New-York tribune., 1906-12-22
LINERS IN CLOSE RACE .
KAISER III THE THINNER.
Passengers Greatly Ercited When
Latter Leads by T7cO Minutes.

The French liner La Provence which some
months ago undertook 10 beat the Deutschland
IN a close but unsuccessful race to the Lizard
was defeated again Yesterday by the North
German Lloyd flyer Kaiser Wilhelm II, which
overhauled her in mid Atlantic Wednesday.
The Kaiser. after beating her rival to the
Hook by four hours, dropped anchor in dense
fog When the fog thnned out La Provence
suddenly loomed UP some three hundred yards
astern. Instantly the Kaiser made preparation
to get under way, and a secondary race was on
Before the German steamer started her propel-
lers her French rival only ships length
behind. The Kaiser suddenly developed good
speed, and half way up the channel the steam
ers were abeam Of each other. There was much
shouting on both boats, but the cheers on the
Kaiser were deafening when she slipped into
Quarantine two minutes ahead of La provence
No steamship line will concede that any of its
steamers have raced. The companies prohibit
speed contests on the ground that they leopard
lie the lives of passengers. While they were
not actually racing" La Provence and Kaiser
Wilhelm II forged across the Atlantic at top
speed. each anxious TO reach port first.
1t was proclaimed in Havre and Paris that
La Provence would arrive in New York before
Kaiser Wilhelm II. This information was
flashed on 70 Cherbourg. where the German
steamer was taking on passengers, and caused
unusual interest aboard ship. From the steer
age to the first cabin. it was rumored that the
Kaiser would race with La Provence. and all
kinds Of sums wagered on the result.
When some of the first cabin passengers told
Captain H6gemann of the Kaiser of the French
mans boast. he smiled and said: "Oh. guess
I have pretty good boat myself" He did not
say he would race. but his smile inspired such
confidence that purse strings opened
widely
La Provence left Havre at 9:15 a. m. on
Saturday, covering the 3129 miles between her
home port and New York in days hours and
A. minutes. The Kaiser left the Cherbourg
breakwater at s p. m. on the same day Allow
ing La Provence three hours to make the trip
to Cherbourg. which is seventy-four miles east
of Havre, she had a start of nine hours over
the Kaiser.
The German steamer ran into bad weather
and a rough westerly swell after leaving Cher
bourg and. Notwithstanding that she had 10
at reduced speed, she covered $50 miles
from Sunday noon to noon Monday. In
tense interest prevailed among the Kaiser's
passengers, all anxious to know when the
Frenchman would be sighted ahead At day
break Wednesday the stewards Of the
Kaiser through the alleys announcing that
La Provence had been sighted.
The passengers dressed hurredly, and the
deck lined with persons who had made big
bets. BY noon. when one hundred miles south
east Of Cape Race, the big German greyhound
was abeam of La Provence. Both steamers were
running at top speed. with the French steamer
four miles TO the southwark. As the Kaiser
gradually overhauled her rival the betting on
the race ceased. because no one was willing 10
put up money on the French liner.
The Kaiser covered the 3.049 miles from Cher
bourg TO New York in days II hours 45 min
utes. maintaining an average speed of 2214
knots an hour. La Provence is equipped with
10000 horsepower engines. while Kaiser VIII
helm II had Al 400 horsepower.