New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-01

gins with the first transatlantic
steamer. the Great Western, and fol-
lows the development of size and speed
down To the coming day of the I'm
yerator. the Aquitania and the l,poo-
loot boat predicted by Lord Pirrie. In
the story of the mammoth liners the
Great Eastern will always hold her
place. That ambitious failure, thirty
years ahead of her period, degenerated'
after her historic service in the laying
of the Atlantic cable. into coal hulk
at Gibraltar, and then was used as an
advertising boarding. She was ulti-
mately broken up and sold as junk for
$4,000. Her. original cost had been
S3.j0O,OOO.
1t is when he takes up the designing
and building Of modern steamships
that Mr.. Talbot proves his gift Of clear
writing He begins with the model and
the test tank, describing in detail the
ingenious tests made by the marine en-
gineers in preparation for the building
OF the Mauritania and her turbine
power. Then follow the construction
OF an ocean racer, the machinery, the
launching and trial trip. The chapter
on the luxury of the modern liner,
whose decoration Is intrusted to great
architects and artists. is as well illus
trated as II is written. The domestic
economy Of the city afioat" is not for
gotten, and, OF course, there is the
long tale Of the struggle for the record
Steamship lanes, the dangers Of ice
and fog and derelicts, collisions. safety
appliances, wireless, all this Is de-
scribed and illustrated. The giant
deep-water traffic Of our Great Lakes
is included in the account.
Then there Is that fascinating sci
spcs, steamship surgery which cuts
a boat in two, and lengthens it TO any
desired measure; which constructs
steamers in sections in Europe and sets
them UP on the shores of African lakes
which attaches new bows to salved
sterns, or the reverse; and which has
built boats in England, sent them
across the Atlantic under their own
steam, and taken them through the
Niagara Canal in two sections. each
with its own bulkhead to put them to-
gether again by the neatest OF opera
tons. The tramp" has chapter to
herself, and so has the steamship
whose fuel is oil. A fascinating book,
VOL and fully illustrated
Mr.. Woods book. too. is a story Of
growth. from the first British battleship,
the Henry Grace a Dieu." usually
called the Great Harry to the super
Dreadnought. Launched in 1915, Henry
Wits mother ship Of the British navy
cost 1851 5s. lad. He was so proud
Of her that ne was afraid to send her
20 sea. and made her a show ship She
must have been brave sight, with her
streamers, banners Of beaten gold and
silver. flags with crosses OF st. George
and banners of divers arms" There
was a streamer with a dragon forty
five yards long, and another of forty
two yards, and one with lion. thirty
six yards in length, and still another
one with a greyhound, and little ones
with crosses Of st. George. and a ol-
ward streamer for the mainmast, en-
bellished with "Cadow fringe" She
measured 1000 tons. carried 3Ol sail
ors. $40 soldiers and 30 gunners. -
brass pieces and 103 of iron. A colored
njcture of her, In all her finery, appro-
nriately forms the frontispiece of the
book.
Nv far the greater part of these pages
;s devoted TO the long era of England
wooden walls under sail, with proper
respect paid to famous ships. An in
teresting phase of the story Is its sur
vey of the ways Of this old navy OF
,ta abuses in the treatment OF the men