Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-25


PEAR UNDER WAY.
will be tremendous, the ship VIII be
built for the purpose Of anording ac-
commodations to passengers superior TO
any that now exist. The Lucania ana
the Campania are supposed to be the IDEAL
floating palaces.~-ut the Oceanic's state
rooms will give that one Improvement LOT
which transatlantic travellers nave III
vain sighed--plenty Of room. The adui-
tional space which the greatly lncreaseu
size Of the vessel will afford IL not TO De
utilized toward increasing the number
of staterooms as much as toward
making the staterooms larger. 1t VIII
also be possible for traveller 10 secure
a room to himself. In fact. the oceanic
will be arranged as greatly as possible
upon the basic principle of great modern
hotel; not the floating hotel That so many
lines advertise. but the bona-fde article
In very many respects the Oceanic VIII
merely be an enlarged counterpart Of the
Teutonic and Majestic, two Of the most
popular passenger steamships that ply
between New York and European ports.
There are no startling innovations from
a structural standpoint, and no efort
will be made to place her at the front OF
the fleet that are known as ocean grey
hounds Nevertheless, her engine ca
pacity will be sufficient, II Is believed, 10
take her across the Atlantic in four
DAYS. The present time record Is little
more than five days and four hours. Inc
total combined horsepower OF the oceanic
will be 5000. That OF the Lucania ana
Campania each is 1900 She will have
three sets of triple expansion engines. the
capacity of each Of which VIII be loVJ
horsepower. She will also have three
H., "a n
ment.
Therefore. although a much higher sea
than that now contemplated is quite
practicable from an engineering point of
view, il has been determined, as far as
possible. 10 aim at a regular wednesday
morning arrival, both In New YORK ana
I'm Liverpool, making the Irish channel
and Queenstown by daylight, ana en-
abling passengers who may be travelling
TO nlaces beyond the port OF arrival TO
proceed to and in the majority OF cases
reach their destination with comfort du-
ring the day. At the same timo the
vessel is TO be so constructed that the
motion of even the winter seas will not
be felt with anything like the severity
that ordinarily affiicts those who traVel
in winter by steamship. Ii is expected
that the service Of the Oceanic will be
continuous, regardless Of seasons.
To read Of the dimensions OF the
Oceanic hardly gives an adequate idea
Of her tremendous size. Her model
shows that she will be beautifully pro-
portioned, and so, like a very large man
of fine physique, she will not look her
size unless some object be placed peslue
her enabling comparisons. For instance
the Ethiopia Of the Anchor-Line or steam
ships that piles between Glasgow ana
New York. could be almost placed pc
tween decks aboard the Ocearlc. WINE
| have never seen the steamer North
west. which travels the Great lakes in
the United States the dimensions which
I have read of her--depth. length. and
beam-show that she is hardly half as
long as the Oceanic will be. ana OF cepth
and beam proportionate thereto. she
will be more than a third larger than
the steamships which ply between San
Francisco and Japanese and Australian
ports. she will possess but two smoke
stacks. II is true, but either or these are
of sufficient size to permit OF an opening
being made through them large enough
TO admit of the passage OF double team
from a farm-wagon.
Her promenade deck is three blocks
long. There Is almost sufficient space
to play a game OF baseball. ana GER
tainly hand-DalI COulG Dc pldNeu "ith'~s
difficulty 1t is among the plans OF the
builders Ct the boat 10 so arrange por-
tion of t9e deck that golf can be played
thereon. Twenty-one life-boats, each
capable Of carrying forty-fve persons.
will be secured TO davits on each side or
her upper works. The captain, or what
ever officer may be upon the bridge, VIII
have a promenade OF an eighth of a mile
when he wishes the exercise. There VIII
he as much room in the main saloon as
in an ordinary theatre.
Regarding her fittings, a representative
of the White Star Line, to- when she
will belong. told me the other day that IN
no,nt OF elegance they would far exceed
ANYTHING now ahoat. The arrangements
for the comfort of the passengers II,
rough weather will be such that IL VIII
REQUIRE a very heavy sea indeed to make
one uncomfortable. IL has been COM
mon source of complaint among trans
atlantic passengers that the FURNITURE
~ a steamship was built on the lana
nrincinle-that is, as II tho traveller was
never going to receive any shocks or DE
lIkelv 10 be thrown about. Ii Is the IN
tention 10 remedy this difficulty In fitting
no the Oceanic, so that there VIII be no
hard corners for passenger TO be thrown
aeainst-s something that would be very
greatly appreciated.
The largest vessels at present In ser