New-York tribune., 1905-02-24
COMFORTABLE TRAVEL AT SEA.

Two transatlantic steamships with whose
names the public is destined soon to become
| familiar, and which can hardly fail to develop
much popularity, are the Caronia and the Car
mania, both of the Cunard Line. The former
had her trials early in February, and will begin
her maiden voyage to this country next Satur-
day. The sister ship was launched on Tuesday
of the current week
For mail service, for the convenience of pas
sengers whose business involves haste and for
conversion into cruisers in time of war there
is distinct need for fast vessels; but speed is
not the only desideratum. Within the last few
years there has been marked reaction tow
ard comfort and economy of operation. The
White Star Line, after putting into service the
Oceanic, which was capable of developing near
ly twenty -one knots, built two more ships, the
Celtic and the Cedric, which travel only about
sixteen knots an hour. Their enormous size,
however, makes them wonderfully steady and
hence highly attractive to people with delicate
stOmachs, and at the same time renders it pos
sible to carry an immense amount of freight.
The Baltic is a trife larger and faster, but
even she burns only about One-third of the coal
needed by the Kaiser Wilhelm II. All three of
these relatively slow vessels have become great
favorites, and they are certainly much more
remunerative to their owners than the record
breakers of the two leading German lines. 1t
was in pursuance of the same policy that
followed by the White Star company that the
Caronia and the Carmania were designed
The new Cunard steamships are a few feet
shorter than the Celtic and the Cedric, and have
three feet less beam, and their capacity is a
little smaller. On the other hand, their engines
are more powerful The Caronia was able TO
make about nineteen and a half knots on her
trial. and may be rated as nineteen knot ship.
This means that she can reach NewYork from
Queenstown in about six and n half days. Her
engines developed an average Of nearly %, 900
horsepower during the recent tests, and her
coal consumption should therefore be scarcely
more than half as great as that Of the Kaiser
Wilhelm, whose engines are rated at 10000
horsepower. but which travel only four or
four and half knots faster. The Caronia and
the Carmania can each accommodate 300 pas
sengers In the first cabin and $50 in the second,
besides 1900 in the third cabin and steerage.
In addition they have room for L 600 tons of
freight. For the class of service they are iu-
tended to perform they promise to approach the
ideal closely.
These steamships should not be confounded
with two others which are under construction
for the same line, and which are expected to at
tain a speed of twenty five knots an hour. The
pair which has not yet been named will have q
length of 7S5 feet, whereas that of the Caronia
and the Carmania is 67S. The vessels which
have been designed to surpass the best perform
ances of the Deutschland and the Kaiser Wilhelm
II, 1t Will be remembered, are to be equipped
with turbines Although it is now pretty well
known what such engines can do the Cunard
company may obtain further knowledge from
one Of its nineteen knot vessels. The Caronia
is propelled with the old reciprocating type of
engine, but the Carmania is to have turbines
When both have been running for few weeks
N Instructive he will
possible, the most important question involved
being that of economy. Less than eight months
has elapsed since the Caronia, which is now
ready TO sail for America, was launched. If the
completion of the Carrnania is equally rauid.
she should be seen IN New-York Harbor by oe-
tober or November, and before the close of the
year she should AFFORD new and valuable dem.