New-York tribune., 1921-02-20
German Secrecy
Makes Bismarck
Mystery Vessel
[. Nj. MI. Blocked i'm Efforts to
Have Its Representatives
Board Largest Liner i'm
World; No Plans Received

To buy the biggest Ship in the world
practically sight-unseen is what the In
ternational Mercantile Marine Com
pany has just done. No plans for the
vessel are in the hands of the White
Star Line, which has bought the $4,000
ton German built Bismarck from the
Reparation Commission, and no repre-
sentative has set foot on the vessel,
builders dock in Hamburg. Attempts
made by agents of the line to inspect
the Bismarck have been blocked by the
Germans with refusals to allow any one
on board her. at is verboten," is the
only explanation that has been given
for the refusal
Despite the mystery thrown about
the Bismarck by the Germans, however,
the White Star Line is goi'fg ahead
making arrangements for the utiliza-
tlon of the vessel, and it is expected
that she will be running in the trans
Atlantic trade within year.
The ship will be given a White Star
name ending in &c" and will be oper-
ated as teammate to the Olympic, the
largest British-built vessel, which for
some years has headed the White
Star fleet.
Since her launching in June, 1914,
the Bismarck has lain at the docks of
her builders, Blohm & Voss, at Ham
burg, waiting completion. In the
early months of the war her engines
toward fitting her out for service at
the earliest moment following peace,
which the Germans expected would
come quickly. 1t was their purpose to
make this ship the head of the aug
mented German merchant marine
which they expected to put on the seas
as the result of German victory in
the field.
AS the war dragged on work was
stopped on the Bismarck. Then as the
pinch came for copper and brass for
use in their torpedoes and shells the
Germans stripped the great ship of
either metal. Then she lay idle to the
end of the conflict.
The peace treaty specifically named
the great ship as part of the spoils of
war which the Germans must hand
over to the Allies. BY common consent
the ship was assigned to the British,
as no other nation had the facilities
for operating her except the United
States, which did not share in the dis
tribution of the German tonnage in
European ports, and which already
had the Leviathan, also German built
and only slightly smaller than the Bis
marck. The Leviathan is now owned
by the United States Shipping Board
and is laid up at Hoboken.
Detailed information as to the prog
ress being made toward completion of
the ship is expected soon at New York
but it is understood that the work is
going on steadily. The engines are said
to be in place, with the boilers and
Of
work of completing the installation of
staterooms and of fittings in the ships
public rooms is also we'll in hand, it
being understood that probably one
third of the staterooms already are in
place. The ships decorate and fur
nishings will be installed in the White
Star Line style.
When completed the Bismarck will
have capacity for about $500 passen-
gers and crew Of approximately 1850,
or, If fitted to burn oil as fuel, about
1000, the difference being in the num-
Der Of fireroom attendants required.
Her probable passenger capacity will
not be far from the following: First
class, $50; second class, 544; third
,, class, 934, and fourth class, 1868.
rms was the former passenger capac-
ity of the Leviathan, and although
rated as slightly larger, the Bismarck is
q, sister ship, having been built from
the same plans. The breadth and
depth of the ships are the same-1OO
feet breadth and 72 feet depth, with a
draft of water of 80 to 40 feet. The
Bismarck is stated to be 12 feet longer
than the Leyiathan. Her engines
are turbines, like the Leviathan's,
and her speed Will be about
the same, % knots. Her registered
tonnage, being based on the cnbic con-
tents of her hull and deck structures,
cannot be determined until the ship is
completed. 1t should be about $4,000
tons. Ihat of the Leviathan is 54,282
| tons and of the Olynaric AZ 12o