Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-30
BIGGER SHIP THAN
T|TAN|CLAUNCHED
Emperor William Narrowly Els.
capes Injury as He Christens
Her the Imperator.

Hamburg. May a.-The people Of Ger.
many and their Emperor pride them.
serves with having the largest steamship
IN the world with the launching here of
the lmperator of the Hamburg -American
steamship yesterday. Kaiser Wilhelm
narrowly escaped serious injury. As the
liner left the ways a heavy piece Of wood
which had become dislodged fell within a
few inches of the Kaiser's head, but he
escaped injury.
The new steamship is 1912 feet longer
than the Titanic Everybody present at |
the ceremonies had the catastrophe in |
mind as they gazed at the giant proper |
tons of the new ship. But 1t Is said by |
those who have had hand in building
the lmperator that she Is the last word
In safety. and naval men agree with them.
The Kaiser, accompanied by Admirals
Tirpitz. Won Muller and Holtzendorff,
several generals and his suite. was re-
ceived at the dock by Herr Balm. the
general manager. and the directors of
the Hamburg American line and officials
of the Vulcan Shipbuildng company The
Emperor was led to the special tribune at
the bow Of the Imperator. Speeches were
then made and Mayor Burchard Of Ham
burg In his address compared the new
vessel to other steamships as the sun Is
to the stars
Then at a signal the Emperor aimed a
bottle of champagne adorned with rib
bons at the ship. His aim was good and
the bottle smashed against the bow. At
the moment n the striking he said with
a loud voice:
Il chrsten thee Imperator."
As he concluded and the ship slid into
the water thunderous shouts went up
from the vast throng.
After the launching the Kaiser was n
guest of the mayor and the senators Of
Hamburg al luncheon.
The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. line has al
ready ordered two sister ships Of the I'M
perator from Blohn & Voss of Hamburg
and both will he Of 5000 tons each.
The Imperator is under subsidy Of the
German navy and in time of war can be
pressed into transport service.
The laying OF the keel Of the Imperator
Was begun on June IS, 1910 under the $50
| foot high guntries of the Vulcan Ehip-
building works at Hamburg. She has
length Of go feet and her dotble bottom
Is 767 l-o feet long, So feet wide and feet
high and has cubic capacity of $4,000
gallons. Some Of the rivets used IN as
! semb!!ng the frame and plates weighed
| 3 II pounds
The setting in position of the frames
was begun in the spring of 1911, and
within the shell Of tho hull the construc-
ton of the longitudinal hukheads. These
bulkheads run both longitudinally and
athwartshps There are twelve OF. these
latter bulkhcads throughout the length
of the ship and one longitudinal bulk
head In the engine room. and they reach
| from the bottom fifty feet upward to
the second deck. The bulkheads will be
controlled by hydraulic power from the
bridge
The Imperator has a beam OF Aj feet
and depth of 60 feet. The boat deck
will be 100 feet and the trucks of the
masts 94G feet above the keel. Her fun
nes will be 60 feet long and the oval
openings will measure % by IS feet. Tho
rudder weighs 20 tons and the diameter
of the rudder stock is oh. feet.
The ship will be driven by the most
powerful marine engines ever construct
ed. She weighs 5000 tons and to push
this vast weight at an average of 22is
|
engines capable of developing 1000
horsepower. Her four propelers will be
driven by Parsons turbine engines, One
of the immense rotors of the turbines
contains 5000 blades, weighs 1875 tons
and develops more than 2200Q horse
power. a total of $500 electric lamps are
placed throughout the Imperator. the
current for which Is generated by five
turbine dynamos OF 2nO amperes and
10 volts, and a sixth dynamo is placed
above the waterline TO insure light, even
| II the lower dyramos are put out of
business by encroaching water She will
have a Frahm anii-rolling tank
The essential structure of the Impera-
tor weighs 600 pounds. and when
| the passengers and crew go aboard 1t Is
estimated the weisht will be increased
| by ,5"no pounds.
! She Will have n complete RitZ-Carlton
restaurant and ratnskeller. or cafe
vcrarda. paved with stone and with a.
half timbered ceiling and lighted by old
fashioned ships lanterns. SIZE will also
have swimming pool.
crew Of l,l0O men will be carried.
and Captain Hans Ruser, a veteran in
the service of the line. will be in com
mand, Captain Ruser will superintend
her completion and bring her on her
maiden voyage to this country mex,
spring. Captain Ruser went on his first
voyage at A. served later in the German
navy and entered tina service Of the
| Hamburg American line in 1890.