The Topeka state journal., 1903-04-16
LARGEST BUILT IN AMER1cA
And Largest Cargo Carrier in the
World.


The steel cargo and passenger steam
er Minnesota. built at New London for
the Great Northern Steamship company
and launched today, is not only the
largest vessel of any kind constructed
in America, but it is the largest cargo
carrier in the world.
The Cedric. which is registered at the
same tonnage. and exceeds the Mime
sofa in length. has less dead weighe
carrying capacity by more than 5000
pacity of the Cedric is IS 400 tons, while
that of the Minnesota is $4,000. The
Minnesota and her sister vessel. tbs
Dakota. which is to be launched liz
about ten weeks. will carry $4,000 long
tons of coal and 2s0.000 barrels of flour
This is so per cent. more than the dead
weight carrying capacity of the two
giant carriers of the White Star line,
the Cedric and the Celtic.
AS compared with the largest steam
ships built at American shiDyards, the
Minnesota and Dakota have very near
ly double the tonnage displacement ana
fully double the net dead weight carry
ing capacity. The new cargo and pas
senger carriers, the Finland and Kroon-
land. of the Red Star line have a ton
mage of 1900. The Korea and Siberia.
of the Pacific Mail company. have 4
registered tonnage of II, 300. The Min +.
nekada and Minnedora. of the At
lantic Transport company, have IS, 400
gross tonnage. The St Louis and ST.
raul Oh the american u06. nave aIb.3UJ
tonnage. The Minnesota and Dakota
on the usual basis Of 20 cubic feet to the
cargo ton. have a cargo space for 3D.
652 long tons. while the actual dead
weight carrying capacity is 2S.000, and
their tonnage displacement So, 000
The great vessel now building in Ger
many, Kaiser Wilhelm II, is sonewha [
longer than the Minnesota, but has less
BREADTH and has a moulded depth of a
feet as compared with nearly 56 for the
Minnesota The tonnage displacement
Of the big German vessel is over one
third less than that of the Minnesota
and Dakota
The strength of the Minnesota's hull
is shown by the fact that it is twice as
thick as that of the American battle
ship Oregon. Where the Oregon uses
steel deck plating of a half inch in
thickness the Minnesota uses an inch
to an inch and quarter plate. Where
the Oregon uses a main frame six by
three and half inches. the Minnesota
uses a twelve inch. The Minnesota is
of the intermediate cargo and passen-
ger type, and built under L1oyd's sur
vey- She is $50 feet long. IS feet s
inches wide. Sc feet high to upper deck.
So feet high TO captains bridge. III feet
high to top of mast and has five con-
tinuous decks. all plated with steel Four
decks not continuous are the forecastle,
promenade, bridge and boat decks. and
on top of all comes the captains or
navigating bridge, making nine decks
in all.
In the hull and decks of the Mime
sofa there are no less than 1900 tons
of steel plates and shapes and 375 tons
of rivets. a greater total of steel
strength than is found in the hull OF
the greatest battleships or of any other
/ merchant vessel in the world. 1t is in
+ teresting to note by comparison that the
Park Row building in New York con-
+ tains 5000 tons Of structural iron and
! steel. or one-fourth less than the Min
/ nesota. that the FTick building in Pitts
/ burg contains 1900 tons. or nearly q
/ per cent less. and that the Old Colony
+ building in Chicago contains 2.S0e TONS
! of structural iron and steel. or less than
one-fourth that in the Minnesota steam
] ship
The Minnesota and Dakota are pri-
marily cargo vessels. at the same time
they have a comparatively large pas
/ senger equipment The Minnesota vii
carry 172 first cabin passengers, 10 sec
ond cabin. 6s third cabin and 2.424 steer.
I age passengers or troops. IN addition te
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