The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-11-29
A TREASURE SHIP
The Mauretania Carried the Largest
Cargo of Gold That Ever Crossed
the Atlantic.
BIGGEST STEAMER AFLOAT
Head Winds and Heavy Seas Prevent
ed Making the Trip in Record =
Breaking Time-Size
of Giant Liner.

New York, Nov. 23.-Poking her
nose through a dense curtain Of fog
that hid the coast, her topmasts lost
from deck view in the enveloping
shroud, the biggest, the most luxurious
ship ever launched on any sea, fin
ished in safety her bridal voyage
when at HOB o'clock n. m. Friday
the Cunard line steamship Mauretania
came to anchor off the Sandy Hook
Lightship, five days, five hours and
ten minutes from Queenstown.
Bearing a fortune of $12,500,OOO in
gold for the money markets Of the
West, she fought her way through
5000 miles of storm swept ocean, bat
Ting every mile of the course to meet
and defeat the worlds transatlantic
speed record of four days, Is hours
and 40 minutes, created and held by
her sister ship, the Lusitania Head
winds and tumultuous cross seas baf-
fed the attempt, yet the Mauretania
won the coveted right to fly one "blue
ribbon" at her peak. On Thursday
November 81, Captain Pritchard drove
the huge ship GA knots (671 miles)
by the favor of a shift in the wind to
north-northeast-six knots better
than the best days run of the Lusi-
tania and smashing all records Of
marine.
The average speed for the passage
was 22.21 knots, or 23.S9 miles an
hour. Her average speed on her rec
ord day run of 624 knots was 25.S3
miles an hour Her poorest days
average was POSI- miles an hour from
noon of November IS to noon of the 10.
Captain Pritchard believes that in
n fair weather passage he can beat
lbe Lusitania from coast to coast.
The Mauretania is 792 feet in
length over all-two feet longer than
the Lusitania; has a beam of IS feet;
n depth of hold of s feet; is 1916 feet
high from keel to funnel tops and PIG
feet from keel to masthead; draws
::37 feet inches of water (mean esti-
mattel; has tonnage displacement of
As 900; an indicated horse power OF
10000; was launched on the Tyne,
(England), September 20, 1906; car
ries a crew of 800 odd officers and
men; has accommodation for $50 pas
sengers in the first class cabins; 500
in the second class, and 1900 in the
steerage and cost approximately
1880, 900.
The $12,5OO 900 gold brought by the
Mauritania is said to be the largest
consignment of specie ever carried by
n ship. 1t was conveyed to the YES
sci at Queenstown in six specially
guarded cars.
The fact at even vessel of the
superlative size and build and power
of the Mauretania is to certain eX-
tent at the mercy of the elements
was borne in upon the liners passen-
gers, when on the forenoon Of Mon
day, her second day out, she labored
so in head seas and the face of an
adverse gale that dishes were thrown
from dining room taDies and seasick'
ness made prisoners by the score in
cabins and steerage. At three in the
afternoon Captain Pritchard ordered
the engines stopped and let go two Of
his anchors. Thus steadied the
Mauretania rode out the storm-but
not without mishap. The battering
force of the seas stove forward star
board part and before the damage
could be repaired the floor OF store
room in the hold was under two feet
OF salt water