New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
LETfaTHA AND LINERS.


marvel when she was completed thirty -four
years ago, but she proved failure because she
was not well designed, and, moreover, because
she was too big for the time. With all the
remarkable advances in steam navigation dur
ing recent years her dimensions have not been
apprcachtd She was 15J feet longer than the
Ncw-Yoik and 20 feet br, adcr in beam. and
her tonnage was 1880 greater. The new
Cunardcr> will make closer approach t. the
Great Eastern in dimensions and tonnage, but
will still be MAJ kcdly inferior in this respect.
But in engine power and speed all the newest
liners like the Newly ork. the Paris. the Tcu-
tonic and the Majestic are a long way IN al
vance The Great Eastern had four screw ani
four paddle engines. with a Collective horse
POWER of 10000. The engines of the newest
ships have a power ranging from 1000 mp
ward and have more than doubled the gr( n
lcyahans speed.
sir Edward larland. the great Belfast ship
builder. recently spoke # Brunei. the designer
of the Great Eastern, as a dreamer who wanted
10 90 too fast. Ills ship a great con
ccption." he added. "but She was wrong. Her
proportions certainly were orr of gear for she
had deck too many. was to high out oi
water and rolled heavily in a gale. But the
greatest miS,alculation # the designer was III
relation T. her adaptabity TO the conditions
If ocean t:aflic The ship did not meet any OF
the practical requirements of trade. she Wa
suitable neither FOR passenger mr. freight ser
vice. - s>iby if she hal hal two sister ships
u AIDE might have been created for Great East
en- line, but ~ il was she was failure from The
outset. Indeed. the only useful function which
her construction served was that OF warning
designers against building ships too big for
their time. and of admonishing the Shipbullicr
that it was his first duty II proyld" steamship
owners with vessel, which could be proiitably
operated.
The recent advances in the art of shipbuild-
inc have not been accompanied by commercial
m>ealculaiion- The tonnage and Dimensions
Of ocean steamers have been gradually IN
creased but only proportional ~ T. the normal
development of freight and passenger traffic.
Tn" luxurious appointments and high speed oi
the new liner, have been justified by the cnor-
nous expansion If the passenger trade. Every
new departure has been successful ana the
marvel is that with the eager competition ana
intense desire on the part Of rival corporations
10 Outstrip one an thci no serious mistake has
been made. II l. mt uncommon to hear inc
prediction that the voyage between Newly York
and Queenstown will be made before many
year, inside of four days; and in view OF the
amazing Improvements in steam cnglncrnng
during the last twenty years. thcic l. 10 very
large daft upon human crcdulity involved in
such forecasts Still. even if the possibility ii
such mechanical achievement he admitted. it
will be- designer rs bold and possibly ~
dreamy aS the builder Of the Great Eastern
who can dclibc. atcy undertake 10 plan such
shin. Crca, n, will be the mechanical diff
cul:ics Of improving upon the best liners now
afioat. there will be the supcraddcd risks OF
making the initial cost SO high and the con
sumption of coal 50 enormous that the operating
expenses will far outrun any possible increase
in passenger freight traffic.