The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-11-10
THE BIGGEST SHIPS
IN THE WORLD
THIS YEAR HAS SEEN THE RE-
CORD BROKEN BOTH IN STEAM
SHIPS AND SAILING VESSELS.

This year has been notable If for
nothing else in having witnessed the
launching of the largest vessels ever
built. seven masted schooner, five
masted square rigger and a steamship
each the largest of it's type, with an
aggregate displacement of more than
40 900 tons, have been set afoat from
the shipyards of three different ma
tons.
The great seven masted schooner,
which was the first ever constructed
and is next to the largest sailing ves-
sci in the world, was the first to take
the water and is now in commission,
flying the flag of the United States. As
the schooner is peculiarly an American
type of vessel, the first of it's kind hav-
ing been launched in Glouster, Mass,
in 1713, this country takes a certain sort
of pride in the big Thomas w. Lawson
built at the Fore River works in Mas
sachusetts and now engaged in the
coasting trade of this country. IT is of
steel throughout is 405 feet over all,
has beam of 80 feet, depth of "a feet,
a mainmast 1S2 feet high from step TO
truck, sail area of 40,50 square feet,
displacement of 10 900 tons and dead
weight cargo capacity of $500 tons
These, in brief are it's figures in outline
the details being too many to mention.
The giant schooner was constructed
like a steamship, but without propelling
machinery such as boilers and engines,
depending for propulsion upon it's sails
managed by only nineteen men. Econ
omy and relative ease of management
are the attractive features of the fore
and aft sailing craft like the schooner
which recommend it to the seafarers of
this country. But there are boilers and
engines for auxiliary use, as for the
hosting of sails, anchors and cargo,
steam pumps and all the latest inven-
tions in labor saving gear.
1t was thought that the United States
held the record for the largest sailing
vessel, as of yore it held it for the finest
clipper ships the world has ever seen,
but a short time ago the Germans
| launched a square rigger at Hamburg
the dimensions. of which slightly sur
pass those of the T. w. Lawson. This
ship is the Preussen now called the
largest of her kind in the world, being
440 feet in length, so in breadth and 33
| in depth of hold, with a displacement
of 11,15O tons and capable of carrying
5000 tons. She also is of steel-hull,
masts and yards-there being no wood
at all aloft except in the blocks. While
depending upon her sails for propulsion,
the Preussen, like the Lawson impress
es steam machinery to work her cap
STAINS, winches, pumps and steering
gear, but against the schooner nineteen
men all told she carries a crew of forty
six. She belongs to a Hamburg firm
and is now on her first voyage to the
west coast of South America.
The preceding data prove conclusive
ily that the world is not likely to forget
the days of clipper ships and fast SAIL
ing privateer schooners of the Amer
lean types. For a certain sort of mer-
chant marine, such as heavy coasting
and long voyaging, the sailing craft
will continue to hold their own for
many a year to come. But the steam
age is here and has made it's impress;
so that there will never be a reversion
to sailing vessels as a class. The great
est progress, of course, has been made
in the building of steamships, when
have been growing larger and getting
faster for several years past, When the
Great Eastern turned out such a mon
umental failure, it was thought that
the limit as to size of steamships had
been reached; but her dimensions have
been exceeded in two or three steamers
which have been quite successful. The
dimensions of the Great Eastern were:
Length over all 691 feet. breadth 81
feet and depth AS feet, with a gross
tonnage capacity of 1876 tons. The
Oceanic, latter day steamship of the
successful class, built for carrying ca
pacity, comfort and safety, without re-
gard to speed, is 705 feet long, 6S broad
and 40 deep, with a gross tonnage of
1924. She, indeed, was thought to be
the limit, but was closely followed by
the Celtic, which until this year was
the largest steamer ever built. The
Celtic is 700 feet in length over all, "a
beam and 40 deep, with a gross tonnage
of 20,S30. She. was launched last year
but scarcely had she been placed in com
mission when it was announced that the
same company that owned her-the
White Star line-was building a sister
ship which was to slightly exceed her
tonnage capacity and still lead the
world in point of size.
This twin sister to the Celtic is the
Cedric, which was launched last Au-
gust and is now being hurried forward
to completion. Like the Celtic the Ced.
rio is 700 feet in length and 70 beam
but exceeds her by 80 tons carrying ca
pacity and 40 in displacement, being
21,OOO tons gross register. She can car
, ry nearly a thousand tons more than
! the Kaiser Wilhelm H., the new ocear
greyhound of the Bremen line. witt
out being built for speed, the Cedric
will cross the Atlantic IN about seven
days, and is so magnificently equipped
in every particular that her passengers
VIII not be likely to desire the voyage
cut short an hour. She will carry q
crew of $50 and has accommodations
for 5000 passengers of all classes, spe-