The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-14
ON HER MAIDEN TRIP.
New American Liner Steams Out of
New York on Her First Voyage.

New American Liner Steams Out of
New York on Her First Voyage.
New York, June 5.-The new American
Line steamship st. Louis, with 1000 per-
sons on board, left her dock at the foot
of Vesey street ait II O'clock this morning
and started on her maiden trip across the
Atlantic The opportunity Of seeing the
first American built nsatlantic lined
in twenty years leave on her first voy.
age drew 5000 spectators to the river
front. Long before the hour of sailing
the crowd thronged over the great vessel,
crowding the saloons, cabins and decks,
inspecting every possible nook and Granny
of the splendid craft.
Every berth on the vessel whs Eaken for
the voyage. There were 800 persons in
the first cabin, 200 In the second cabin
and 500 in the steerage. While many of
the persons on the deck of the vessel were
simply sightseerts, a greater number than
usual who attend a sailing came for the
more serious business of bidding adieu
to friends.
Captain Randle was seen before the
ship sailed. He has commanded several
of THE American Line vessels on their
first voyages. He said that he would
take the ST. Louis over the southerly
course to Southampton, and would not
speed her, as he desired TO get the ma
chinery broken in. He expected to make
the trip in about Six and a half days.
The passenger lis. contained the names
of many prominent persons, among them
Sir Julian Paunce6ote and family, Mr..
and Mrs. Henry E. Abbey, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Drew, Mime, Rejane, Frederick T.
Frellnghuysen and Count Wickenberg
The st. Louis and her sister ship, the
st. Paul, surprising as they do any other
merchant ships afloat mark an era in
American shipbuildlng. This does not
mean that they are to be the fastest or
largest ships in the world, They are to
be record breakers so far as comfort
is concerned, but not in the sense that
they are expected to beat the speed re-
cord In building many of the recent
transatlantic liners there have been crlti-
cisms that three great requiremepts have
been placed in this order: Safoty, speed,
comfort, In building the st. Louis and
st. Paul the order. has heen; Safety,
comfort, speed. Nevertheless, it is pos
sible that these nsw ships will be note
worthy to some extent in the matter of
speed. They represent whatever advance
has been made in the science of shipbuild-
ing.
The st. LOUIS has been built in less
than two years. The first frames were
erected on July %, 1898, and she was
launched fifteen months later. Her di-
mensbons are: Length, 554 feet; length
between perpendiculhrs, 5S5 feet extrem,
breadth, 6S feet; nodded depth, ~ feet;
number of decks, s. number of water,
tight compartments formed by transverse
bulkheads and flats, II; distance of col |
lision bulkhead abaft of stem, SO feet; !
displacement ait 26 feet draft, 5000 TONS |
In a general way 1T may be said of the |
machinery of the st. Louis: 1t consists !
of two separate engines, each driving |
separate screw There are ten enor-
nous boilers, six of which have double I
ends and four single ends. In addition |
to the main engines there are no less !
than fority-nine auxiliary engines used |
in the working of the ship. and twelv. |
additional ones for lighting and ventilat-
ing the vessel. independent Of the pro-
pelling machinery.
The gross tonnage Of the st. Louis Is
II, go tons. Her bow is sharp and her
curves extremely delicate. Following in
the lire of recently built Ships. she has
only two tunnels. These are 50 placed
that they give great symmetry to the
appearance OF the vessel. Satisfying as
is the contour OF the vessel, II is in The
domestic economy OF her arrangements
that the traveller takes most pleasure,
for it is on these that his comfort de-
pends.
Ther. are two passenger decks % the
vessel besides the promenade deck. which
Is the uppermost Of all. This has un-
usually good convenieaces and spaces !