Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-08-16
LARGEST VESSEL
In THE WORLD
TIE Great Celtic Reaches New York

The Great Celtic Reaches New York
"Quen of the seas, - so far as size is
concerned, is the steamship Celtic, OF
the White Star Line, which arrived
here yesterday from Queenstown on her
maiden voyage, says to-day's New
York Herald, with a gross tonnage OF
20, $50 she has the proud distinction of
being the largest craft of any descrip-
tiOn afioat to day, or, in fact. that has
ever existed. She was launched at
Belfast, ireland, in April OF this year
Leaving Liverpool at twenty-five
minutes to FIVE o. clock on the afternoon
ef July Both and Queenstown at quar-
ter-past ten o'clock on the following
morning, she arrived at the New York
bar at twenty-one minutes past six
O'Clock yesterday morning, after a
voyage of eight days and forty-s six mi
nutes. She reached her dock at pier
48, North River, soon after nine o'clock,
aud although she was regarded with
great curiosity by thousands of per-
sons on her way up the bay and receiv-
ed frequent salutes from passing craft,
1t was not until she was alongside of
her pier that her tremendous size was
fully realized.
The steamship Germanic, of the
same line, occupies the opposite pier,
but her 43S feet of length over all and
tonnage of II ,274 was dwarfed by the
700 feet of her big associate. The high
est of the Celtic Is nine decks lowered
far above the top of the pier shed, and
from that deck even the tops OF the
roofs of many adjacent buildings,
could easily be seen. Curiosity seekers
by the hundreds gathered at the pier
during the day, anxious to obtain a
sight of the gigantic ship, but after
the passengers had left the vessel and
the baggage had been removed the
gates of the pier we're closed, and, by
orders of the company. other than en-
ployes no persons were allowed on
board.
When the plans for the ship were
prepared it was not intended to add a |
record breaker to the White Star fleet.
sumptuousness of furnishings and speed |
being left to the fleet Oceanic The |
intention, rather, was to build |
ship which, while swift. would carry |
a great number of passengers and an
enormous quantity of freight. Both |
requirements were met, for the Celtic
has accommodations for 2,S59 passeng |
ers and crew of 335 men. She can
carry $4,000 tons of freight.
Captain H. ST. George Lindsay, her
commander, who was formerly on the
Cymric. made no particular effort to
speed the ship on thisl her first voyage,
but yesterday expressed himself as
thoroughly satisfied with her initial
performance.
"She is as steady az a rock and an
swers her helm as readily as vessel of
one quarter her tonnage" he said.
"When her machinery has been shaken
down and works more easily there is
no reason why the Celtic should not
make the voyage under seven days.
The ships run was as follows: On
the first day, 407 knots, and for the
successive days, BAT. 355. 376, 366, 38s,
376 and 273 knots.
One feature of the new ship that will
attract particular attention On the part
of seamen and Iandmen alike is her
great beam of seventy five feet. One
saloon passenger said Yesterday in
speaking of this circumstance: cit
seems as though one were walking the
distance IF an average New York
block when he passes from one side of [
the vessel to the other, and to walk
from the bow to the stern is, in fact,
distance equal to some of {
longest blocks.'' A sta
of the White Star line has
figured out that fifty lines of 800 men
each, making 40, 900 men in all, could
stand Oh one of the ships decks alone. I
The vessel has depth of forty-nine
feet, and nine decks in all, so that the
of persons who can find stand
ing room on board is very large. '
The length of the famous Great l
Eastern was only 691 feet, altogether
until few years ago she was regarded
rs one of the wonders of the shipping
world, because of her size Another
ID feature of the Celtic is the saloon |
iining-room, which is the full width
Of the ship, while many OF the cabins
contain only one berth, thus affording
privacy to those who desire it.