The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-07-17
LARGEST OF VESSELS.
TREMENDOUS FLEET OF STEAMERS
NOW BEING BUILT.

NOW BEING BUILT.
The Kaiser wilhelm der Crosse VIII BE
the Jumbo of the Lot-Skyscrapers Not
In 1t With Them-Arrangement Of En-.
gines and Their Carrying Capacity.
Eight gigantic steamships, Of which
the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse is the
biggest, and each capable Of carrying
more passengers and cargo than the ia
nous Great Eastern, are now under con-
struction in German shipyards for serv-
ice between New York and Eu-Npe. This
is a startling statement, but CO borne
out by figures and illustrations obtained
from the home Offices Of the North Ger
mar Lloyd in Bremen and the Hamburg
American line in Hamburg.
Two Of these new steamers are con.
siderably longer than the great Penn
~sylvania of 20, 900 tons, recently launch
ed at Belfast. OF course the monstrous
Great Eastern was longer, wider and
deeper than the new marine giants, but
external lengths do not represent the
size of a vessels capacity. Shipping
people the world over measure vessels
BY their carrying capacity. The modern
%shipbuilder is able to construct a vessel
smaller than the Great Eastern, but one
that will be a greater carrier.
The Great Eastern was built to carry
20, 900 IONS of cargo and 1000 passen.
gers, u 5000 passengers and no cargo.
Some Of the new leviathans will not
only carry 20, 900 IONS Of cargo, but
from 1900 to 2, 800 passengers also.
When the length Of these vessels il
stated in figures, they do not convey an
adequate idea of the monsters. If the
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse could be
stood on end among the skyscrapers Of
lower New York, it would tower $40
feet above the tallest building in the
metropolis.
The St. Paul building could be stow
cd in her hold, and the vessel would be
a little more than half full. And this
building is 800 feet high and weighs
25, 600, 900 pounds.
The 80 story building going up in
= ! INV o0A - +" Va ~
and half fill a third ne.
To load the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse with a full cr~go of grain the
yield from a wheatield Of 40, 900 acres
would be consumed. This enormous
amount Of grain would need 1880 rail
road freight cars, with $50 bushels to a
car, making over 60 trains Of 30 cars
each.
Give the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse
a full cargo Of soft coal, and l, 900 coal
hoppers laden with 20 tons each would
be necessary to fill her.
Were she loaded with water, she
would carry 5000. OO0 gallons. This
would be enough to give almost two
gallons of water to all the population Of
Greater New York. She is also capable
of carrying enough food to give a pound
package to over half the population of
the United States, or, to be exact, A.
800, 600 pounds Of -four, coffee or meat.
1t has been calculated that in these
ships a piece Of coal the size Of q wal
nut will drive ten barrels Of -four one
mile. Each craft will consume from 200
to 800 0 m Of a coal a day and boil
down 100 tons Of water. Down in the
bowels Of the ships will be found 100
stokers and trimmers-of course not all
working at one time, but in gangs of IS
feeding two score Of furnace mouths.
The Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse is the
longest Of all. She is to have four fun
nels and %, 900 horsepower in her quad
ri ,o cIo ~ ID r. "a $cr% -,
length.
The Kaiser Frederick, Is feet longer
than the new Pennsylvania, but 40 feet
shorter than the Kaiser Wilhelm der
Crosse, will have three tunnels and "a,
900 horsepower. The other four, known
as the Barbarossa class, will have two
tunnels and are to be IA knot boats,
with the exception Of the Bremen, which
will be a 10 knot vessel.
The Pennsylvania and her sister ship,
building for the Hamburg-American
line, will have four masts and a single
funnel each, the stack being broad
enough to drive all omnibus through it.
The steel structures will be divided by
a accommodating bulkhead running
from the keel to the upper deck. To g
from one to the other side of the hull il
will be necessary for the officers ani
crew to ascend to the deck.
This arrangement, in addition to
number of b%ulkheads, makes the ship
almost unsuitable, were they to b.
flooded with water.
The two engines. with quadruple cyl
inders. occupy separate compartments
each worked independently Of the other
In addition to 20. 900 tons of cargo