New-York tribune., 1907-09-14
LUS1TANIA LOWERS
RECORD BY 6 HOURS.
WORLD,S BIGGEST LINER
QUEEN OF THE SEA.
On Maiden Trip Nears Deutsch-
lands Best Hourly AUerage-
Hamburg Lines Protest.

The monster Cunard liner Lusitan1a, by al
odds the biggest. most imposing and most or
nate steamship that has ever entered these
waters came abean OF the Sandy Hook Light
ship at sos d m. yesterday. making the
passage from Daunt Rock. Ireland IN five days
ffty-four minutes
A fotilIa of craft OF all sorts. big and small.
trim and shabby. assembled of Quarantine. ap-
parently coming from nowhere. as the big mass
Of 80 900 tons of steel doomed up out OF a thick.
dark gray fog in the Nsrrows-
La Provence. the crack flyer OF the French
Line feet. came UP the Main Ship Channel an
hour ahead of the Cunarder and served as an
excellent means Of making a comparative esti-
mate of the actual greatness Of the biggest ship
in the world
J. P. Morgar's yacht. the Corsair. darted in
and out among the smaller craft that Hooked
about the Lusitanfa like buzzards over ear
cass. and after those on board had had their MI
of observing the huge visitor. she sped on up to
the Battery.
The other boats including the two revenue
cutters the Immigrant. the Dalzel1ne- and
the excursion boat Sirius, were decked with
bunting and from thousands Of lusty lungs
the Lusitania received her first American well
core-a welcome that could not be surpassed
even in Liverpool
The din of whistles from the curious mosquito
fleet and the shriu penetrating siren Of the
I11sftanfa herself cut of whatever response there
was from the passengers that lined the decks
Of the big Cunarder.
While there was some senblanCe OF flag wav-
ing by the I4usitania's passengers. and wh1s
some actually shouted as the small boats passed
by. the real demonstration was made by the
crowds that went down the bay from the city.
FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH
Through no fault Of Thomas ". Lawson. tbs
Tusitania made her first entrance into New
York Harbor on Friday the 18th While the
srIperstitOIis sea dogs o the waterfront believed
it an i'll omen TO come abearn OF the Hshtship on
such a day the Cunard Line officials were ex-
ceedingly optimistic. and expressed great satis-
faction the LuSitanlas 5 coIlSlSteT1t per1orn-
ance from Liverpool
she did better than we expected" said Yer
non Fl. Brown. the local agent of the Cunard
line CAPTAIN Watt followed his Instructions
from the home Office and brought her in on
schedule time"
The I.usitania carried ass first cabin passen-
gers. and nearly the entire complement had
sornethin, to say about the steamers perform
ancs on the passage from Liverpool Every ons
agreed ofhand. that the steamer and every
thing connected with her trip could not have
baan berter But there were few chronic
faultfnders. who. as one passenger remarked.
would have opposed their own motion il they
had seen It going successfully through the SEN
ate who complained of vibration
One London correspondent who had pre-
pared a great pile of handwritten copy for his
paper declared that the steamers vibration was
So great il was impossible for him to write.
Another passenger, who had a new brand OF
wine 70 introduce into this country. said that
be had placed a gIassful of wine-of the brand
he was expIoiting-on a shelf on his dresser and
nor a drop had been spilled throughout the
passage
Every one on board had something good 70
saw of the big flyer but owing 70 the fact that
The coupasny was forced to take on number OF
Inexperienced walters. who never had served a
meal at sea before they boarded the Lusitania.
some passengers complained Of tle slow service
in the upper and lower dining rooms.
E. H. CUNARD'S REPORT
Ernest II. Cunard, a director OF the lire. who
,an1a over with the Lusitania TO observe all
"details Of the trip. and who will return on her
md make report to the home office. said: 4
nave crossed on the Lusitania- and from my eS'
,erience I have absolutely no suggestions to
make that might be Of benefit on the Lusi-
ania,s sister ship. the Mauretania. which viii
make her maiden voyage 10 New York late in
October or early in November. She is wonder
-ul boat in every way. exceedingly steady. and
her engines worked perfectly throughout There
was no hitch and no compulsory slowing up
There had been much talk aboard the steamer
among passengers who said II leaked out
BOARD that the Lusitania would have made
much better time had she not been handicapped
with an insufficient and inexperienced crew or
1remen. She remained out in the river until
he last moment before leaving Liverpool to hold
on board a number of inexperienced stokers