New-York tribune., 1911-11-25
White Star Line Plans New Ship
of Greater Tonnage than
Either the Olympic or the
New Liner Titanic.
WILL BE NEARLY 1000 FEET
Controversy Over River En-
croachment Sure To Be Start
ed Again When Big Vessel
Comes to This Port in
1918 or 1914.

The White Star Line is to have am
other gigantic steamship, which VIII
be Of greater tonnage than the Olympic
and Titanic and more than 100 rect
longer. Although the home office OF the
line has made no official announcement
of the letting of the contract, word was
brought TO this city yesterday from
Liverpool that the keel Of the new mon
ster would be laid early next month,
and that she would be 9S2 feet long,
just 100 feet greater than the Olympic.
one of the significant indications that
work on the new vessel will begin soon
Is the recent lengthening Of the great
double gantry at the yards OF Harland
& Wolff, at Belfast, in which the Olym-
pic and Titanic were built.
According to the Liverpool information
the White Star Line will be in first place
relative to having the longest ship in
the world. The proposed new monster
will exceed by 80 feet the Hamburg
Americans Line Imperator, now being
built abroad, and unless the Cunard Line
changes its plans in the construction OF
it's Aquitania the new White Star steam
ship will exceed her in length by ~
feet.
Made Ready Year Ahead.
Fully a year before the specifications
for the Olympic and Titanic were COM
plete the big yards Of Harland & Wolff.
at Belfast, started preparations for their
construction by the erection Of SlOo,-
600 steel gantry 1000 feet long. IL was
thought at the time that ships bigger
than the Olympic would not be con-
structed there for many years and that
the gantry would be able to accommo-
date any contract that came 70 the
yards.
This. of course, was contemplated be-
fore the Hamburg-American Limo an
nounced It would build the 9JO-foot Inn
rerator and the Cunard Line its 9O0-foot,
10000 ton Aquitania
Lord Pirrie, head OF the Belfast firm,
declared when he was in this country re-
Gently that he never expected to build
anything bigger or finer tran the Olym-
pic and Titanic Notwithstanding this,
however. the work of putting 100 feet
on to the 1,0OO-foot gantry at Belfast
has already begun.
The building of a vessel 100 feet
| longer than the Olympic, Tor which the
War Department permitted a 1OO-foot
pier extension in the North River sug-
gests that the controversy over river en-
croachment will most likely be started
all over again between the steamship
companies and the War Department
when these leviathans are ready 70 come
here in 1913 or 1914
Stern Barely Within End Of Pier.
The Olympic's stern when she is in
dock in the North River is barely 20
feet within the end Of the new pier
extension, and unless the War Depart
ment permits a second encroachment or
another 100 feet the proposed White
Star monster will not be able to doch
in the Chelsea district.
Thus far the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Line,
the North-German Lloyd Line and the
Holland Line have not asked
for pier extension in Hoboken, but II Is
contended that If they bring to this port
ships big enough TO warrant such exten-
sion it is only fair for the War DEPART
ment to give them what it gave the
White star.
With the 9JO-foot Imperator on the
west shore of the North River and the
900 foot Aquitania and the PROPOSED
92S-foot White Star liner on the east slue
there Is bound TO be considerable change
in the pier line