Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-27
KEEN STRUGGLE OF
OCEAN BOATS FOR
SUPREMACY
Millions Of Money and Ablest
of Brains Employed in Race
for Leadership In Transat-
Iantic Travel,

come IN rapid succession Of the build
Ing OF four ocean liners designed for
service between New York and
Europe. each Of which will far sur
pass the largest ocean steamships now
in operation. The first two OF these
Will be nearly one hundred feet long
er than the largest steamships now
afloat. The third will excel these two
In length by two or three feet The
latest Of them all, now underway IN
Germany, win be still longer and will
have displacement Of $4,000 tons
greater than the largest boats that
now enter New York harbor Along
side her the ordinary liners now in
service viii look like mere tugs. but
there Is nothing To indicate that she
will mark the final word in the strug-
gle for supremacy which nowhere
else is waged with such keen rivalry
as in the ocean steamship business
of the North Atlantic
For nearly three-Quarters of a CEN
tury the story Of transatlantic navl-
cation has been the record Of an un-
ending race for leadership In no 9th
er business In the world has coinpe'
tition over a long period been so keen
In no other have such vast sums been
expended to secure q slight tempor-
ATY advantage Hutit ttcNN 1RNf''''
endured in the effort to achieve SUI
premacy. The contest has been one
not only Of ships and companies. but
also of ports and nations and it has
been followed with keen interest BY
the public.
The presence of this strong element
of rivalry has had a decisive Influence
upon the development Of ocean liners
themselves It has led to the rapid
supplanting OF the champions of one
decade ny the newer, swifter. more
luxurious ana more comfortable ves-
sells Of a succeeding period II has
reduced rates at the Same time that
it has added to comforts and con-
yeniences.
How tremendous the growth of the
transatlantic steamship has been
may be appreciated by a comparisons
OF some Of the earlier liners with
those Of the present day. The first
vessel with steam equipment TO cross
the Atlantic was the Savannah, which
made the voyage from the city for
which she was named TO Liverpool in
1919 In thirty-five days. She was
little less than SO feet long and of 500
tons. 1t would require nine Savannahs,
placed bow to stern, TO equal the
length OF the largest of the liners
now under construction and q fleet Of
hundred like her would not equal
the tonnage Of the present champion
of the ocean ferry. The Savannah,
however was not genuine steam
ship for her engine was merely an
auxiliary to her sails and was relied
upon only when the wind failed.
During the score or years follow
ing the Savannah's trip g number OF
vessels crossed the Atlantic and one
line, the Great Western, was cstab-
lished from Bristol, England, to New
York in 1888 and continued its SER
vice foI s. number OF years, The real
beginning Of the trans-Atlantic
steamship business as a continuous
service. however, may be said to have
taken place in 1910 when the first
boat Of the Cunard line began trips
between Liverpool and Boston. The
britannia was the ship that inaugur-
ated this service and she made her
first trip IN fourteen do = and eight
hours. She was 207 fees ing with q
tonnage OF 1,19e or about one-thir-
tieth Of the largest ships Of her line
at the present time
The competition that has continued
ever since on the north Atlantic
assumed a keen form in 1S49 when
the Collins line an American enter
avowed purpose or excelling the Cum
arders The Arctic Of this line, 81
0O0-ton boat, established new rec-
ord from Liverpool to Now York Of
DAYS and 13 hours For number
Of years the line held the speed hon
ors of the ocean highway but It's
managers found record breaking an
expensive work and following the loss
Of two OF their boats in the panic ct
1851 came along and put them out-of
business. While II lasted, however,
the race for leadership between the
nautical representatives Of the two
nations raised almost a frenzy of ex-
citement both in England and the
United states and tens Of thousands
Of dollars were wagered on the per-
formances of favorite boats.
In 1859 all previous efforts of
shipbuildcrs were surpassed by the
construction of the giant Great East
ern. 692 feet long. Inasmuch as she
proved a flat failure she exercised no
particular influence upon the deyel-
opment of the Atlantic liner. AS
trade and travel between the United |
states and Europe developed, how |
ever the number Of companies and |
the number OF ships engaged IN the |
traffic increased and the competition |
became steadily fiercer and more ex- |
pensive as the struggle for speed and |
size ran up the cost of building and !
operating steamships In 1869 the
time OF passage was brought below
eight days for the first time by the
city of BRUSSELS Of the Imam line
Thirteen years later. a'fter II had been
successfully lowered by half dozen
the Guion liner Alaska
brought It under seven days.
In 1891 the six-day mark was
passed by the Majestic and in 1908
fhe fivo-day record went by the
hoard before the Lusitania. The ac-
fual crossing OF the Atlantic has al
ready been accomplished under four
days by a turbine steamer running
from Mcviile. Ireland, 20 Cape Race,
but the distance covered WAS only
a bout two-thirds that of the full pass
age TO New York. No doubt how
sver. the time of the latter viii at
iome future date be brought below
our DAYS by special types OF boats
md special engines.
While the race for speed supremacy
las been going mcrrily on the com
petition among Atlantic steamships
las followed two other lines those
4 increasing size and increasing lux
iry The result has been a steady f,
uceseion OF larger costiier and more N
uxuriously equipped vessels. Ten ,
-ears AGO the swift Deutschland. $50 .
ect long and costing more than an@ \
iner built up to that time. Was put 4
nto service. Marine experts then Z
I