New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-24
Repairs Made While Cross
ing Delayed Liner Only s
Hours: Engineer Praised
for His Achievement
Brings l,646 Passengers
Railroad Presidents Rea,
LOOMS and Bresler Are
Among Those Returning


noon at 3:l5 O'clock, after trying run
from Southampton and Cherbourg.
figurativcly, she was patted upon the
back by her owners and her pas
sengers, for under an enormous handi
cap, owing to engine trouble, she raced
to port and landed her travellers here
only SIX hours past her allotted sched
ule of six days.
According to officials of the com
pany, the repairs made upon her pos
iow-pressure turbine by expert marine
mechanics under the direction of
Joseph Wolff, her chief engineer, was
an achievement that will be long re-
membered by the men who drive steam
ships.
The feat fulfilled the promises of Mr..
Wolff that a proposed lay-over of sew
enty-two hours in SOUTHAMPTON was
unnecessary and that, like the Twenti-
eth Century Limited, she could make
up for lost time and land her passen-
gers III New York on Wednesday after
noon.
Twenty Bolts Were Broken
The real nature of the trouble was
not revealed until the Majestic came
TO port Yesterday. Radio messages
i t'v s1iuts nau gwen way ana
had to be replaced, but this was an
error. Mr.. Wolff said that bolts-not
struts--had caused the trouble, and the
replacing of them was no child's play.
twenty bolts of the turbines rotary
mad broken off, and before these could
be replaced the stubs had 20 be drilled
out and the bolts threaded
After the continental passengers had
been taken aboard at Cherbourg the
Majestic got on her course for New
York. The deranged turbine had been
cut Off from the rest of her driving
power and gangs of expert British ma
chlnists took turns climbing into the
huge drums to drill away the stubs.
They worked in short relays, in bad
air at temperature of SO degrees,
from midnight Wednesday until noon
Saturday, and succeeded in finishing a
job that could not have been done bet
ter in port.
Throughout this time the Majestic
maintained speed of seventeen knots,
and when the restored turbine was
thrown into service sthe big flyer hit
up speed of twenty-five knots. Up
to noon Thursday she logged only 200
miles. The noon hour on Friday re-
corded only 800, and again when the
reading was taken on Saturday she
showed mileage of only 319 for
twenty-four hours.
Gains Speed on Sunday
1t was different story, however,
at noon on Sunday, after the repaired
turbine had been turning it's quota for
twenty-four hours, for at noon on that
day the Majestic had sped through the
Atlantic at 6O3 miles. After that she
encountered head winds, which re-
tarded her slightly; but despite this
she made the entire run of 1856 miles
at an average speed of 1874 knots, her
time for the entire journey being six
days, fifteen hours and thirty one
minutes.
The Majestic carried 1916 passen-
gers, 701 being first cabin. Among
them was DR.. John A. Harriss, the
special deputy police commissioner in
charge of the citys traffic. He had
the capitals of Europe, comforting with
traffic officials, giving freely of his
knowledge, making personal gifts of
traffic towers and garnering what
ever knowledge appealed to him as
having worth for traffic in New. York
Wants Better Traffic Rules
al talked with the prominent police
| officials in England, France, Belgium,
Germany Switzerland and Italy," said
DR.. Harrss, "and they all expressed a
keen interest in standardizing traffic
regulations throughout the world. By
regulating traffic along uniform and
standardized lines there can be great
saving in human life. About $4,000
persons were killed in this country
last year because of unregulated traf-
tenn were standardized at least two
thirds of this casualty list could be
spared"
The deputy said he gave a traffic
tower to Paris, one to Berlin and one
to London.
Justice Norman S. Dixie, of the Su-
preme Court of Brooklyn, returned
with Mrs. Dixie after several months
abroad.
please don't ask me about condi--
tions abroad" he said. II am sick and
tired of the self-appointed ambassa--
doris who see little of cafe life and
return full of information about
everything in Europe, including their
own political theories. Europe is still
staggering and dazed, like fighter
that has received punch in the solar
plexus. All the European powers have
a wistful eye upon the United States
and regard her as sort of Lady
| Bountiful."
Rail Presidents Return
Among the saloon travellers were
Samuel Rea, president of the Pennsyl-
0ania Railroad; E. E. LOOMS, presi-
dent of the Lehigh Valley Railroad,
and William G. Besler, president of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey All
were eager for news Of the railroad
strike but. with the exception of Mr..
Rea, declined to express opinions.
II have been out of touch" said Mr..
! Rea, "but if the situation just now
hinges on the restoration of seniority
rights / don't see how the railroads can
yield and do justice to the promises
they have made to the old men and to
the new. found the railroads of Eng
land, France and Switzerland in good
condition. This was particularly true
of England. The British roads were
handed back to the owners by the gov
eminent in much better condition than
were the roads Of this country when the
government had finished with them.
The owners were better treated gem
orally by the British government than
the owners of American roads"
Mrs. Levy Mayer. widow of the Chi
cago lawyer who died several days ago,
returned on the Majestic with her son,
Lester Mayer. They were met at
Quarantine by E. j. Schlesinger, coun-
sci for the Shipping Board, who took
| them to the city on the tug Active in
an effort to facilitate quick departure
for Chicagoo.
Among others on board were Alfred