New-York tribune., 1900-05-06

was boat to compare in size with the Great
Eastern. Then the growth began and slowly the
figures went up The British led in the
The old Inman Line and the White Star and
Cunard lines built boat after another which
eclipsed all Others in size and speed. First
The 400foot boat then the 450-foot boat and after
each il said that the limit had been
reached and that no bigger boats would be built
The transatlantic records Were gradually lowered
from nine days 70 eight. then 70 a week. and then
still lower by small gradatlons. Ten years ago
the Germans built the Havel and the Spree, the
latter now being the remodeled kaserin Maria
Theresa, ard these boats were up with the times.
but they not remarkable and the British still
led. The Americans next and the Germans
third. for while the American steamers not
surprising in size they better built boats
than the British steamers. They burned less coal
in proportion their speed. and British inventions
and experiments were used if good, and discarded
If bad. The Americans allowed tpe British take
the lead and do the experimenting and they
watched and judged and profited by their cousins
failures More than British boat built
on a plan and failed. and the American ship
owners chuckIed and waited. The Germans
also lying low.
AMERICANS TOOK THE INITIATIVE.
II was not so many years ago that the Amer
leans took the initiative. The American Line
built the New-York. the St Louis the Paris
and the ST. Paul. The Paris has been renamed the
Philadelphia since her disastrous experience off
the Manacles last spring. All of these boats
models Of sbipbuiiding. They represented the sum
tetal OF marine construction knowledge 10 date.
they burned comparatively little coal. they made
good time, they carried big cargoes. and they
sun ma gnlhcent boats. But they longer
the van Before the 81. Paul was launched, the Ma
1tstic ana the 1eutOnc Of the White Star Line and
the campania and the Lucania OF the Cunard Line
had left the ways The Lucania the largest and
fastest Of these four British leviathans was con-
sidered wonder when she appeared. She is GO
feet long e5i4 feet beam. with gross tonnage Of
1900 and 10000 horse power. She is bigger and
taster than the 81. Paul which is 55i feet long e3
feet beam. with gross tonnage of l.G2s and 10000
horse power
The Lucania jumped the forefront Of the feet
OF ocean greyhounds She smashed one record
AFTER another and finally broke ali between
queenstown and this port by making the westward
TRIP ~ days, 1 nours and % minutes. Wien this
record was made known people said the limit
mas been reached" il hard believe that a
boat could go from Queenstown 10 Sandy Hook
q distance Of $50 knots, in little five days
But the Lucania PAID big price for her suprern-
she still pays the price She burns over 600 TONS
OF coal on every voyage, on the average and this
means great expenditure of money She is q
magnificent but expensive boat and
ican liners are Of more utility
The Luoanas triumph shortlfved. Her
lsurels hardly her brow when they were
rnatched off and handed over 10 the of ship
ping. the finest vessel sfoat. This is the Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse, OF the North German Lloyd
Line In all the years Of varying British and
American supremacy the Germans had been learn
the North German Lloyd and Hamburg A meri-
lines had been quietly going each other
better every year or two. and building swift.