New-York tribune., 1912-04-16
TITANIC WONDER OF AGE
Worlds Greatest Liner Had Di.
mensions Of Staggering Size.
FOUR CITY BLOCKS LONG
Took Grew of $50 to Operate
the Big Ship for Her
$500 Passengers.

| All that wealth and modern workman
ship could produce was embodied in the
! Titanic. the largest vessel ever built
veritable floating palace. over four city
blocks in length, and twice the size OF the
Dreadnought Delaware, with some 6"O
tons to spare.
This 46, 6,000-ton monster narrowly escaped
serious mishap at the very start Of her
maiden voyage. AS she swept from her
berth at Southampton last Wednesday
there was a roar as from a broadside OF
big guns, caused by the suction created
by her huge propellers. So great was the
suction Of water that the seven huge
hawsers which moored the American liner
New York snapped like pipe stems and the
New York drifted helplessly, stern first,
toward the Titanic.
The Titanic reversed her engines in time,
and tugs rushed TO the aid Of the New
York. Thus a bad smash-up was averted.
It has been estimated that the Titanic
cost 100000 before she was finally put
in commission. Though S2l2 feet long, 921a
feed wide and 81 feet deep. with accom-
modations for crew Of $50 and capable OF
carrying $500 passengers she was built
with much care as is put into the finest
chronometers
1000 Tons Bigger than Olympic.
The Titanc's tonnage, when she finally
took the water, was nearly one thousand
tons greater than that of the Olympic. de-
signed as her sister ship. Though the
keels of the two monsters were laid at
about the same time work on the Titanic
was delayed for a year. so that any imper-
fection in the appointments Of the Olym-
pic, however slight might be corrected in
this newest and greatest Of ocean palaces.
Her length and breadth also exceeded those
of the older vessel.
New names had to be coined to apply TO
the twelve decks Of the vessels, nine or
which were connected with electric ele-
vators, in addition TO many wide stairways.
More than two thousand ports and windows
brought the light Of day into the interior
of the monsters. Through any Of the FUN
nels two of the largest Of modern passenger
trains might have raced abreast. Each link
of the anchor chain added l75 pounds to
the weight of the ships.
She has been compared to a modern
hotel She was really a city in miniature,
with a gymnasium, tennis and squash
Turkish and electric baths. swimming pool
palm gardens. card. music and smoking
rooms, while atop, on the twelfth deck.
was a golf course, somewhat reduced in
size
The Titanic had more restaurants and
dining rooms than her sister ship, the
Olympic with 4 grill and English chop
house to boot. Her hospital was fitted with
an operating table. and there was sun
room for passengers not In good health.
one OF the many unusual features Of the
Titanic. lacking even in her sister snip
! was the private promenade which adJolned
| the main restaurant on the starboard side
on to this deck opened a reception ROOM
where diners might congregate before 60
| ing TO their meals and hosts might meet
the guests whom they had invited 70 sit
with them at dinner. Banks of real flowers
| concealed the arbors in the palm garden.
Suites S4,350 for Single Trip.
Two Of the suites cost 1880 each for a
single trip. These apartments consisted OF
sitting rooms. sleeping chambers baths
| and wardrobes, with a garden In front, and
a private promenade extending the whole
! length Of the sute-some fifty feet-with
| its own private sea rail.
/ The occupants OF either Of these suites
could have the same privacy that an owner
Of a private yacht could command, with
his own deck, and the added comforts
that the leviathan afforded.
There were less pretentious suites. with
| sitting rooms In some Of them as large as
fifteen feet square.
= Ite
private bathroom. supplying fresh and sea
water. both hot and cold A servants hall
was provided for the valets and other SER
wants of the passengers. In these quarters
| servants when not in attendance on their
employers were expected to remain.
Like her sister ship. the Olympic, the
Titanic had four tunnels. From the top of
the tunnels 10 her keel measured l75 feet.
She made an average speed Of twenty-one
| knots on her trial trip.
In building her more than three million
| rlvets were used TO band together the
massive plates The plates in the Titanic s
| bottom weighed four and one-quarter tons
| each and were SO feet long. Her rudder
weighed 100 tons, and the boss arms 45 tons
forward and 1914 tons aft. Her fifteen
watertght compartments could be closed
simultaneously by the throwing Of a lever
on the bridge and her builders had de-
clared these rendered the ship unsuitable.
Launching an international Event.
The launching Of the Titanic on May 81,
1911, was considered an event Of interna-
tional Importance. Among the prominent
people who were present on that day were
j. Pierpont Morgan, Lord P1rrie, chairman
OF the Harland & Wolff company, and j.
Bruce Ismay, chairman Of the International
Mercantile Marine.
The construction Of the vessel was super
vised by Alexander NJ. Carlisle. general
manager Of the Belfast shipbuilding con-
Germ. Mr.. Carlisle accompanied the Olym-
pic TO this country on her maiden voyage
and was most enthusiastic over the behavior
of the big ship He expressed himselI as