which carried the passengers up and down to the
various decks, six in all, which are designated as A, B. C, D, and E.
Two boys in gold-laced uniforms were in charge, and were kept busy day
and night, especially at dinner time, when the ladles appeared in
gorgeous toilettes, escorted by their husbands in solemn evening dress.
Sitting in the splendid dining room, decorated in white and gold, with
its lofty balcony, and listening to the orchestra, it was difficult to
believe one's self at sea.
The telephones, which are connected with every cabin, afforded great
amusement to the passengers at first, but later were found of great
convenience in asking one's friends if they were coming to dinner or for
a promenade on deck. The ship was so large that it was not always
possible to locate your friends without the aid of the telephones and
the central offices on each deck. Following the London custom the
passengers all said, "Are you there?" instead of the American "Hello!"
After dinner on fine evenings we sat out on the spacious verandas of the
promenade deck and listened to music.
Wireless Operator Kept Busy
One of the busiest men on the ship was the Marconi operator, who was
besieged at all hours by passengers anxious to receive news and by those
who wanted to send dispatches to their friends on other steamers that
were crossing the ocean. One man's wife had got aboard the Lucania
through some mix-up at Queenstown and the things she flashed to him by
wireless made even the operator wince.
About 1,000 words were received and dispatched daily, and the record was
made yesterday, when over 2,000 words were dispatched.
When I went to send off my first message to THE NEW YORK TIMES I
discovered that we had a press censor on board in the person of Joseph
Lancaster, the purser. When I took it to him he glanced at it severely,
and, pointing out an obscure word, asked: "What's this?" I explained,
and then he crossed the offending word out and wrote it afresh.
"Are you really the press censor?" I asked.
Drawing himself dramatically up to his full height of 5 feet 1 inch, the
purser replied: "I am."
The next day, Tuesday, one of the correspondents on board gave the press
censor a severe shock by suddenly announcing that he was going to send a
message to his paper In code. When the message was handed in, the purser
examined it very carefully and pounced on the words, "We tank."
"Suffering Samuel Johnson," he yelled, " what's this cryptic sentence
mean?"
The correspondent explained that it was one of his own code words
meaning that the Lusitania was going ahead at high speed. The word
"full" after "tank," he said, would mean that she was going at her top
speed of twenty-five knots.
The weakest part of the great liner was The Cunard Dally Bulletin, which
was so feeble that the printer used to go to sleep setting it up. It
struck the crowd of newspaper men on board that it would be a kindness
to the purser, who was editor as well as press censor, if we took the
labor off his hands and brought out a real live paper, filled with the
little incidents and romances that were happening every minute around
us. When the proposition was put to him Mr. Lancaster stepped back at
least four feet with alarm depicted in his cherub-like countenance and
said:
"Oh, no. One would never know what would happen to one if one allowed
one's work to be taken out of one's hands, would one?"
We thought that it was possible "one would not," judging by the remarks
the owner of the amateur code made daily about the censor.
By noon on Tuesday we had made a run of 575 miles, 1,121 miles from
Queenstown, and all on board felt happy with the idea that the British
flag would once more fly in the van and the colors of the famous
Deutschland would be hauled down. Alas! it was not to be. That night we
had a rough sea and a strong north-northeast wind which whistled
around the promenade deck, but did not rock the ship a little bit.
The pools were auctioned off each night In the smoking room, which
seemed to arouse some of the men on board from their lethargy in the
hope of winning money from their fellow-passengers. The highest pool was
$1,000. and was won by a man who paid $200 for the number.
A slight dispute occurred on Wednesday night over who had bid first for
the low number In the pool for £31, but it was settled by the vote of
those present. The choice paid his money, and the number did not win.
Then the man who was not allowed to buy the ticket bought refreshments
for the crowd with the money he had saved.
About midday on Wednesday, after the run of 570 miles had been put up on
the notice board, the whistle was blown, and as the weather was clear,
we all rushed out on deck to discover the cause. By the aid of powerful
glasses we saw a small steamer about twenty miles ahead right in our
track. The vessel looked so near to the officer from the altitude of
eighty feet on the bridge that he was afraid the Lusitania would run her
down, and a brawny chief from Scotland's shores shouted out over the
bow, "Ship ahoy. Get out of the road, or we'll sink you." Almost before
the excitement had died away we passed her.
On Wednesday night we had a concert in the lounge, with a couple of
speeches, in one of which Senator Sutherland declared that the Lusitania
was more beautiful than Solomon's Temple, and large enough to hold all
his wives and mothers-in-law, while Robert Balfour M. P., spoke of the
ship as another link of friendship between America and England. Senator
Sutherland caused the first laugh that had been raised on the ship
since leaving Queenstown by his speech because he came from Utah, though
not a Mormon.
Fog Again Causes Drop in Speed
Late on Wednesday night we noticed that the speed had increased very
much, and the steamer was slipping through the water at a great rate.
Then at 11:30 P. M. a fog came on and dashed our hopes once more. We
could not make out where the bad luck came from as there were no Jonahs
on board and all hands were kind to "Bill," the ship's big black cat,
which always walked the rounds with the master-at-arms when he went
through the ship at night. Then some one discovered that we were to land
in New York on Friday, the 13th, and lie at the foot of Thirteenth
Street. Then we knew that the record held by the Deutschland for so many
years would not be lowered this trip.
Next day at noon the run of 593 was announced, which was the best since
we started, but it was too late to save us. As we passed Nantucket
Lightship yesterday morning Capt. Watt said he was pleased with the
ship, and satisfied that she had done all that was expected from her,
but he would not speak of what the Lusitania might do in the future.
The canny Scot who had charge of the engines said in an off moment, when
the press censor was not standing by, that we had consumed about 1,000
tons of coal a day, but judging of the trial trip when she used up 45
tons an hour, there in a likelihood that it was nearer 1,100 to 1,200.
All hands on board enjoyed the trip, but there was a general, though
unreasonable, feeling of disappointment that the steamer was not driven
a little more to beat the German steamer's records.
Winners of the Pools
Nowhere was the interest in the day's runs of the Lusitania more keen
than in the smoking room, where the pools were sold. The principal
winners during the four days were Archibald B. White and Henry L
Doherty. They took the low field while most of the passengers were
estimating on record-breaking runs.
On the first day £210 was won by Messrs. White and Doherty. The next
day, by taking the low field against the enthusiasts, who still believed
that the Lusitania would hit above the 600-knot mark for the twenty-four
hours, White and Doherty pocketed £219. They paid only £7 for the low
field.
The third day the bidders began to figure an a 24-knot clip, and so the
high numbers were not in as great demand as on the previous two days.
Doherty, however, got the lucky number and won £150.
The next day, the day of the Lusitania's high run, neither the high nor
the low field won, but this time the lucky holder of the right number
was Ohio C. Barber, who pocketed £184 on the result.
Ten per cent. of the pools went to the seamen's charities, while 10 per
cent. of the remainder went as a sort of consolation purse to the man
holding nearest to the winning number.
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TURBINES GIVE SATISFACTION
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First Test on Big Liner Declared Successful---Better Speed Expected
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Much of the interest of the passengers on the Lusitania was concentrated
on the great turbine engines of 68,000 horse power, which were driving
the liner toward New York at a speed which varied from 20 to 24 1/2
knots, according to the clearness of the weather.
In a brief interview with a TIMES representative on Tuesday, when the
Lusitania was in mid-ocean, Mr. Duncan, the chief engineer, said that
the turbines had been working splendidly and there had not been the
slightest hitch.
"Had they developed any special qualities?" he was asked yesterday.
"No, because I have known them for some time and knew what they could
do."
"Has the ship done her best yet?"
"Oh, no," he said, "we never expect to get the best results out of a
ship on her maiden trip. When the engineers and stokehold staff get
better acquainted with the engines and boilers we shall achieve far
better results than we have done this trip."
When asked if there was any probability of the Lusitania beating the
record of the Deutschland on another voyage he said:
"Perfectly sure. There's not the slightest doubt of it."
The engine room staff, all told, was 343 men, consisting of 31
engineers, 192 firemen, and 120 coal trimmers. The chief engineer
refused to give out a copy of his log as, he said it was against the
rules of the Cunard Company to do so.
One of the expert engineers who was on board as a guest of the company
said that the Lusitania consumed 1,000 tons of coal when driven at her
top speed of 24 1/2 knots, which was the limit of average speed fixed by
the British Admiralty, and as she had not attained that speed during the
voyage for any length of time he considered that the coal consumption
would work out about 800 tons a day.
With regard to the vibration which was perceptible in all parts of the
ship, especially when she made the longest day's run of 593 miles on
Wednesday, he said that was unavoidable in steamers of such a high rate
of speed. In the first turbine liners, the Victorian and the Virginian
of the Allan Line that crossed the Atlantic the vibration was not felt
because the speed of these vessels did not exceed 17 knots an hour, and
they were very little more than one-third of the size of the Lusitania.
But he thought the vibration would have been much greater had she been
equipped with reciprocating engines.
"The dominant feature of this voyage from an engineering point of view,"
he said, "has been the production of the immense power to drive this
32,000-ton liner through the water at a high rate of speed. Turbines
themselves are comparatively simple things to look after. They don't
have
small breakdowns. If anything goes wrong, which is always improbable, it
means a big thing. Nothing has gone wrong on this trip.
"What we have had to do particularly has been to watch the supply of
lubricant to the main bearings. A thin coating of oil has to be kept
between the revolving shaft and the bearing itself, and this is done by
means of a tube which automatically supplies cool oil. The water fed to
the boilers has also to be carefully watched."
Vernon H. Brown, who met the Lusitania down the Bay, said that the coal
consumption, so far as he knew, had been between 900 and 1,000 tons a
day, but he could not give out the exact figures. The cost of the coal
is about $3 a ton. He had no doubt that the Lusitania would do better
than she had done this voyage, as in his experience with the Cunard
steamers it had been demonstrated that the engines were never at their
best for the first few voyages. As an example, Mr. Brown said that the
Lucania had made her record trip after 3 years, and the Etruria was ten
years old before she made her record.
Ernest Cunard, one of the Directors of the company, who was a passenger,
said:
"I think that the Lusitania is a wonderful vessel, and has more than
come up to our expectations. The turbines have acted splendidly in every
way. Naturally there was some slight vibration when the ship was being
driven at top speed, but it was nothing like the vibration of
reciprocating engines. The engines have worked without a hitch during
the entire trip.
"No ship ever makes her record passage on her maiden voyage. The
Lusitania averaged 25 1/4 knots on her trial trip for forty-eight hours,
and there is no reason why she should not do better later on. We are
very much pleased from every point of view with the latest addition to
the Cunard fleet."
Capt. J. B. Watt, the commander of the Lusitania, said that he had not
tried to make a record, but was content to bring his ship safely into
port. The engines ran well throughout the voyage, he said, and gave
every satisfaction.
Asked it the engine room would be thrown open to the public for
inspection, Mr. Brown said that the new pier was not completed and there
were no appliances there to coal the ship. This might prevent the
Lusitania being open for inspection until she returned next voyage.
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BRINGS 2,090 PASSENGERS
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Old Sea Travelers Praise the New Boat's Steadiness
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The Lusitania brought 969 cabin passengers and 1,121 in the steerage.
State Senator E. R. Ackerman of New Jersey, one of those aboard, has
made twenty-five round trips across the Atlantic and was on the
Deutschland when she made her record run and on the Etruria and the New
York when they were blue-ribbon winners of the sea. He especially
praised the steadiness of the Lusitania.
"On Tuesday there was a bit of rough weather," he said, "but we only
knew it because of a bulletin posted to that effect."
John H. Starin, ex-Rapid Transit Commissioner, returned from a trip
through France, Belgium, and England. He was met down the bay by Gen.
Howard Carroll. He said the Lusitania was "as stiff as a tree and as
slippery as an eel." Mr. Starin laughingly declared that he had not
studied rapid transit abroad.
Another enthusiast on the subject of the new liner is Robert P. Porter.
This is his eighty-sixth trip across the Atlantic.
"She has not done her best," he said. "She can, I believe, make 625
knots in twenty-four hours and break another record. A slight vibration
was noticeable at her speed trial, but it was found that this was not
caused by her machinery, but by the fact that the structure aft had not
been sufficiently stiffened. This was done, and now there is practically no
vibration. There was not a hitch with the turbines. The matter of coal
consumption is a question open to speculation. The company will not give
out any figures as to the coal consumed.
"The great disappointment to many on board was the fact that the
Lusitania did not break all records. I am certain that she is 'going to
do things.' The fog out of Queenstown and the two hours yesterday
morning caused us a delay, and, of course, that could not be helped."
Another passenger was Robert Balfour, M. P., who first crossed in the
Cunarder Russia in 1869. Mr. Balfour also lived twenty years in
California, and so he considers himself a part American. He said the
Lusitania was like the feeling between this country and England---the
best.
"The Captain, the chief engineer, and the naval constructor are Scotch,
like myself, and so I expect great things from this steamer," he said.
Another who was greatly interested in the performance of the Lusitania
was Ansel Oppenheim, Vice President of the Chicago & Great Western
Railroad.
Senator George Sutherland of Utah, who returns from a brief pleasure
trip abroad, declared that the Lusitania was "as free from vibration and
as steady as it is possible for a ship to be."
Among others aboard the new boat were H. Hartley Dodge and Mrs. Dodge,
Mrs. H. W. Dresser and Mrs. D. Le Roy Dresser, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Goelet, Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Higginson, the Rev. Joseph L. McCabe, Mr.
and Mrs. Cyrus H. McCormick of Chicago, George Peabody, Count Ward,
Consul General for Roumania at London; H. N. Harriman, A. J. Taylor,
Percival Tallersfieid, S, H. Lever, and O. C. Barber.
Ernest Fahrenheim, victualing superintendent for the Cunard Line, gave
out these figures on the amount of food consumed by the passengers and
crew: 40,000 eggs, 4,000 .pounds of fresh fish, 2 tons of ham and bacon;
4,000 pounds of coffee, 1,150 pounds of tea, 500 pounds of grapes, 1,000
pineapples, 10,000 oranges and bananas, 1,000 lemons, 30,000 loaves of
bread, 11,870 quarts of milk, 2,675 quarts of cream, and 25,000 pounds
of fresh meat.
----------
BRITISH JOURNALISTS HERE
---
16 Arrive on the Lusitania View the City from The Times Tower
---
A party of sixteen prominent British financial journalists, who arrived
on the Lusitania yesterday, inspected THE NEW YORK TIMES Building
yesterday afternoon, and were much interested in the plant.
They came to this continent as the guests of the Government of Ontario,
Canada, to inspect the mineral and other resources of that province.
As soon as the big boat was docked they were taken in automobiles for a
run about the city, and lunched at the Lotos Club. The things they
particularly wished to see in New York in the very few hours allowed
them before their train for Canada left at 7:30 o'clock last night
included the Brooklyn Bridge, the Bowery, and the Times Building. They
were greatly impressed by the height of the Times Building and amazed at
the view of the city from its roof.
They will go to Cobalt and the Sudbury nickel mines at Sault Ste. Marie
and Copper Cliff to inspect the mines, and on their way back will have
another opportunity to see this city.
----------
LUCANIA SIGHTED
---
Former Record Holder Will Land Her Passengers This Morning
---
The Cunarder Lucania, which left Queenstown ahead of the Lusitania, was
sighted off Fire Island at 7:20 o'clock last night. This shows that the
Lucania has made a very fast passage.
The Lucania will sail from New York next Wednesday at 2 P. M., instead
of on Saturday as heretofore. The Lusitania is next week's Saturday
vessel. The Lucania will land her passengers about 8 A. M. to-day.
----------
GERMANS MAY NOT COMPETE
---
Sentiment Against Contest for Speed---Great Interest In the Lusitania
---
BERLIN, Sept. 13-The wireless reports of the Lusitania's progress across
the Atlantic have been watched with the keenest interest by the German
public in general and shipping circles in particular, and everybody
breathed more freely this evening when the news came that the record of
the Deutschland had not been broken by the English steamer.
Nevertheless, it is regarded as highly probable by ship owners and
shipbuilders that the Lusitania, when one takes into consideration that
this is her first trip, will win the blue ribbon of the sea at an early
date.
Whether or not the German lines will enter the contest to win back the
record has not yet been settled. The North German Lloyd is the only line
likely to take up the competition, the Hamburg-American Line having long
since decided that great floating palaces of moderate speed pay better
than vessels of the highest speed attainable. The building plans of this
latter line are accordingly based upon this decision.
What course the Directors of the North German Lloyd Line will pursue is
not known. While the German shipyard companies are convinced that the
speed limit with reciprocating engines has not yet been reached, it is
doubtful whether the Lloyd will order a vessel materially exceeding the
Kaiser Wilhelm II in speed, owing to the great proportionate increase in
the cost of operation.
The fact that the Cunard Company enjoys a Government subsidy for the
Lusitania will tend to keep the North German Lloyd out of further
competition, for it receives no subsidy for its lines to New York, and
the German Government could not be induced to grant one merely for the
sake of retaining speed supremacy. The North German Lloyd, however, has
for so long enjoyed the prestige of possessing the fastest boat, barring
one single vessel, the Deutschland, that many persons here think the
company will not surrender its position without a struggle.
If it decided to fight for the blue ribbon it probably will be with a
turbine steamer, but the Lloyd, up to the present time, has regarded
turbines for great oceangoers with much skepticism, and consequently it
probably will want several years to get the full benefit of the
experiences of the Cunard Company before inaugurating so radical a
change in its building plans.
----------
COUNTESS OF DUNMORE HERE
---
She and Her Daughters May Visit Mrs. Eddy---Mrs. Potter Palmer Home
---
The Dowager Countess of Dunmore and her two daughters, Lady Victoria
Murray and Lady Muriel Gore Browne, were among the passengers who
arrived on the new Cunarder Lusitania yesterday.
All three were attired in the deepest mourning, as it is only three
weeks since the Earl of Dunmore died somewhat suddenly. The Earl was the
head of the Christian Scientists in England, and many times visited this
country in this connection, his last visit being only a few months
before his death, when he had several interviews with Mrs. Mary Baker
Eddy.
It is expected that the Dowager Countess and her daughters will also pay
a visit to Concord, as they are strong adherents of Mrs. Eddy.
Mrs. Potter Palmer and her son, Potter Palmer, Jr., who also returned on
the Lusitania, were met at Quarantine by Gen. Frederick D. Grant, her
brother-in-law, who went down on the revenue cutter. Mrs. Palmer looked
in very good health, and said she had enjoyed her stay abroad immensely.
When told of the persistent rumor here to the effect that she was to
marry King Peter of Servia, Mrs. Potter said, wearily:
"Oh, dear, what is the use of my keeping on denying, denying, denying,
only to be asked again."
----------
REJOICING IN LONDON
---
Still Some Chagrin Is Felt Over Her Failure to Beat Everything
---
LONDON, Sept. 14---There are apparently two views over here of the
performance of the Cunard Line steamer Lusitania; that she broke the
record for the quickest passage from land to land, and that she made the
most speedy maiden voyage across the Atlantic. These views caused great
popular rejoicing, which is voiced and emphasized by almost all the
morning papers.
That the Lusitania failed to achieve what, in spite of all official
denials, it is positively believed she set out to accomplish, seems to
cause chagrin in some quarters. At least one important newspaper says
that to call attention to the great passage of the Lusitania does not
explain away her defeat.
The optimists, however, declare it may be taken for granted that the
blue ribbon of the Atlantic is practically in Great Britain's grasp
again; that the Deutschland had been running nearly a year before she
achieved her best; that the Lusitania had to combat fogs; that it may
confidently be expected that she will lower the Kaiser Wilhelm II's
record for fast steaming and the Deutschland's for the best day's run
before the end of the year, and that against obviously unfavorable
conditions, in which the new liner did not put forth anything like her
full capabilities she has shown her herself [sic] to be the swiftest as
well as the most comfortable vessel afloat.
A telegram was received from Liverpool that the news of the result was
received there with great satisfaction, especially among shipping
experts.
----------
Thirteenth Club's Congratulations
---
The Cunard officials and officers of the Lusitania were too overjoyed at
the record made to attach any significance to the fact that the liner
reached this side on Friday, the 13th, but this did not escape the
notice of the Thirteen Club, which met last night and adopted
resolutions congratulating the line.
----------
OTHER RECORDS AND COMPARISONS
---
The following comparative table will show the difference between the
Lusitania's trip and a record trip of the Deutschland in September,
1903:
......................DEUTSCHLAND..........LUSITANIA
......................Miles..........................Miles
First day.........417........................... *561
Second day.....571............................ 575
Third day.........578.............................570
Fourth day.......570........................... 593
Fifth day..........583............................481
Sixth day.........335
Total mileage, 3,054...........................Total mileage, 2,780
Average speed, 23.15 knots............... Average speed. 23.01 knots
........................................................*Includes five-mile run to Daunt's Rock.
The record for the longest day's run, 601 knots, was made by the
Deutschland in August, 1900.
Other record runs: Kaiser Wilhelm II, 5 days 11 hours 58 minutes;
average speed 23.58 knots, June 20, 1904; best day's run, 564 miles.
Provence, from Havre, yesterday, 6 days 1 hour 12 minutes; total
distance, 3,140 miles. Lucania, from Queenstown, Oct. 21, 1894, 5 days 7
hours 20 minutes; total distance, 2,784 miles. Deutschland to Plymouth,
Sept. 5, 1900, 5 days 7 hours 38 minutes. St. Paul, from Southampton, 6
days 30 minutes, August, 1896; average speed, 21.08 knots.
DIMENSIONS OF THE LUSITANIA---Length, 790 feet: breadth, 88 feet; depth,
(molded,) 60 feet; gross tonnage, 32,500; displacement tonnage, 45,000;
load draught, 37 feet 8 inches: height of funnels, 24 feet; height of
masts, 216 feet; keel plate, 5 feet wide and 3 3/4 inches thick; coal
bunkers for 7,000 tons of coal; watertight compartments, 175; rivets
used in construction, over 4,000,000; three anchors, weight, 10 tons
each; lifeboats under davits, 18; turbine engines, 70,000 horse power;
crew, 750 men.
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