New-York tribune., 1910-12-03
TO BREAK RECORDS
LOADING MAURITANIA
Local Office Told Big Ship Must
Sail 81 Hours After Reach
ing Her Dock.
TO CARRY CHRISTMAS MAIL
Giant Cunarder Due Here Dec.
IS. and Must Return Dec. II
with 1000 Passengers to
Spend Holidays Abroad.

The local office of the Cunard Line was
somewhat disturbed yesterday when adj
vices came from abroad announcing that
the big flyer Mauretania positively must
leave this port for Liverpool at 8 p. m.
on Saturday, December Il, with the
Christmas mail and full cabin pas
senger complement.
She is due here on Thursday night,
December Is. but if she encounters bad
weather or westerly winds, such as have
been prevailing this week, she may be
unable to dock before Friday morning
L all goes well and the big flyer comes
to port in record time she Will nave less
than forty-four hours in which to take
on her Il, 500 tons of coal and her supply
OF water and provisions for some one
thousand cabin passengers, the biggest
eastb bound Christmas exodus that fhis
port has ever known.
The Mauretania will leave LfveTpooi
at ; D. NJ next Saturday, and from the
moment she clears Queenstown on sun
dav morning until her gangplank is
made fast at Pier u, North River, her
progress will be keenly watched by Of
hcials of the line in this city.
Bio Job for Roberts.
The feat of getting the monster ready
will he the biggest undertaking that has
ever confronted a pier superintendent at
this port. Captain Roberts, who is pre-
pairing now for the job, says he Will DO
the best he can. but will not guarantee
that she will sail on the hour
Steamship men familiar with the work
of unloading and loading of steamships
declare that the Mauritania cannot De
made ready for departure on Saturday
ovaning if she docks on Friday morn
ing.
Under ordinary circumstances captain
Roharts has from Friday to Wednesday
10 get the Lusitania and the Mauretanla
in condition TO leave port with men
working night and day this undertaking
is not easy. There is a big difference
between l20 hours the normal time for
nreparation. and II hours. the maximum
Time allowed Captain Roberts for max
;rg +he big flyer ready for December II.
The Cunard Line has planned to spare
no expense in making good It's promise
IN have the Maretania depart on sched-
uIe If she does not get out on time IL
,,.,1l not be due to lack of men or prep.
aration. Every minute the Mauretanla
is DELAYED on the run from Llverpooi VIII
mean a loss OF money to the line ana
-+rass of extra work at this end OF the
run.
cbe will have to take into her bunkers
:, the maximum time of forty-four
to,,rs 500 tons of picked coal at a cost
Of s7e 400. This must be done before
propeller turns. Some idea or lnls vast
coal supply may be CLEANED from state
mont made at the Cunard office yester-
dav which showed that the coal could
barely he handled on land by twenty
two trains of thirty cars each, ten tons
heing allowed to the car. The Maure-
tania will have TO carry more than this,
&C she consumes $500 tons between New
York and Liverpool
Two Thosand Passengers Booked.
r was said Yesterday that the Maure-
tanta would leave port with five hun
dred saloon, five hundred second cabin
and one thousand third class passengers
This is the biggest passenger compile
menr ever booked for Europe on one
steamship during the holiday season
With the exception Of the meats and
fowls. practically all the provisions for
the big Cunarder have been ordered. and
are being stored daily on the company's
piers.
For the TWO thousand passengers and
The crew of $50 the meats taken aboard
VIII represent at least 200 phesants. 400
niceons so lambs, 10 calves, 500 quail
30 steers. 50 sheep. 500 turkeys, $50 geese,
o0G0 chickens and 130 hogs.
AS the Mauretania is running over the
short course, a distance Of 2,7SO miles, ii
Is believed that she will land her pas
sengers and mails for London via Fish
guard at least by Friday morning.
Thus far the Cunard Line has engaged
three times the number of the regular
force of men to load the big liner. Cap
tain Roberts will put on as many men
as he can use The staff of $50 stewards
who have 10 clean the staterooms
lounges libraries, saloons. smoking
rooms and companionwayS VIII get
little sleep while the Mauretania is in
port as the work of cleaning VIII begin
the moment the westbound passengers
are ashore.