The New York herald., 1921-10-30
Second Item Explains Why
She Will Fly the Union Jack

SecOH0 item Explains w ny
She Will Fly the Union Jack
The second of these two little items ex-
plains why the Hamburg American liner
Bismarck, the greatest vessel In the world,
did not sail from Hamburg on her maiden
trip in 1915. Indirectly 1t also explains why
H. M. s. Majestic Of the White Star Line,
the greatest vessel in the world will sail
on her maiden voyage from Plymouth April
), 1922, barring assassnations other
matches in powder barrels.
For that Bismarck of the old days when
a big war was an mpossibility is the Ma
jestic of the new days in keel hull and
engines. although her flag is a Union Jack
and not a German ensign. And Of the two
sister ships Of the giant Bismarck, the I'm
perator and the Vaterland. one is now ply
ing the Atlantic as the Berengaria, under
the British colors and the house flag of the
Cunard line, and the other lies at a Ho-
boken pier with Leviathan stencilled across
her stern and the American flag streaming
at the jackstaff above 1t. The world has
changed since the Emperor smashed that
bottle.
The Majestic is really big ship. Her
tonnage. 56,00O is 1000 greater than the
Leviathan and 10000 greater than the
Olympic, the White Star Lines next largest
vessel A better way of accentuating her
size Is to say that her tonnage is nearly as
great as that of all the 1872 ships of the
great Spanish armada that bore down on
England in 1888.
The Majestic's beam is 100 feet the length
of many an ordinary ship. Her three great
smokestacks tower 144 feet above the water
line and 1s4 feet above the keel a total
height equal to that of an ordinary twelve
story building
Really Floating City
With Over 5000 Population
The Majestic is a floating city, popua-
,ion $500, with many more modernities and
conveniences than even the most model city
can boast. Moreover it will have its rich
and poor and middle classes. its births and
deaths, it's social affairs, and, no doubt. its
jealousies of other smaller places now afloat
and Of larger towns possibly to come. In due
place will come its list of features; suffice it
now to say that the Majestic, literally. is
an Atlantic City, boardwalk included.
The woolworth Building was constructed
primarily to house the offices of thousands
of busy workers. but irreverent shipping
men have seized upon the cathedral OF
commerce" as a yardstick to measure the
length of their marine achievements for the
edifcation of the public. Consequently, In
considering the general dimensions of this
largest ship, will begin by saying that
the Majestic. If reared up alongside the
worlds tallest building. would overtop the
gilded Spfre by 164 feet. 1t would be easier
to tumble the building down alongside the
ship than to rear the Majestic in Broadway.
but IL would not be conventional. The liner
is 956 feet the building 1872 feet in length
II requires three big liners to maintain an
adequate supership service across the At
lantic, so the White Star Line Is planning to
run the Majestic with the Olympic and a
new liner, also built by the Germans. which
IL to be known as the Homeric. This third
liner, of $4,000 tons. constructed at
Danzig.
Price Paid British Government
A Fraction of Present Cost
The Majestic the Berengaria (former I'm
perator) and the Homeric were all turned
over by the Germans to the British Govern
ment under the reparations agreement. The
White Star Line purchased the Majestic for
E1,000,000 Oess than $4.000.000) and the
Cunard Line the Berengaria for fs50,00
(,ess than s3.400, ,000). The Levlathan con-
structed before the war cost in the neigh
borhood of 800 900; the Berengaria, some
what less than this. The Majestic would.
II completely constructed before the war.
have cost probably s11 100000 or $4,000, 900.
None of these big ships could now be con-
structed at American yard under the
present scale OF prices and labor at less
than 900. The reconditioning of the
Leviathan alone. the hull and engines of
which are In good shape, would require the
expenditure Of about $40, 600, 900. II has been
estimated
The actual cost of the Majestic never
probably be accurately known for the reason
that the ship, half completed. lay at Ham
burg eating up money In upkeep from 1914
until the present time. She was stripped Of