The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-07-01
QUEEN OF THE SEAS.
Sketch of the Great Cunarder Sunk
by the Germans.

Eight years and eleven months
old, one OF the biggest, best equip
ped and fastest OF the ocean liners,
the Cunarder Lusitania held her
head high as queen of the seas. First
of the transatlantic palaces to cross
and land passengers in four days
from the departed port, 7S5 feet
over all, making speed of p
knots, $4,000 tons displacement, af-
fording means of comfort in travel
for 2,4O0 passengers and 500 Off
GERS and men, with engines of TO-
900 horsepower, this giant of the
main cost her owners S10,000,000,
and they say she was worth every
cent of it.
1t was in the yard of the British
shiptuilding firm, John Brown & Co.,
at Clyde Bank, on June I, 1906, that
the Lusitania received her name
from the lips of Dowager Lady Iver-
clyde, her sponsor. She was the
newest and greatest maritime won
der. 1t was said at the time that
she would smash the speed records.
and she did-even her own. For
years the New York papers awaited
her arrival in port as an event equal
almost to championship polo tour
nament on Long Island or bitterly
fought middle-season baseball Sc
ries at Coogan's Bluff. With 5000
passengers she made her maiden
voyage on September 7, 1907, and
reached New York in five days and
"a minutes, a record at that time.
But the captain said, "I'll beat this"
and thereafter that record was low
cred and lowered, until the four-day
trip was reality.
Although German steamship men
said that the vessels out of Hamburg
made better time to New York than
did the Lusitania from Liverpool, no
one ever disputed her mastery of the
sea, so far as speed was concerned,
and the reputation she acquired at
the. outset of her career has lived
on, despite the birth of liners, such
as the Imperator, Olympic and Water
land, far SURPRISING her in size. She
was the favorite of some of the most
noted transatlantic wayfarers, the
luXuriouSneSs of her accommoda-
tions and her unfailing swiftness
counting greatly in her favor as
against the mere bulkiness of the
others. She had nine decks, all con-
nected with elevators. Her cabins
were designed to look more like a
hotel than a ship, there being open
fireplaces, windows shaped and cur
tanned as in a private house, elab-
crate suites, tapesstried reception
rooms, smoking rooms and. cafes.
Her captain, w. T. Turner, one of
the most daring seamen who ever led
a liner across the Atlantic, has brav-
ed mines, torpedoes and submarines
on two occasions since the war be-
gan, and the big ship on one of the
trips hoisted the Stars and Stripes
to deceive the enemy lurking beyond
Queenstown. This gave cause for
great concern in Washington, and it
was said that Capt. Turner made use
of the American flag on his own ini-
tiative Later, however, it was de-
clared that the move had been Or
dered by the British admiralty, and
that the captain had nothing more
to do than obey orders.
Everything about the great vessel
was of colossal dimensions. Her rud-
der weighed 65 tons. She carried
three anchors of 10 tons each. The
main frames and beams, placed end
to end, would extend 80 miles.
Her builders said she was as near
ly unsuitable as vessel could be.
The lower deck was watertight, and
the double bottom was so construct,
ed that. should the bilge keels be
torn away, and the hull pierced, the
entering water would be confined
within the inner and outer bottoms.
The lower portion of the hull was
divided into 175 watertight compart-
ments. with communicating doors so
constructed that they could be closed
automatically from the navigating
bridges in a few seconds.
Marine engineers were particular
ly interested in the great engines by
which the Lusitania was propelled.
Instead of the usual type of recipro-
eating engines, turbines were INSTALL
ed. They developed an indicated
horsepower of 10000, driving four
shafts, each of which carried three
blade propeller.
Her accommodations, distributed