The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-04-06
WHITE STAR TO BUILD
VESSEL ONE-FIFTR
OF A MILE LONG
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF OCEAN LINERS.
Name


1t is a rapid age in which we live.
So new are the new Cunarders that one
has not had time to lose wonder over
these gigantic liners, to cease to marvel
at their immensely of length and ire
mendous power. 1t looked as though
these 79O-foot steamships were to be
the last word in marine construction,
and that their $4,000 horse power
marked the limit of motive strength.
But now, while one is yet marveling
at these new marvels, the cables bring
announcement that the White Star
Steamship Company has contracted for
the construction of steamship that is
to have the amazing length of 1000 feet,
length 210 feet greater than that Of
the Lusitania and 800 feet more than
was the length of Brunel's great failure
the Great Eastern.
FAR AHEAD OF ANYTHING.
Such was the word the cables brought
the other day. Bruce Ismay, the gen
eral manager of the White Star line,
who arrived from England a few days
ago, not only confirmed the report, but
added still further interest to it by the
statement that the company was plan
ming to build not one but two of these
giant vessels to send one down the
ways, six months after the other had
gone overheard, and to place both OF
these great vessels in the New York
Southampton service.
"These two steamships" said Mr..
| Ismay, "are intended to be far ahead OF
anything yet designed. They are to be
approximately 1000 feet in length, per-
haps a few feet more or perhaps few
feet less. But if not exactly of 1000
feet it will be but trifling difference
from that figure, one way or the other.
That length will make them consider
ably greater than any vessel yet pro-
iected. l do not know what beam has
been decided upon, but this will ma
turally be commensurate with their
length.
NO LONGER HANDICAPPED.
"This is the first time in its history
that the White Star Line has been able
to enter the field of ship construction
without a handicap. Hitherto we have
been restricted by the limitations Of
our former home terminal-that OF
Liverpool-and in planning for new
ships it had always been necessary for
us to keep in mind the fact that our
vessels must be kept within certain
limitations But now that we have
moved our terminal to southampton
, that restriction no longer exists, and
so, for the first time, we are now able
to enter the field without any handicap
of this nature, Southampton being a
spacious harbor and it's waters so wild!
and deep that so far as that port is
concerned we may build ships OF any
size. 1t is true that docking facilities
on this side must be considered. The
longest piers on the North River
where our vessels now dock, are but S5l
feet in length, but we are quite sure
that longer ones will be constructed.
Mr.. Ismay wopld not commit himse,
to any further statement about New
York piers, but since his company ha'
definitely planned to bring out tvs
1OOO-feet ships, with the intention o
putting them in the New York service
it is fair to assume that the White Sta
Line has received definite assurance
that the city will have suitable pier
ready when the ships make their frs
appearance here in the spring of 1911.
BOTH TYPES OF ENGINES.
What new or unusual features vii
these vessels have?" Mr.. Ismay wa
= asked.
81 may not tell you that" he replied
"for if l did all of our competitors vii
know, but will repeat what just SAL
that they will be far ahead of anythin
that has yet been projected"
But there were some features whic
Mr.. Ismay felt free to discuss. The neN
Cunarders, as all the world knows, ar
fitted with turbine engines. Mr.. Isma
said that the new White Star vessel
would be equipped with both turbin
and reciprocating engines. These wi
operate triple screws, the two win
II screws being propelled by engines {
the reciprocating type, the central on
being driven by a turbine.
The company already has under col
"a struction two other vessels whose me-
tive power is of this combination typ
Il But these are very much smaller. The
are now under construction in the Be
fast yards of Harland & Wolff. The'
two are to be placed in the Canada
service of the company in the comm
spring, but they are of relatively sma
size, their displacement being only ii
t 900 tons. The new ships will probabl
distance about 10000 tons.