The sun., 1919-08-03

were made in the Model Experimental
Basin where certain conditions along
the Chelsea region Of the North River
were reproduced upon a small scale.
A model fifteen feet long was towed
at speeds representing varying veloci-
ties from six to twenty knots an hour.
This miniature representation of a
1,000-foot liner settled the matter con-
ciusively, and as a result the city built
the first Of its group of 1.0oo-foot
piers up at Forty-fourth street, where
the river Is wide enough to stand the
encroachment without any serious de-
rangement Of the tidal movement. Be-
cause Of that research work and the
city's anticipation Of the building OF
1,o0o-foot steamships we are to-day
in position to handle vessels Of that
II Is a coincidence, of course, but 1t
Is nevertheless an interesting fact that
we have recently been celebrating the
centennial of the first crossing Of the
Atlantic Ocean by a steam propelled
vessel e., the memorable voyage Of
the steamship Savannah, which COW
cred that long stretch, intermittently
helped by her engine, in twenty-four
days from land to land The first runs
entirely under steam from one side Of
the Atlantic to the other were made in
1888 by two British side wheelers, the
Sirius and the Great Western, which
reached New York within a day Of one
another-the Sirius doing the voyage
in seventeen days and the Great West
ern in fifteen days. The Savannah, of
$50 tons. was 100 feet long over all,
and had a beam of twenty-nine feet
thus In 100 years we have magnified
the length of our liners almost nine
fold. and in the matter OF speed they
have gained six times that possible
with the engine and boiler power pro-
vided for our transatlantic experiment
of 1919.
The Savannah Compared.
In the Neto York Mercantile Aduer-
ttser of March 27, 1919, was printed
the following enthusiastic description
OF the steamship Savannah's accom-
modations for ocean voyagers: Her
cabin is finished in an elegant style,
and is fitted up in the most tasty man
ner. There are thirty-two berths, all
of which are staterooms. The cabin
for ladies is entirely distinct from that
intended for gentlemen. and is admir-
ably calculated to afford that perfect
retirement which is SO rarely found
on board of passenger ships" In
contrast the huge new liners. apart
from an operating personnel Of 1000
officers and crew-are each to take
care OF 5000 passengers. These will
be divided as follows: First class,
1000; second class. 500, and steerage,
1900. Further. in order that the
travellers shall have enough to keep
them still linked with their accus-
toned pleasures ashore. these great
navigable towns are to have bathrooms.
moving picture theatres, grill rooms,
sun parlors, winter gardens, swimming
pools, Turkish baths. gymnasiums and
small shops that will supply them with
every reasonable want or luxury. Just
see how much intensive enjoyment
and how many conveniences are
crowded into a trip that is designedly
not to take more than four days from
port to port! Compared with the sup
posedly superior comforts OF the
steamship Savannah we see reflected
In the 1000 foot steamships the
changed standards of life which a CEN
fury of national progress has brought
about in America
And that these vessels shan be safe
guarded as far as possible against col.
lision either with other craft. I'M
heralded derelicts or fog hidden Ice
berg, they are to be extensively pro-
vided with an inner skin, and the in.
tervening double bottom space, sc
called, is to be formed into a great
honeycomb OF metal by numerous sub
| divisions so that any water pouring II
through the damaged outer plating
viii be confined within narrow limits
Further. the inner body of each o.
these ships win be subdivided into
many compartments OF moderate sixs
by water tight bullxheads, and because
OF these safety provisionD the ahipl