The sun., 1907-08-28
CARONIA TRIES new PARKWAY
IINDS AMBROSE CHANNEL SAFE
FOR THE BlG LUSHTANIA.
Dredging Work Had TO stop. bot tine Cow
ernment Was Glad TO Obsigc saved
HsK Hour MAKING the Open. Even st
. Slow Gait Great Toot Over Feat.

HsM Hour Maklpg the Open. Even at
Q Slow Gait Great Toot Over Feat
he Cunarder Csronia sailed yesterday
for Queenstown and Liverpool with the
distinction Of being the first liner that
ever has utilized the new Ambrose Channel.
Ghs object Of her trip through this wide.
direct and deep fairway to the open was
10 settle definitely whether or not II is
n shape to let In the great quadruple
screw turbine Lustania, which is due
here from Liverpool and Queenstown on
September IL
Vernon II. Brown. general agent OF the
Cunsrd Line at this port. persuaded Col.
". L. Marshall Of the army engineers. who
have broken records in completing the
work Of dredging abandoned by private
contractors. to agree to open the channel
for while and let the Caronia test its
capacity IL was pure matter Of courtesy.
Mr.. Brown said. on the part Of the Govern
inent. and the Cunsrd Line appreciates il
The Csronia demonstrated that the new
channel is not only deep enough to ac-
Commcdats craft Of her draught. between
thirty and thirty-two feet. but that it also
may Lee negotiated safely by the biggest
and swiftest turbine steamship sioat. the
Lusitsnia
Mr.. Brown went down the bay aboard
the Csronia himself after other trips
through she new channel in steam craft
cf little drsnght. accompanied by experts
who know all about the progress of the
work. He decided that IL was safe to take
the Csronia through. IL was necessary
10 move the dredges, scows and mooring
luoys from the channel before the Caronia
could attempt the feat. This meant a
cmporsry suspension Of dredging but
COL Marshall was willing to stop while il
il could be demonstrated that the cessation
of work would result in proving that the
channel was wide enough and deep enough
TO accommodate the Lusitania.
Naturally no amateur pilot was selected
TO guide the Caronia on her pioneer trip.
lie is Frank Cramer. a veteran who knows
every foot Of the bays. dredged OF I'M
Gredged. and he was ably assisted by one Of
the best commanders. Capt. Pritchard.
that ever held license from the British
Government To help the pilot and Capt.
Pritchard steer a safe course Capt John
4. Rodgers OF the lighthouse department
had set out temporary spar buoys marking
the completed part of the channel-which
means pretty nearly all Of it
The pilot and his skipper kept between
the spsr hnoys, and incidentally. ss they
do always they took soundings. This
time, however, they hove the lead more
frequently than under ordinary conditions,
that is when going out OF the winding
main ship channel They found even
more than forty feet in many places and
they never found less than thirty-ive.
Nevertheless they proceeded cautiously.
never making more than ten knots, which
: a bit more than half the Caronia g normal
sea sreed in pleasant weather.
Trailing the venturesome liner was a
lighthouse tender with Col Marshall nd
Capt Rodgers aboard. They were just a.
much interested az Mr. Brown, Capt
Pritchard and the pilot, and they were no
iess iublant when the Caronia got through
the channel. her keel never once coming
anv nearer bottom than II she had gone
through the main ship channel It took
her forty-fve minutes TO go from the be-
ginning of the channel to the open. even
at her slow rate
From the moment she left her dock at
s:t5 A NJ. she was one hour and a half max
ing the point where she dropped the pilot.
That means that when the channel 10
officially opened and she will be able to come
IN or go out at fun speed she will save
about three-quarters OF an hour It was
estimated by Mr.. Brown yesterday that
notwithstanding her slow progress she
had reached the open in half an hour less
than IL would have taken her to do II she
had gone by the old route. As she cleared
the bar the talent aboard her saw the North
German Lloyd crack Kaiser Wilhelm ii.
crawling through the twists OF the old fair
way and chuckled a bit.
Every vessel equipped with steam blew
OF some Of IL to celebrate the innovation
Of the Cunard liner. All the dredges saIuted
and every big and little liner near enough.
coming in or steaming seaward. footed
congratulations. Among the ships that
gave the most enthusiastic blasts was
the Havana OF the Ward Line. After she
got to Quarantine her skipper. Capt. Ste
vens, said:
Il think that shows lot Of horse sense
on the part OF the Cunard people. They
sent the Caronia out to test the channel
and take soundngs before risking the giant
Lusitania through tho same way"
Sandy Hook marine observers were some
what astonished to sec the big ship cutting
across lots They estimated that abe had
made Quarantine to the bar In about fifty
minutes, thus saving forty minutes.
After Mr.. Brown boarded the lighthouse
tender Col Marshall and Capt Rodgers
greeted him cheerfully The consensus OF
opinion was that the Lusitania would have
an easy trip Of Il up from the Hook on Sep
tember Is when, it b expected, the channel
will be officially open for any ship that wants
10 tryi Col Marshall said yesterday that
he wanted il understood that the dredges
and soows that went back on the lob after
the Caronia passed out to sea yesterday
would not leave q until tho channel was
ready for the biggest liners
The Government had promised the Gu
nard Line chat the channel would be open
for navigation about A wear before tho