The Forrest City times., 1891-08-21
MONSTERS OF THE DEEP,
HOW MODERN OCEAN STEAM
 SHIPS ARE BUILT.
Models of Safety and Elegance-wond -ul Progress In Half . Century of Grey hound
 of the Future.

| eiO hiiuSbttttlOu ebl lI0 inventive and constructive genius of man to be found in the world to-day is one of the superb steamships which have of late years reduced the vast Atlantic Ocean to little more than an Anglo-American lake. Take for in- stance. any one of the most recent ad- ditions to the splendid fleet of .'ocean greyhounds. it hardly seems possible for even the most brilliant imagination to conceive of human structure more perfect in all those details that to- gether constitute the acme of safety, speed and luxury. If other steamers may with sufficient accuracy be called floating hotels. this one might with equal propriety be termed floating clubhouse as well as hotel of the highest class. For the purpose of this article brief survey of the dimen- 1 sions and equipment of such steamer will make good starting point
 Her length is, say 590 feet; breadth 5S feet; depth, 40 feet. She is, in fact one of the largest vessels in the world. her displacement, when fully loaded, being not less than 16, 900 tons, a figure surpassed, if at all only by one or two of the huge Italian ironclads recently launched. It is not easy to give any | just conception of what the above di- mensions mean, or to help those who have never seen one of these floating | palaces to realize the enormous amount l nf ctr,,ctiS-n fo1opf oIa .I- and artistic feeling, as we'll as money. that they represent In the words of the Engineer it is. perhaps, because it seemed almost impossible to do so g- gantic subject justice that the litera- ture, if we may use the word of Atlan- tic passenger steamships is deplorably meager"
 1 Nothing that art and science can do to render the ship beautiful without and within. luxurious. safe and swift is left out Of account. In addition to being minutely subdivided by athwart- ship bulkheads there is longitudinal bulkhead running fore and aft and forming q mighty backbone that gives additional rigidity to the whole struc- ture. greatly increasing the security in event of accident. Furthermore the doors closing the different compart- ments can be shut instantly from the flying deck by pulling small wire ropes | while there are automatic arrange ments by which these doors will close | of themselves if the water rises undulv in the bilges
 As to the fittings and furnishings that contribute to the ease and com fort of the fortunate passengers it would require columns to describe them. The chief architectural feature | in such steamers. of course the sa- loon which becomes Il banqueting hall of almost awesome brilliaucy. The 1 length often exceeds sixty feet and the breadth is but little less. Fancy so vast an apartment being at ones | command in mid-ocea Standing under the lofty dome of many colored glass and gazing about at the multitu- dinous mirrors, the golden figures of tritons. nymphs, and mermaids dis porting in an ivory sea the richly carved cabinet work in English oak, and the great round ports in their elaborate setting of rich brass repousSe work. one can not quickly grasp the idea that all this splendor is simply | part of . vessel-of ferry-boat play | ing between the old world and the new it seems to belong moro properly to the palace of some mighty monarch. The same feeling is produced by the sumptuous state-rooms with their wide | four post bedsteads of gleaming brass. the spacious library abounding in books. the gorgeous smoking-room, | fit for princes use and the other | departments of this ocean monarch on board of which the population of | good-siSed town might stow away comfortably for her normal carrying capacity is 800 saloon passengers. 115 second class and S55 steerage, making up with the l6S engineers, etc, i0 the engine room the 40 sailors in tho 'orcaste the 25 cooks in the gallery, and the so stewards in the pantry, nearly 600 souls; 3, 900 tons of coal and 1000 tons of cargo being carried besides.
 Here then We have excellently illus l least has achieved in the line of naval architecture for the passenger service. Competing lines will no doubt make 1t theie business to see the latest addition to the fleet and go one better They will, perhaps. succeed in effecting some further improvements. but it is not Nkely that much antecedent to Bella Ey's A. D. ,. 900, at all events, We will have any such marine monarch as that outlined in the following words; She will be over quarter of mile in length. and will do the passage from Sandy Hook to Liverpool in thirty-six hours, being one night out She will be driven by electricity, and in such fashion as to keep railway time de- spite fog or storm Passages can be secured by flash photograph, 'Edison's patent and the ticket will include an opera stall. or concert ticket or a seat In church pew--the opera house. concert hall and church being all on board. A covered ring for horse exercise will also be provided, and a racing track for fast trotters. X base ball ground and tennis courts will also form portion of the attractions. For business men stock exchange will be operated. the quotations being posted from the tickers every two minutes on the vibration system. The leading papers of all countries will be re-