The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-01
TO BUY The DUCHESS
ANT SYSTEM VESSEL WILL GO TO
O. S. S. COMPANY.
MILL BIZ hEMuuELEO.
o,orCAI CHANGES TO DE MADE IN
HER INTERIOR.

Dispatch From New York Announces
Tbat the Plant System VIII Sell
10 shin to the Ocean Steamship
camuany-she Is TO Fellow Ibe
Cvn Racers-After That She Is to
ca into Dock for the Alterations.
n,.x Then He Expected to Take "a
place on the savannah Line-That
viii Not BE Her First Experience
on the Line-somethtng About La
Grande Duc1esse.
The steamship La Grande Duchesse,
owned by the Plant System, it is UNI
derstood, will be bought by the Ocean
steamship Company and placed on the
Savannah line.
This information is given in the fol-
lowing dispatch from New York:
New York, Aug. 31.-The Plant
steamship La Grande Duchesse will be
urned over to the Ocean Steamship
Company after the yacht races, for
which she is chartered, and after some
changes will be placed on the Savan-
nah line. She will be sold by the Plant
system to the Ocean Steamship Com
pany."
The dispatch comes as the confirma-
tion of report to the same effect that
had already reached Savannah. 1t had
been said that the Plant System and the
considering a trade for some time, and
that an agreement had practically been
reached.
Careful inspection of the Grand
Duchess has been made by Mr.. p. e.
LeFevre, general manager of the
ocean Steamship Company. Mr.
LeFevre secured the aid of an expert
engineer, and the two decided that
material changes in the interior ar
rangement of the Grand Duchess would
result in her being made adaptable to
the needs of the Ocean Steamship
Company. These needs are a ship of
far greater freight capacity than the
Grand Duchess has now.
In the construction of the Grand
Duchess economy of space was not
shown. Errors were made. so that the
most of the possibilities was not made.
1t was found that she could not carry
enough freight to make her operation
profitable. Twice she was on the Ocean
Steamship Company's line, through an
arrangement with the Plant System,
but she was not found satisfactory,
She has large passenger capacity, but
the heavy freight business of the
Ocean Steamship Company which has
lately grown to tremendous proper
tons, was even then greater than the
Grand Duchess could handle in guam
titles proportionate to the expense of
her operation. She was regarded as an
expense-an eater of revenues. She
was popularity known as 1.-THE Thief"
More than once the Grand Duchess
went back to the Newport News Ship
building Company, by which she was
constructed. She cost something like
$500, 900 or 100000. but did not give sat
isfactiOn. Her boilers were faulty, for
one thing, and ii took long while to
get them corrected Her steering geer.
which is electrical, was also
defective at first. She is a new vessel,
having been turned out in 1897, and
her finish is handsome. The alterations.
too, have resulted in her improvement,
and she is now as she was contracted
for.
1t Is understood that the Ocean
Steamship Company purposes making
radical changes in the ship. The entire
plan of her interior arrangement, save
ANA tlC ooiIOOHSs Will De changed, the
idea being to make use of the room for
freight She will be kept in her present
condition for passengers, and WILL no
doubt, prove as popular for them as
she was when she was formerly on the
Savannah line.
Announcement has been made by the
Morning News of the chartering of the
Grand Duchess to follow the yachts
mat sail for the Americas cup. There
VIII be no interference with that plan.
nne will go into dock for the changes
mat are contemplated after the races
are over, however, and it is expected
mat she will be on the Savannah Line
after few months, at most
Inc Grand Duchess has never made
money for the Plant System Nothing
is said about the price that will be paid
ny the Ocean Steamship Company for
the vessel, but it is not thought it will
De great-not anything like her cost.
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