The Anaconda standard., 1896-02-02
OCEAN STEAMERS IN WAR.
The Zig and swift ships thIt Might BE
Employed a. Cruisers or Transports.

The BIg and swift ships ,hat Might BE
Employed a. Cruisers or Transports.
From the New York Tribune.
50 far as .le great vessels ot the
presen. day are concerned the Cunard
line easily leads in size, with the heet
Campanla and Lucania. which are twin
vessels OF exactly the same type ana
are the Swlftes, SHIPS afioat In the mer-
chant marine. They are sol feet long,
~ feet shorter than the Great Eastern,
which was popularity known as an
eighth of a mile long; 50 feet beam, IL
feet less rhan the same marine cOlOs-
sus; 3S feet deep. 20 feet less than the
Great Eastern, and 1880 tons register.
The two big Cunarders are not only une
largest two merchant vessels anoat,
but have none to dispute their claim
TO be the fieetest OF the ocean grey
hounds.
Next in size and also in speed come
the two chief vessels of the White star
line the Majestic and Teutouic. They.
too are twin vessels, and are OF the fol-
lowing dimensions: Length. 5bo.s,
breadth. 51.S. depth. 1913. and gross oon-
mage, 9.S6l. Besides Its fleet OF roomy
passenger steamers. the White star
line has a large number OF fast ana
big freight steamships, which nave
enormous frc.ght-carrying capacity.
chief among them IS the recently
launched steamship Geopgic, which was
fully described IN the Tribune on the
occasion OF her voyage across ne At
lantic. The George holds the proud pO-
sltion Of being the largest cargo steam
er in The world, and Il would make an
admirable transport If England should
become involved in war. She n 5 ca
paclty of 5000 tons. and is $50 feet
long. has a 90 feet beam and + 40 feet
deep.
The other fretghters of the line. whose
names all end with the famous 'lc,
are worthy companions OF The queen OF
cargo steamships. Next IN point or
length come the vessels OF the AmcI1-
can line. The 81. Paul and 81. LOUIS.
the latest additions 70 the American
fleet, have about one-third less horse
power than their feet rivals or the Gu
narl line. but as weather boats they
have no rivals. They are 535.5 feet long,
63 'et beam. 50.4 depth and have a ton
mage of 1889.
The Hamburg-Amer-soan Zine follows
with the twin-S.rew steamers, Fuersl
Bismarck, Normannia. Augusta Nlcto-
RIA and Columbia, which range IN
leugth from 400 feet 70 $50 feet. ana IN
tonnage from SS74 tons 10 1858 tons
The Spree and Havel Of the North Ger
man Lloyd line follow the vessels JUS
named in point OF length ana tonnage
A European war would mean th'
| Gripping OF thousands and vhousand'
/ of tons Of shipping. Commerce OF
American bottoms would, OF course, IL
/ badly interfer,d with. and II is safe Z
/ say, and 70 is the general opinion o
shipping men. that. outside ut th'
+ American line, there would be pra"ti
. oallv no regular trade with Europe
/ This would not be- due entirely 10 IN
Z fact THAI England might call upon IN
vessels dying her flag, but also TO IN
/ fac. that they might be in danger o
/ capture by the cruisers OF other powers
. Th. cgnAme-roe of this port is enormous
and the average citizen would not rec
ognfze it's Importance vt necessity U
. the fullest extent unless d. were cut of
by a European war. Thousands upo'
. thousands OF men, from shipping agent
/ TO longshoremen. would then De throw'
I out Of employment. ana the water frodl
would be a bowling wilderness. Tn
dock department can now scarcely ac
C,-mmodare the lines demanding room
and everything IS being done by PresI
dent O'Brfen and his brother cOmmls
sioners to facilitate traffic.